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A discarded laptop was found in the back of one of our bin lorries last week.
Laptop batteries can start a fire if they are crushed. Luckily no-one was injured and the vehicle (worth £250,000) was not damaged.
Electrical goods, particularly those containing batteries, should not be put in your household bins as they can cause fires and waste valuable resources which could be used again.
OK, but what should I do with it?
Large retailers who regularly sell items like laptops or mobile phones must offer a take back scheme when you buy a new one. Some retailers will take items even if you haven’t bought anything from them.
If you’re getting rid of something like a laptop which contains personal data like photos and files, Recycle Your Electricals has tips on deleting your data before you hand it over.