Recycling electrical items

We offer a free domestic kerbside collection of small electrical items, including cables and chargers. Please help our collection teams by following these guidelines:

• place small electrical items in a clear plastic bag on top of any bin or by your sacks on collection day
• if a clear plastic bag isn't available, use a carrier bag but leave it untied for visibility
• do not place electrical items inside any bins
• do not tie the bag to your bin
• remove any batteries from the electrical items and keep items separate from batteries
• we don't collect batteries or small electrical items from flats using shared bins - go to the Waste Wizard at Oxfordshire.gov.uk to find recycling points near you

Small electrical items we collect

Small electrical items are those that plug in, charge up, or are battery-powered and fit into a standard carrier bag, such as:

• CD/DVD players
• chargers
• clocks
• electric toothbrushes and razors
• games consoles
• hair dryers and hair straighteners
• irons
• kettles
• lamps
• leads and cables
• radios and stereos
• smoke alarms
• telephones and mobile phones
• toasters
• watches

How to dispose of large electrical items

Large electrical items like vacuum cleaners, TVs, fridges, and washing machines are not collected kerbside. Here are some options for disposal:

• take them to Redbridge Household Waste Recycling Centre
• book a bulky waste collection
• donate to charity shops
• post to recycling via websites such as Oxford Freegle and Freecycle Oxford UK

Recycling electricals in shops

Some electricals can be returned to the shop for recycling. Retailers are legally required to accept them or contribute to the Distributor Takeback Scheme. More information can be found on the GOV.UK website.

To find your nearest shops that accept electrical items for recycling please visit recycle your electricals.

How electrical items are recycled

Collected items are broken up, and plastics and metals are separated for reuse in industry. Recycling electrical goods is crucial as many of the precious metals they contain are becoming scarce.