The junk drawer redemption

CLEAN OUT YOUR MAN DRAWER

In homes all around the world there is a place where "may be useful one day" and "just in case" items are stored.

Bits of string, old batteries, broken watches, the odd screwdriver, fuses, electrical leads and other such items lie in wait to be rediscovered.

This sacred place is more commonly known as 'the man drawer'. (Made famous by Michael McIntyre)

Reduce the amount of e-waste being sent to landfill

According to Cello MRUK, "Britons are hoarding nearly 80 million unused gadgets".

All of these items could be recycled, reducing the amount of e-waste being sent to landfill sites and in turn helping to decrease toxic substances damaging the environment.

This year we are being encouraged to recycle our small electrical items, so recycle-more challenges you to clean out your 'man drawer' and recycle those worn out objects into shiny new useful things!

Old irons, toasters, battery watches, hair straighteners, mp3 players and odd electrical wires are just some of the items that can be recycled. Visit our electrical recycling pages for information about how small household electrical applicances are recycled.

Also, don't forget about those old batteries. Each year we throw away about 600 million batteries. Laid end to end these batteries would reach from the UK to Australia and back again.

Visit the recycling locator to find your nearest recycling site, or check out our What can I recycle? page for more recycling tips.