Retailer: Boots
Boots placed our pink bin in their Nottingham head office for 3,000 staff, using their existing waste provider to collected the electricals. It was such a success, it is now a permanent addition to the office.
International
E-Waste Day – The Great Cable Challenge
Be part of The Great Cable Challenge 2025 and join the millions taking one small action to make a big difference.
Join the millions sorting out their cables and saving copper from going to waste
Most of us have a “drawer of doom” – full of old chargers, cables and broken electricals we no longer use. On average, each UK household has 15 cables stashed away. But did you know every one of these cables contains valuable, critical and finite materials like copper?
Copper is essential for phones, transport, clean energy and medical equipment. It’s 100% recyclable, AND recycling it uses up to 85% less energy than mining new copper – a win for the planet! And with copper becoming more scarce, demand soaring, and the detrimental environmental and social impacts of mining for raw materials – how can we all help? The solution is surprisingly simple; harness what we already have.
Enter The Great Cable Challenge! To mark International E-Waste Day, we are again challenging the UK to tackle the millions of cables and other electricals sitting idle in our homes, to save the copper from going to waste!
So bag up your old cables – or any old electricals in your ‘drawer of doom’! – ready to recycle this October. Not sure where to start? Check out our handy Cable Guide for more information!
Why are we talking about cables?
And why the copper in those cables is so important.
Cables are full of copper
Cables – and any electrical with a plug, battery or cable – contain some of the planet’s most valuable resources, like copper. Copper is a material essential in everyday things that we take for granted – such as our phones, our transport, clean energy, lifesaving medical equipment and our green future.
But we’re currently wasting it
We hold onto or throw more cables than any other electrical item. The average UK home is holding onto an average of 15 cables and bins a further 8, that could be recycled into something new instead. Our research found there’s enough copper inside unwanted and binned electricals to fulfil the UK’s annual demand for copper!
Copper is infinitely recyclable
Copper is 100% recyclable – the copper in your old penny could be as old as ancient Egyptians! And recycled copper is actually better for the planet too, as it uses up 85% less energy than mini new copper.
How can you get involved…
Spread the word, and start sorting your cables and other electricals, ready to recycle this October – we suggest a bag to put them in as you go! If you are from an organisation and want to take part, download our Great Cable Toolkit or take a look at our FAQs for more information.
Real stories from The Great Cable Challenge 2024
Local authority: Newcastle City Council’s and Newcastle United
Newcastle City Council and Newcastle United encouraged fans attending a Newcastle United’s Premier League match to bring in their old cables to be recycled – and collected enough to wrap the pitch over 14 times!!
Who’s taking part in International E-Waste Day 2025?
DID YOU KNOW?
Recycling our old electricals could power clean energy
Our research, in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry found that we need 347,000 tonnes of copper to build wind turbines and solar panels for our 2030 targets – and we currently don’t have enough.
A third of this could be produced from the electricals that we’re currently throwing away and holding onto in our homes. Let’s save precious copper from going to waste – bag up your old, unwanted electricals and find your local recycling point!
What is International E-Waste Day? And other questions
International E-Waste Day (14 October 2025)* is a global moment to highlight electrical waste – the fastest-growing waste stream in the world, and the UK.Millions of people across the globe will come together to stop valuable materials from going to waste.
In the UK, the Recycle Your Electricals campaign will run their annual Great Cable Challenge, inspiring and encouraging people to clear out their “drawer of doom” and give old electricals a second life.
*IEWD was founded by the WEEE Forum, the international association representing producer responsibility organisations. The UK lead member is Ecogenesys (formerly REPIC Ltd). IEWD is open to any one to participate.
Individuals
Join the Great Cable Challenge and help save thousands of precious materials from going to waste. . Bag them up – and any other old electricals – and use our Locator to find your local repair, donation or recycling points. Help spread the word to your family and friends by sharing on social media with the hashtag #GreatCableChallenge and #EWasteDay!
Partners
We’re looking for local communities, charities, community groups, retailers, schools and universities to take part in the challenge and help inspire people to recycle their old cables and other small electricals.
Partners can either:
- Help promote the campaign and existing services using Material Focus’ communication materials, and raise awareness of electrical waste and encourage individuals, and local communities, to take action.
- Organise their own Great Cable Challenge activity, such as holding an event in the local community or organising collections in offices, using Material Focus’ bin stickers, comms materials and press release templates to promote the day.
Our Great Cable Challenge will be coming soon, which will include:
- Communications toolkit including key messages and social media assets
- Promotional materials including posters, bin stickers, leaflets, email banners, and more
No, you don’t have to only recycle cables! While The Great Cable Challenge focuses on recycling cables, we encourage you to repair, donate or recycle any old, unwanted electricals items – that includes anything with a plug, battery or cable.
By reusing or recycling more of these items, you’ll be making an even greater impact.
All electricals in a recycling bin will be taken to a recycling centre and sorted. Some might be refurbished and get a second life; others will be broken down into components and valuable raw materials to be used again. Metals and plastics recovered from old electricals can be made into a host of new products, from children’s playgrounds to life-saving medical equipment.
Watch our video on How electricals are recycled.
You can recycle your cables, and any other electrical item, at your local recycling centre, retailer, community drop-off point, kerbside collection (if you have one) or on-street bring bank. If your cables still work, you may be able to take it to a local charity shop (check in-store for more details first) or donate them on a secondhand platform like Olio or Gumtree.
You can find all your local donation and recycling points on our locator.
