MORE than three tonnes of discarded electrical items and clothing will now be recycled into new materials after residents joined forces to hand in their unwanted goods.

The items were given in as part of this year’s recycling day, held at Bracknell Leisure Centre on Saturday, September 19.

The event — one of two to be held every year — took place as part of Bracknell Forest Council’s efforts to boost recycling rates across the borough by encouraging better waste behaviour among residents.

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Those with e+ cards who handed in their unwanted stuff were rewarded with points that can be redeemed for discounted services across Bracknell Forest or donated to a local charity.

This yes, more than double the average amount of waste was collected compared to the previous year’s effort.

Cllr Mrs Dorothy Hayes, the council’s environment chief, said: “The recycling rate in Bracknell Forest has plateaued in recent years to around 40 per cent in total.

“As part of our response to climate change, we are committed to improving our recycling rates to at least 50 per cent in the coming year.

“Every action counts, no matter how small and these recycling days are a brilliant way to not only have a good clear out at home, but also to ensure your waste is being disposed of responsibly and recycled where possible.

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“Our new food waste recycling scheme and changes to the waste service will also play a huge part in changing recycling behaviours across the borough.

“We are very much looking forward to March 2021 when we can launch the new service and preparations are well underway.”

All items donated will either be recycled, reused, or sold by second-hand charity shops.

Electrical items are stripped down so the appliance components can be used in circuit boards and motors.

Scrap metal is then extracted and melted down to form new metal-based components.

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When recycled, one iron contains enough steel to produce 13 steel cans.

For the latest on the new food waste recycling scheme and changes to waste collections, visit our website.