Residents of flats in Woking will be able to recycle their old small electrical goods in special ‘pink’ bins if a trial of the scheme in a neighbouring borough is successful.

A ten-month trial of bright pink recycling bins located in blocks of flats in and around Esher is to be held to see if the scheme can be expanded.

The £63,000 trial is one of over 40 projects funded by Material Focus, a not-for-profit organisation leading the Recycle Your Electricals campaign.

The flats trial follows a recycling campaign in February that reminded residents in Woking, Surrey Heath, Elmbridge and Mole Valley and to use the weekly small electricals kerbside recycling service. Old electrical items can be placed in a standard-sized, tied, plastic carrier bag and left next to wheelie bins for collection on their designated day.

The aim of the nationwide Electricals Recycling Fund is to significantly reduce e-waste and its environmental impact. 

According to Recycle Your Electricals research, there are around 880 million old and unused small electrical items in UK homes with around 103,000 tonnes of electricals being thrown away every year.

The pink bin trial in Elmbridge will be carried out by Joint Waste Solutions.

Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, said: “We are pleased to support the Joint Waste Solutions electrical recycling project.

“By investing in 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.”

An Elmbridge Borough Council spokesman said: “The pace at which electronic waste is increasing is a concern and so providing the option for residents to recycle small electricals, regularly, is a positive and welcome step towards reducing overall waste and improving recycling rates.”