Tech Repair – Electrical Recycling in Enfield, organised by Youth & Community Connexions, today unveils its plans for increased small electrical recycling in Enfield.
The pilot launches today with the hope that 1,000 households in the local community will get behind its drive to recycle their electricals.
It will expand its long‑standing weekly local electrical repair workshops to four new locations and aims to empower local residents to reduce waste, save money and keep valuable electricals in use within the community.
This is one of over 80 UK pilots funded by Material Focus, the not‑for‑profit leading the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, who have provided £50,000 to support this pilot. Tech Repair – Electrical Recycling in Enfield is joining other pilots around the country to make it easier for 12 million UK residents to recycle their electricals.
The funding for the pilot will expand Youth & Community Connexions’ existing repair programme located at Youth & Community Connexions, 39 St James Chambers, Edmonton, N9 0UD.
It will increase the number of weekly workshops with the installation of 6 – 8 new small electrical drop‑off points which will be situated in local shopping centres, libraries, schools and community buildings, and the initiative will strengthen partnerships with local authorities and education providers.
At repair sessions led by an experienced repair technician, residents will be able to repair or donate electrical items for reuse in the community, helping families access essential digital devices and reduce the number of electricals going to waste. The pilot aims to collect, repair and redistribute 1,500 electrical items in one year, ensuring more electricals stay in circulation and more local residents gain the confidence, and skills to fix their own devices.
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. Keep an eye out for HypnoCat, the Recycle Your Electricals mesmerising pink, fluffy mascot, who is 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 that have been 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 – together helping 12 million UK residents to recycle their electricals.
Recycle Your Electricals research has shown that 80% of consumers believe recycling is a good thing, and many of us already recycle things like paper and plastic. Research has also shown that most of us have unwanted electricals we want to get rid of. On average there are at least 30 electricals hidden away in drawers in UK homes, a total of 880 million items across the UK – with a simple repair many could be donated or sold to people who could put them to good use. And yet 39% of people bin electricals, rather than recycle or reuse them, leading to over 100,000 tonnes of electricals thrown away every year. The aim of these pilots is to overcome these issues by making it easier to repair, donate or recycle electricals.
The Lead Repair Technician at Youth & Community Connexions said, “For years I’ve seen how a simple electrical repair can change someone’s day, and in some cases even their whole situation”
“This pilot gives us the chance to reach even more families in Enfield, helping them keep essential electricals in use while learning skills that build confidence and independence. I’m excited to work with residents of all ages to show that repairing and recycling isn’t just good for the environment, it strengthens our community too.”
“We are pleased to support Tech Repair – Electrical Recycling in Enfield, which addresses the pressing issue of e‑waste,” said Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus. “By investing in tech repair workshops, improved collection and drop‑off services and exploring new recycling methods, we are taking a significant step towards creating a more sustainable future by making it easier for 10 million more people to recycle their electricals.”
To find your nearest recycling point search Recycle Your Electricals.
