New scheme launched for residents to recycle electric goods to help homeless and needy people in Milton Keynes

A new rehoming project has been launched for unwanted electrical goods in Milton Keynes.

People can drop off small, working electricals such as TVs, laptops and kitchen items to be quality checked by experts and then donated to local charities helping the homeless and needy.

These include The Bus Shelter MK, YMCA, The Salvation Army’s Lighthouse Project and Milton Keynes City Council’s Local Welfare Provision scheme.

The items can be dropped off at Wolverton Community Fridge and Repair Cafe sessions at The Old Bath House and Community Centre.

Saturday saw the first such session and more than 50 electronic items were donated by residents. These included a waffle maker, TVs, laptops, food mixers and an air fryer..

Electrical waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing type of waste in the world, with 39% of Brits admitting to throwing electricals in the bin.

New research from Material Focus has revealed we throw out 100,000 tonnes of e-waste per year in the UK. It also confirms we still have a shocking 880 million gadgets gathering dust in homes - that’s 30 items per household.

The Wolverton scheme is one of more than 40 UK projects funded by Material Focus, a not-for-profit organisation leading the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, which has provided over £50,000 to support #RehomeYourElectricals.

The Bus Shelter MK, which shelter, food and support for rough sleepers, has welcome the project,

Their service manager Gemma Kent said: "Rehome Your Electricals’ is a fantastic idea for a scheme and we are pleased to be a part of it. When our guests move on, it's hard to provide them with all that they need to give them the best start to independence. Rehome Your Electricals will be a vital resource in helping us to give our guests essential items they will need to allow their new accommodation to feel like home.”

Helen Innes, project lead at Hubbub, said, “We’re enjoyed seeing residents across Milton Keynes get behind this ground-breaking initiative which makes it much easier to rehome electrical items and reduce e-waste. Anything with a plug, battery or cable contains valuable material that can be kept from becoming e-waste.”