West Devon Unplugged - electrical waste amnesty 'a success'

More than 1.8 tonnes of waste electronic and electrical equipment were collected to be reused or recycled on West Devon Borough Council's Electrical Waste Amnesty Day held recently.

From old toasters and kettles to TVs and computers, virtually anything that runs on batteries or has a plug was collected free of charge from local businesses.

The amnesty was run by the borough council in partnership with local social enterprise Pluss, as well as SIMS, the world's largest metals recycling company. The electricals were collected, sorted and recycled in a bid to reduce the waste being sent to landfill. The only items not eligible for the scheme were fridges, freezers and car batteries.

West Devon businesses were encouraged to contact Pluss in advance to arrange a free pick up of their waste. A collection point was set up at the Kilworthy Park council offices in Tavistock for staff to bring their electrical waste to work on the day.

Cllr Robert Oxborough, Chairman of West Devon's Environment and Community Committee, said: "This initiative is great for local businesses, and fantastic for the environment. The response from business owners and council staff was excellent, and the sheer amount of electrical equipment that can now be recycled or reused is very impressive. We hope to repeat the amnesty again in about six months, and I'd encourage all local business owners to get involved."

Michael Crompton-Holgate, Locality Manager for Pluss said: "It's been great to see the interest our small collections service has generated over the past few months since we have started collecting waste electrical products. The partnership between Pluss and SIMS metal management gives people the opportunity to get behind a local social enterprise whilst ensuring their collection does not add to landfill."

For more information please contact Michael Crompton-Holgate at Pluss on 01803 520386 or email WEEE.recycleITright@pluss.org.uk