ASK
Could your gaming gear be repaired? Could you donate it to a charity? Pass it on to someone you know? Or could you sell your unwanted gaming gear?
Recycle gaming equipment
Game over for your headset, console or keyboard? Time to recycle. Here’s the walk-through.
How to recycle gaming headsets, consoles, mice, keyboards and more
It’s as easy as ABC
BAG IT
Find a bag or box to store your unwanted gaming equipment along with other old electrical gadgets until you can go to the recycling centre – or until collection day if you have one.
CHECK
Enter your postcode in our locator – and head for your nearest recycling point. Light work.
Recycling locatorWhere to recycle gaming headsets and other equipment
Pick the option that suits you.
In store
Across the UK thousands of shops will now recycle your old gaming headset or other equipment for you when you buy gear from them. Some retailers take back all old electricals for recycling or refurbishment, even if you’re not buying something new. #zerowaste
With your recycling collection
Some councils collect electricals for recycling – either with your regular waste collection or by special arrangement. Contact your council or check their website to find out. Use our recycling locator.
Your local recycling centre
All household waste and recycling centres have drop-off points for electricals (and batteries). Some also have a special area where you can leave items to be refurbished and passed on – maybe your unwanted gaming headset, mouse or keyboard could find a new player.
Recycling banks
Some supermarkets, car parks and designated roadside areas have electrical recycling bins. Check whether larger items like gaming consoles will fit.
Where to recycle gaming gear
Easier still, find your nearest electrical recycling collection or drop-off point by simply entering your postcode in our handy locator.
DID YOU KNOW?
Recycling is the ultimate cheat
The precious materials in headsets, consoles, keyboards and controllers can have virtually infinite lives if we recycle them.
Metals like gold and aluminium can be used over and over and over again. Good game.
Gaming gear: frequently asked questions
Can I put my old gaming equipment in the bin?
No. Anything with a plug, battery or cable should be recycled. And some items, like gaming controllers, will contain batteries that you must recycle separately to avoid the risk of causing fires in the waste stream. Check out our page on recycling batteries and devices with in-built batteries. But before you commit to recycling check out the options for repairing and donating yours.
What’s the meaning of the crossed-out bin on my gaming equipment?
Electricals display the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol either on the device or the packaging. This indicates hazardous waste and means you mustn’t put the product in the general rubbish bin. You need to dispose of electronics properly to avoid polluting the environment and to save some of the planet’s most valuable resources from being lost forever. And recycle anything with a battery with extra care to avoid risk of fires in the waste stream.
Is it OK to leave my old games console out on the street for someone to pick up?
No. Leaving electrical goods on the pavement, hoping someone will pick them up, can lead to valuable and hazardous materials not being managed properly. If they contain batteries you must dispose of them properly to avoid the risk of causing fires in the waste stream. Find out about battery recycling and find your nearest drop-off or collection point for electricals by entering your postcode in our recycling locator.
What happens to old gaming headsets and other gaming accessories if I recycle them?
When your gaming headset, console, controllers or keyboard reach a recycling centre they will be broken down mechanically and by hand. The fragments are sorted into materials such as metals and plastics, and are cleaned. Then they go for further processing so that manufacturers can be reuse them in new products or materials. Watch our video on How electricals are recycled.
Where can I recycle gaming equipment that I’m replacing?
Find your nearest reuse and recycling point using our recycling locator. Or, if you’re shopping, remember that retailers now take back old electricals when you’re buying new – including old gaming equipment. You have 28 days to hand your old ones over for disposal from the time you buy your new gear. Some larger stores will recycle your old gaming equipment even if you’re not buying from them. It’s easier than ever to recycle gaming equipment – find out more on appliance recycling at retailers.
Do charity shops take old gaming equipment?
Some charity shops welcome electricals that are in good working order. See our page on donating electricals to charity shops.
Find your nearest recycling point
Put in your postcode to find recycling and reuse centres near you
