Kesgrave, Saxmundham and Martlesham see new bright pink bins installed by East Suffolk Council

New bright pink bins have been installed at three sites in Suffolk as part of a new council pilot.

The units, which have been placed in Kesgrave, Saxmundham and Martlesham, would allow residents to recycle small electrical appliances, such as toasters, kettles or hair-dryers.

This comes as discarded electrical goods, sometimes known as e-waste, have become one of the fastest-growing sources of rubbish in the UK.

The authority said over 155,000 tonnes of household electrical waste were thrown away every year – and 527 million electrical units are hoarded in UK homes.

Such items often contain hazardous materials, which means they cannot be recycled in the same way as other goods, or disposed of in general waste bins.

East Suffolk Council urged people to consider repurposing disused electronics.

They could be mended and donated to those in need.

Items can also be taken to Suffolk recycling centre, or the new pink bins.

The Kesgrave bin is located at the Tesco superstore in Ropes Drive, while the Martlesham one is located at the Tesco at the village's industrial park.

Meanwhile, the Saxmundham unit is located in Market Place.

However, larger items such as fridges or microwaves, cannot be disposed of in these bins and will instead need to be taken to a recycling centre.

East Suffolk Cllr James Mallinder said the authority hoped the new scheme would encourage people to recycle more electrical goods.

It could help people remove clutter from their homes, and allow for the recycling of precious materials, he noted.

Cllr Mallinder added: “Recycling old electricals is better for the environment, saving carbon dioxide emissions and ensuring valuable materials contained within them such as plastics, gold, copper and aluminium can be reused.

"Small changes make a big difference and I would encourage residents in Kesgrave, Saxmundham and Martlesham to recycle their electrical items through the new bins and if successful, we can consider expanding the scheme into other locations.”