The pilot will launch on Friday 20 March and aims to reach over 250,000 residents through a network of six local libraries: Central, Shirley, Bitterne, Portswood, Lordshill and Woolston, where new bright pink electrical recycling bins will be installed.

Recycling in Libraries will make it simple for people to recycle their old, broken, or unwanted small electricals during their regular library visits. Residents will be able to drop off items such as cables, chargers, phones, small kitchen gadgets, hairdryers, and toys with plugs or batteries, ready to be safely recycled.

This is one of over 70 UK pilots funded by Material Focus, the not-for-profit organisation leading the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, who have provided £43,000 to support this pilot. Recycling in Libraries joins other pilots nationwide in making it easier for more than 12 million people across the UK to recycle their electricals.

Alongside the new library collection points, Southampton City Council will run a local awareness campaign with posters and information displays to help residents understand what can be recycled and where to take it. The pilot will run throughout 2026 and is expected to collect and recycle thousands of small electrical items that might otherwise have been thrown away.

Residents will be made aware of how and where they can recycle their electricals through information on leaflets and on eye-catching posters featuring HypnoCat, the Recycle Your Electricals mesmerising pink, fluffy mascot who’s on a mission to hypnotise local residents into recycling their electricals.

This pilot is part of the new 2025 funding for the Electricals Recycling Fund, where Material Focus has allocated an additional £750,000. The aim of the nationwide Electricals Recycling Fund is to significantly reduce e-waste and its environmental impact by making it easier for consumers to recycle their electricals. The pilots funded by Material Focus include a variety of recycling methods, from kerbside collections to more drop-off points in schools, community centres, and bring banks. Overall, there will be over 400 new collection points plus kerbside collections for 3 million residents.

Recycle Your Electricals research shows that 80% of consumers believe recycling is a good thing, and most of us already recycle things like paper and plastic. Yet many of us still have at least 30 unwanted electricals tucked away at home — that’s around 880 million items across the UK — and 39% of people still bin them, leading to over 100,000 tonnes of e-waste every 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, said: “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.”

To find your nearest recycling point, visit recycleyourelectricals.org.uk