electricals

Recycle your old electricals


Electrical and electronic items are anything with wires, plugs, or that use batteries. Find out if you can recycle your electrical and electronic items at home, or where to take them with the recycling search tool.

Yes please

  • Headphones
  • E-cigarette tips
  • Electrical toys including games consoles
  • Mobile phones
  • Household appliances like irons, hairdryers, toasters, microwaves, radios
  • Computers, equipment and screens
  • Smoke detectors and monitors
  • Televisions
  • Vacuum cleaners
  • Larger appliances and white goods like fridges and cookers

It is important to recycle or reuse electrical and electronic items as they can be hazardous – products may leak hazardous chemicals, contributing to water and air pollution, and so shouldn’t be thrown directly in your rubbish bin.

How to recycle electrical items

Battery recycling

Batteries are hazardous so can’t be put into your rubbish bin. You can take household batteries back to shops such as supermarkets and electrical retailers that have battery recycling bins. The Battrecycle scheme allows you to find battery recycling collection points; use the online collection point locater to identify your closest Battrecycle bin.

You can usually take car batteries to a community recycling centre (CRC), but check the Surrey County Council website before your visit.

In some areas batteries can be collected from your home, here batteries should be put into a separate bag to other electrical items. Check the search tool to see if you have this service where you live.


In your area:

Once your electricals have been recycled they could be used for things like shipbuilding, galvanising railings and lampposts, in jewellery or musical instruments. Find out more.