Recycling campaign

“HypnoCat” unleashed to hypnotise the nation into recycling their old electricals

12 June 2020

The Recycle Your Electricals campaign has unleashed “HypnoCat” a pink fluffy cat on a mission to hypnotise the nation into recycling their small old electricals.  The campaign has been launched in response to the nation’s surge in clearing out during coronavirus lockdown.

“HypnoCat” will be issuing a series of rallying calls to local people including: ‘Humans of England. You will not bin your electricals’. He will also play on his cat’s superior powers over humans ‘Speaking of bags, go buy me a big bag of catnip’ in between the repeated mantra of Recycle Your Electricals.  The fun character has been designed to build on a growing trend and love for bizarre hypnocats.  HynoCat will also be launching in the following 4 other areas across the UK: Bristol, Bath, and North Somerset;  Tyneside and Newcastle; Edinburgh and Falkirk; and Norwich in Norfolk.  

Scott Butler, Material Focus,  Executive Director, said: “Small old electricals are one of the fastest growing waste streams, and we are throwing away valuable materials that are lost forever.   In reality, these small old, unwanted electricals contain 75% of materials that can be recycled or reused such as precious materials like gold, aluminium and steel.  Through HypnoCat and our campaign we will be providing step-by-step information on how to reuse and recycle old electricals. We want everyone to know that all old electricals – that’s everything with a plug, battery or cable – can be recycled.  We are calling on the nation to stop throwing away their old electricals, and instead put them in a bag ready to be recycled when your nearest recycling centre reopens.”

The Recycle Your Electricals ‘Little Spring Clean’ comes as lockdown measures have given people the opportunity to reassess their attitudes towards clearing out.  Although we have become a nation of declutterers during lockdown only 20% are decluttering their old unused electricals during this time. Instead householders are focussed on sorting out clothing (65%), books and magazines (47%) and home accessories (34%). And why? We’re a sentimental, practical bunch; over a quarter listed sentimental value or nostalgia whilst almost a third keep them in case they want to use them again. 

Other domestic hoarding habits revealed that: 

Over a half of a million households have got 5-10 games consoles in their homes against a UK average of less than one per home 

Despite many charging cables becoming obsolete over time, 1.1million of us have been hoarding them for over ten years before getting rid of them, creating a tangled mountain of 5.58 million decades old cables 

Ever sat on the remote control? You’re not the only one; over 3 million homes are sitting on 5-15 of them, compared to a UK average of two per house 

One of the items we are holding onto longest are old unused speakers, with almost 2 million households keeping them for over a decade 

5.8 million households (21%) are holding onto VHS players 

Similarly, cassette players are still being held on to in 4.7 million (17%) of homes 

The Recycle Your Electricals Campaign is making recycling small old electricals easier than ever before by launching an information hub for the UK.  A new postcode finder has launched on www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk with details of over 2,000 recycling, repair and reuse points across the UK with new collection and drop-off points will be added to the site on an ongoing basis.  

Share pictures, videos and stories of the electricals that you’ve collected in a bag prior to placing them at the kerbside #RecycleYourElectricals #RethinkWhatsPossible #AskHypnocat or tag us on Facebook @RecycleYourElectricals Twitter @RecycleElectric & Instagram @RecycleYourElectricals_

© 2020

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recycle@sweeep.co.uk

Sweeep Kuusakoski Limited
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Kent
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