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Electrical goods and gadgets

Computers, TVs and electronic gadgets require large amounts of energy and raw materials to produce, and dealing with electronic waste is a growing challenge. By cutting down on energy use, and disposing of unwanted equipment carefully, you can reduce the harmful impact of electronic goods on the environment.

Buy energy efficient equipment

The following tips can help you choose energy saving electrical equipment:

Save energy - or switch it off

Energy is used by electronic items left on standby and by mobile phone chargers left plugged in but not connected to an appliance. You can save energy by:

  • unplugging your chargers: mobile phone and laptop chargers continue to use energy when they are left plugged in to the socket even when not connected to the phone or computer
  • turning your monitor off when you leave your computer, and activating its energy-saving features, will reduce the energy it uses significantly
  • turning off TV equipment at the set or plug, not by using the remote control

Hang on to your equipment for longer, re-use or recycle

Over 6 million electrical items are thrown away in the UK every year. A desktop PC uses about 10 times its weight in fossil fuels and chemicals during its production and operation. If you are thinking of disposing of an electronic or electrical item:

  • ask the retailer if they will recycle the old one
  • consider whether you really need to replace it – keeping your mobile phone or computer for longer can save you money, save energy and avoid waste
  • unwanted devices can often be re-used – over half of the electronic items thrown away are still working or could easily be repaired
  • if you do need to dispose of electronic or electrical items, make sure they are recycled safely and avoid disposing of them with domestic rubbish

Follow the link below for practical information on making equipment last longer, passing on unwanted equipment for re-use and safe disposal.

Use fewer batteries

Every year, 25-30,000 tonnes of portable batteries are thrown away. You can help save raw materials and energy by using fewer batteries and recycling them when they are spent. It's important to recycle batteries as they can contain valuable metals. Some also contain harmful chemicals like lead and mercury which can leak into the ground.To reduce your battery use you could try:

  • plug gadgets into the mains while using them where possible
  • using rechargeable batteries when you can will mean less batteries are thrown away (though rechargeables may not work as well for items that require high power)
  • recycle all unwanted batteries where possible - use the link below to find out if there is a recycling facility close to you
  • wind-up or solar gadgets like radios and torches allow you to dispense with batteries altogether.

Think before you print

Only print when you really need as this saves energy, paper and ink. Other things you can do include:

  • print double-sided to save paper
  • recycle your waste paper, and use recycled paper
  • to save ink select ‘draft’ or ‘economy’ settings when you print
  • refill or recycle empty printer cartridges  

Find a new home for your gadgets – or recycle

Electronic goods often contain harmful chemicals like lead, brominated flame retardants, cadmium and mercury. These can cause pollution if not disposed of properly. Things you can do:

  • try to find unwanted devices a new home with a relevant charity or other organisation.- over half the electronic items thrown away are still working or could easily be repaired  
  • take unusable items to a recycling centre where the valuable or harmful materials can be removed safely and re-used or disposed of - recycling materials like aluminium from computers saves raw materials and energy
  • if you are recycling a computer, make sure you permanently delete all files and programs on the hard drive first

The wider issue

The new WEEE regulations mean that when you buy a new piece of electrical equipment, retailers have to take back your old one, or tell you where you can take it for recycling

Manufacturing electronic equipment requires a large amount of energy. Televisions and other electronic goods are made of copper, lead and iron, as well as plastic - these valuable raw materilas can be recycled which saves energy. Electrical equipment can also contain harmful chemicals - in order to make sure these are safely removed, they need to be disposed of seperately from household waste. The average UK citizen will generate 3.3 tonnes of electronic waste in their lifetime.  

More useful links

Love Food Hate Waste NI

Get tasty leftover recipes and advice on how to reduce your food waste.

 

Do it online