Council urges residents to recycle electrical items - not bin them

East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s waste and recycling team is asking people to take anything with a plug, batteries or that needs charging to one of the area’s 10 household waste recycling sites so they can be recycled or reused.

If placed in blue or green bins, products powered by batteries, such as vapes smartphones, laptops, smart watches, power tools, remote control toys and cameras, or simply loose batteries, can be dangerous as they can start fires when rubbish is collected.

The batteries can ignite when punctured or crushed by machinery and have been responsible for fires in bin lorries in Aldborough in June, Little Weighton in January, and just last month a fire had to be put out at the Carnaby Household Waste Recycling Site and waste transfer station- the third there in as many years.

Any fire could unfortunately cause significant and long-lasting disruption to our household waste collections for residents.

Across the country in 2024 more than 1,200 fires were reported in bin lorries, recycling sites or waste transfer stations.

Taking electrical items to household waste recycling sites also ensures they and the materials they are made from can be safely recycled.

Please make sure you place them in the correctly signed skips for small electricals, or into the Dove House Reuse Shop containers if they are in good working order.

Councillor Paul West, the council’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: “Residents in the East Riding have proved they are among the best recyclers in the country, so now we want to encourage them not to use their bins for electricals, to prevent starting fires.

“Around 80% of the materials used to make electricals can be recovered and recycled into new appliances, so taking them to our recycling sites is positive all round.”

All household waste recycling sites are open seven days a week 10am to 5pm.