Embargoed for publication until 00.01 Friday 26th November
Bristol sparks change in dealing with e-waste • Black Friday Giveaway launches at #ElectricAvenue pop-up shop to give unwanted electrical items a new home and inspire residents to be e-waste savvy
Pre-loved lamps, keyboards, blenders and slow cookers are just some of the items up for grabs in a new #ElectricAvenue pop-up store designed to help tackle electrical waste (e-waste) launching in the Galleries, Bristol this Black Friday (26th November). The Black Friday Giveaway will hand out electrical items recently donated by households across Bristol which have been cleaned, repaired, safety checked and are now looking for a new home. The pop-up shop will open for 10 days from 26th November until 5th December. Customers will be able to take an item home for free and are also being encouraged to donate a working electrical item they no longer want which will be re-homed. These can be taken to the store directly or dropped off at the Reuse Shop in Avonmouth*. The #ElectricAvenue campaign is a pilot project being run by environmental charity Hubbub and Bristol Waste Company and funded by Ecosurety. It aims to show consumers that second-hand electricals still have value and highlight the environmental impact of e-waste – one of the world’s fastest growing and most toxic waste streams. Only 20% of e-waste is currently recycled globally1 and a recent report revealed in October that waste electronics in 2021 will weigh more than the Great Wall of China2. After Norway, the UK produces the second most electrical waste per person in the world. As well as extending the life of electrical items, the project is keen to highlight the value of materials they contain, such as metals which are finite resources and should be recovered in the recycling process and not put in general waste streams. Gavin Ellis, Co-founder of Hubbub said: “Whilst it’s easy to be lured by Black Friday deals, our electrifying new pop-up shop aims to challenge the need to buy brand new and shines a spotlight on the value of electrical items that are often disposed of when they’re no longer needed. Many of us have unused electronics gathering dust in their home and we’re keen to show that these items can go on to have another life, bringing joy to another household without the environmental or financial cost. “Electric Avenue will provide information about what to do with electrical waste and signpost local services which can ensure they are either reused, recycled or disposed of responsibly.”