Council launches recycling points for small electricals

(L-R) Kieran O'Leary, strategic waste officer, Alan Patrickson, corporate director of neighbourhoods and climate change, and Alison Paterson, centre manager for Blackhall Community Centre

We have launched a new recycling project where residents can drop off small electrical or battery-operated items at one of 17 collection points across the county.

Avoiding waste

Working in partnership with Valpak, AO.com and County Durham Furniture Help Scheme, the project helps avoid items being thrown out as waste and gives them a chance to become something new.

Recycling just one toaster produces enough steel to create 25 new cans. For every item that is recycled, raw materials are being saved which helps preserve energy and precious resources.

The scheme was launched at Blackhall Community Centre, one of the local collection points, with the launch of a monthly competition for residents who drop off an item for recycling.

Monthly competition

In partnership with AO.com, we are giving residents the chance to win something brand new after recycling an item at any collection point.

To be entered into the monthly prize draw, residents can email wasteaware@durham.gov.uk with the item they are recycling and the number of the collection point where it is being dropped off.

Easy to recycle

Cllr Mark Wilkes, Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said: "Around 45 per cent of UK households have up to five unused electrical items. The aim of this project is to get these devices out of people's homes and recycled into something new.

"There are a number of collection points across the county to make it easy for residents to drop off their items, where they can be used as a resource to produce something new rather than disposed of as waste."

Collection points

Small electrical items can be dropped off at the following collection points:

• Age UK County Durham, Belmont Business Park
• Blackhall Community Centre
• Dean Bank and Ferryhill Literary Institute, Ferryhill
• Escomb Village Hall, High Escomb (Only open for collections Wednesday's 9.00am to 10.30am)
• Horden Centennial Centre
• Pelton Community Centre, Front Street, Chester-le-Street
• Quaking Houses Village Hall Association, Stanley
• REfUSE Café, Front Street Chester-le-Street
• Shildon Alive, 91-95 Church St, Shildon
• Shildon Town Council - Council Offices, Civic Hall Square, Shildon
• Spennymoor Youth and Community Centre
• St John's Church, Neville's Cross
• The Brockwell Centre, Chester- le-Street (Currently closed due to Covid-19)
• The Fulforth Centre, Sacriston
• Tudhoe Community Centre
• Ouston Community Centre
• YMCA Teesdale Community Café

Residents must be aware that we do not offer secure data removal or confidentiality of data, therefore it is the resident's responsibility to ensure information is removed before leaving any item for recycling or reuse.

Due to the nature of the collections, it is only possible to accept electricals that are small enough to fit in a carrier bag.