#ElectricAvenue pop-up shop in Central Bristol is giving unwanted electrical items a new home to inspire residents to be e-waste savvy.
Launched today in the Galleries shopping centre in Bristol, the new #ElectricAvenue pop-up store is designed to help tackle e-waste and raise awareness with consumers.
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. Items available include products such as lamps, music players, computing equipment and small kitchen appliances.
Open for 10 days from 26 November until 5 December, customers will be able to choose and take home an item for free, with volunteer staff on hand to explain the important role of electricals reuse.
Customers are also being encouraged to donate a working electrical item they no longer want so it can be re-homed, by either taking it to the store directly or dropping it off at a Bristol Waste run Reuse Shop in Avonmouth, Bristol.
Highlighting the impact of e-waste
The #ElectricAvenue campaign is a pilot project being run by environmental charity Hubbub and Bristol Waste Company, funded by Ecosurety. Staff from Ecosurety are also volunteering to help run the store and interact with the customers throughout the duration of the campaign.
The store 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 globally and a recent report revealed in October that waste electronics in 2021 will weigh more than the Great Wall of China. 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.
Encourage citizens to move up the e-waste hierarchy
Stephanie Housty from Ecosurety commented “We are very excited to launch this pilot campaign in Ecosurety's home city of Bristol. The growing amount of e-waste is still a relatively unknown issue for most citizens as other waste materials such as plastic have been in the spotlight in the last few years. We know consumers want to do their bit to save the planet, but they don't always know that disposing properly of their old electricals is one of the actions that can make a difference."
"With Electric Avenue, we encourage citizens to move up the e-waste hierarchy by promoting repair, reuse or donation of their unwanted electricals, before hoarding, recycling, or worse, throwing them away.”
Gavin Ellis, Co-founder of Hubbub commented “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.”
Time to turn Black Friday green
Gwen Frost from Bristol Waste commented “It’s time to turn Black Friday, green. Choosing pre-loved items isn’t just good for your pocket, it’s good for the environment too, saving valuable resources from being chucked away.”
“Not knowing how to fix a broken electrical item can stump many of us, but with a little help from a local organisation, you could bring it back to life for yourself, or for a new home. You can donate items at our Recycling Centres, take them to a repair café, or look up how to do a quick fix online. And if it really is beyond repair, leave it out in an untied bag with your recycling and we’ll make sure those precious materials get turned into something new.”
Councillor Nicola Beech, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Climate, Ecology, Waste and Energy at Bristol City Council, said “Bristol is on a mission to reduce the amount of waste we produce as a city. Together, in the past year, we’ve prevented 175,000 tonnes of waste going into landfill, with more than 84,000 tonnes of waste being recycled or composted.”
“Electric Avenue is a great way to reduce electrical waste and increase digital access for those who need it, including families and schools. The exciting pop-up shop will find new homes for Bristol’s electrical waste and get us all thinking about how we can reuse more and waste less. Please, have a search at home to uncover forgotten electricals that can be put to work again and help Bristol waste nothing.”
Please click here to find out more information about #ElectricAvenue.
Ben Luger
Marketing projects specialist
Ben joined the team at the beginning of 2015 and helps drive marketing communications and projects for Ecosurety, including project managing the launch of the Ecosurety Exploration Fund and website content development.
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