Schools compete to collect the most waste electrical equipment

Over 20 schools and 3,000 pupils across Shropshire are taking part in a competition to collect the most waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The initiative has been organised by Veolia Environmental Services in partnership with Shropshire Council and Arbitel Recycling.

Children and staff are invited to bring in their broken or unwanted electrical items, from home and help their school win prizes. The school which collects the highest weight of WEEE per head of student during a week period will win a prize of £500 sponsored by Veolia Environmental Services. There is also a 2nd prize of £200 and a 3rd prize of £100, both offered by Arbitel Recycling.

The items can be any size, battery powered by a cable or by batteries, such as laptops, mobile phones, kettles, toasters and will be collected via a designated large pink recycling bank.

Items will be collected and recycled by local company Arbitel Recycling, based in Shrewsbury.

The competition is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of recycling waste electrical items among young people and will help precious metals to be recovered and not ending up in landfill.

Councillor Mike Owen, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for waste management, said:

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Veolia and Arbitel to help local schools to recycle their electrical items.  I hope that this will inspire young people in Shropshire to reduce, re-use and recycle their electrical items and that this will help to raise awareness of environmental issues generally. “

Alistair Brown, Arbitel Recycling’s Business Development Manager, said:

“We look forward to working in partnership with Veolia Environmental Services and Shropshire Council on this project, helping to educate the schools and pupils throughout Shropshire on their awareness of WEEE recycling, and helping encourage schools to recycle their WEEE, in turn supporting the continued drive in recycling innovation and job creation within the local economy.”   

Clement Gaubert, Veolia Environmental Services’s WEEE Scheme Manager, said:

“We are delighted to work with Shropshire Council on this initiative. We believe the competition will be a great success and help raise awareness among the young people about the benefits of recycling their electrical waste.”

Shropshire residents can dispose of their old electrical appliances at their local Household Waste and Recycling Centres or using one of the 19 WEEE bring banks located across the county.

For more information, including a list of WEEE bring banks please visit Shropshire Council’s website .

Further information

These are the dates booked so far, for the large pink recycling banks to be delivered to the schools taking part in the competition.

Worfield Endowed C of E Primary School, Main Street, Worfield, Bridgnorth WV15 5LF – 8 – 12 October
Longlands Community Primary School, Linden Way, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 1QU – 15 – 19 October
St Leonards C of E Junior School, Innage Lane, Bridgnorth – 22 – 26 October
Weston Rhyn Primary School, Old Chirk Road, Weston Rhyn Oswestry SY10 7SR – 5 – 9 November
Hope C of E Primary School, Hope, Minsterley, Shrewsbury SY5 0JB – 12 – 16 November
Harlescott Junior School, Featherbed Lane, Shrewsbury SY1 4QN – 19 – 23 November
St Mary’s Primary School, Westbury, Shrewsbury SY5 9QX – 26 – 30 November
Martin Wilson School, New Park Road, Castlefields, Shrewsbury SY1 2SP – 3 – 7 December
Church Preen Primary School, Church Stretton SY6 7LH – 10 – 14 December
Myddle School C of E Primary School, Ellesmere, Shrewsbury SY4 3RP – 21 – 25 January 2013