How to recycle electronics in Swindon the right way

What counts as e-wasteSection titled What%20counts%20as%20e-waste

E-waste, or WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment), covers anything that runs on a plug, battery or cable. If it has a circuit board inside, it needs to be recycled separately rather than thrown in with general rubbish. Common categories include:

• Phones, tablets and other handheld devices
• Computers, laptops and monitors
• TVs
• Small appliances - kettles, toasters, hairdryers, irons
• Cables, chargers and leads
• Batteries, including those built into other devices

Why it should never go in the binSection titled Why%20it%20should%20never%20go%20in%20the%20bin

Electricals contain materials that don't belong in landfill - small amounts of lead, mercury and other substances that can leak out once a device is crushed. Lithium batteries are the bigger everyday risk: if one ends up loose in a bin bag it can get crushed or punctured during collection, and damaged lithium cells are a known cause of fires in bin lorries and waste sites.

There's also a simple waste-of-value argument. Old electricals contain recoverable metals, plastics and rare materials that can be reused in new products once they're processed properly - none of that happens if the item goes to landfill. Recycling it properly, through a recycling centre, retailer take-back point or a licensed collection, means it's actually recovered rather than lost.

Recycling centres serving SwindonSection titled Recycling%20centres%20serving%20Swindon

Swindon Borough Council runs the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) at Waterside Park, Darby Close, Cheney Manor Industrial Estate, Swindon SN2 2PN. It's open to any Swindon resident and takes electrical household products (including fridges and freezers), computers, TVs and batteries - including car batteries - free of charge.

You do need to plan ahead: the centre is pre-booked only, with 20-minute arrival slots running from 8am to 4:20pm, so book your visit online before you set off. Most household electricals go in free, though a small number of unrelated items (such as plasterboard and car tyres) carry a separate charge.

Shop and retailer take-back schemesSection titled Shop%20and%20retailer%20take-back%20schemes

Under the Distributor Take-back Scheme, any large retailer selling electricals has to offer a way to recycle your old item when you buy a like-for-like replacement - in most cases you have 28 days after the purchase to bring the old one back, in store or on delivery. Recycle Your Electricals has a full list of participating retailers and how each one runs its scheme.

Some retailers go further and take small electricals without requiring a new purchase. Currys, which has a store at Greenbridge Retail Park in Swindon, will recycle small electricals such as cables, chargers, kettles and hairdryers in store for free, and most branches also have a battery recycling point at the till. Many supermarkets carry battery collection points too, so a dead pack of batteries doesn't have to wait for a trip to the recycling centre.

What Swindon Council will collectSection titled What%20Swindon%20Council%20will%20collect

Swindon Council doesn't run a kerbside collection for electricals or batteries - both need to go to the HWRC or a shop take-back point instead, since putting them in with kerbside recycling risks damaging the collection and causing fires.

For larger items you'd rather not carry to the tip, TVs and other electrical appliances (washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers, fridges and freezers among them) qualify for the council's bulky waste collection service. It's collected from the front of your property once booked, priced at £44.00 for up to three items, reduced to £34.50 if you receive at least 80% Council Tax Support. Payment is taken at the time of booking and isn't refundable once confirmed. Council prices and booking rules do change, so it's worth checking the official page before you book.

Wipe it, then donate or reuseSection titled Wipe%20it%2C%20then%20donate%20or%20reuse

Clear your data firstSection titled Clear%20your%20data%20first

Before anything leaves the house, sign out of accounts and remove SIM or memory cards, then run a factory reset on phones, tablets and laptops so the next user starts from a blank device. For an old PC or laptop that's held anything sensitive, a factory reset alone may not be enough - use a proper disk-wiping tool, or remove and physically destroy the hard drive, before it goes for recycling or donation.

Where to donate working electronicsSection titled Where%20to%20donate%20working%20electronics

If it still works, it's worth more donated than recycled. The British Heart Foundation's Swindon Furniture & Electrical Store accepts working electrical items - from small appliances up to TVs and white goods - and offers a free home collection service for anything too bulky to drop off yourself.

Smaller working gadgets - phones, tablets, laptops, games consoles - can also go straight into most BHF or other charity shop donation points, as long as they're clean and complete with their charger where possible.

When a private collection makes senseSection titled When%20a%20private%20collection%20makes%20sense

A trip to the HWRC makes sense for a car boot of small items, but it's not always practical - a house clearance with a mix of electricals and furniture, an office clear-out, a broken TV too big to carry alone, or simply a load of e-waste sitting alongside other rubbish that needs shifting anyway. Swindon Waste Collection collects e-waste as part of general clearance loads across Swindon, with everything taken to licensed disposal and reuse or recycling handled first.

Which option fits your situationSection titled Which%20option%20fits%20your%20situation

Related servicesSection titled Related%20services

• E Waste Disposal
• Office Clearance
• Rubbish Removal