Southampton residents urged to recycle their electricals with new ‘Recycling in Libraries’ pilot

Residents across Southampton are being encouraged to recycle their unwanted small electrical items as part of a new pilot scheme designed to make recycling easier and more accessible.

The ‘Recycling in Libraries’ initiative, organised by Southampton City Council, will launch on 20 March 2026 and aims to reach more than 250,000 residents. The project will see bright pink electrical recycling bins installed in six community libraries across the city: Central, Shirley, Bitterne, Portswood, Lordshill and Woolston.

The scheme will allow residents to drop off old, broken or unwanted small electricals during regular library visits. Items such as cables, chargers, mobile phones, small kitchen gadgets, hairdryers and toys with plugs or batteries can all be safely recycled.

The pilot is one of more than 70 projects funded nationwide by Material Focus, the not-for-profit organisation behind the Recycle Your Electricals campaign. Material Focus has provided £43,000 to support the Southampton initiative, which forms part of wider efforts to make electrical recycling more convenient for over 12 million people across the UK.

Alongside the installation of new collection points, Southampton City Council will run a local awareness campaign featuring posters, information displays and leaflets to help residents understand what can be recycled and where to take their items. The campaign will also feature HypnoCat, the Recycle Your Electricals mascot, a bright pink character designed to encourage residents to recycle their electricals.

The pilot will run throughout 2026 and is expected to collect and recycle thousands of small electrical items that might otherwise be thrown away. The wider Electricals Recycling Fund programme includes a range of recycling approaches, from kerbside collections to additional drop-off locations in schools, community centres and bring banks. Overall, the programme will deliver more than 400 new collection points and kerbside collection services for around three million residents.

Research from Recycle Your Electricals shows that while 80% of consumers believe recycling is important and many regularly recycle materials such as paper and plastic, a significant number of electrical items remain unused in homes. It is estimated that UK households collectively store around 880 million unwanted electrical products, with 39% still being disposed of in general waste, contributing to more than 100,000 tonnes of e-waste each year.

Councillor John Savage, Cabinet Member for Net Zero Environment at Southampton City Council, said: “This is a brilliant initiative that makes it easier than ever for Southampton residents to recycle their small electricals while they’re out and about. By using much-loved community spaces like our libraries, we’re giving people a simple, local way to do their bit for the environment and keep valuable materials in use.”

Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus, added: “We are pleased to support Recycling in Libraries, which addresses the pressing issue of e-waste. By investing in improved drop-off services and exploring new recycling methods, we’re taking a significant step towards creating a more sustainable future by making it easier for over 12 million people to recycle their electricals.”

Residents can find their nearest recycling point by visiting the Recycle Your Electricals website.