E-waste, circular economy, and the limits of regulation From fridges to vapes, Scott breaks down what counts as e-waste, what’s inside it, and why small electronics in drawers are a hidden resource.

www.yahoo.com/news/article...

Our latest vapocalypse push comes to an end with a drive time slot on BBC Radio London.

2 hours 19 minutes in we had a chance to talk vapes, electricals, battery fires and much more.

There are tens of thousands of locations already across the UK so pop in your postcode here at lnkd.in/eE4ZAVWS

6m vapes and pods are thrown away every week despite the vape ban - Material Focus Despite the single-use vape ban that started on June 1st, 2025, new research reveals a "vapocalypse" is still unfolding across the UK waste system.

The vapocalypse continues.

In the last four years over 1 billion vapes have been binned or littered in the UK.

Every place that sells them is legally obligated to take them back after use and recycle them.

materialfocus.org.uk?press-releas...

A guide to the 4 minerals shaping the world's energy future To address climate change, we're going to need a whole lot of metal.

Metals matter.

Sorting out the climate crisis means we're going to need a whole lot of metal.

Grist report on the 4 minerals shaping the world’s energy future - lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earths.

grist.org/energy/criti...

Never bin a vape, a battery or an electrical item.

www.itv.com/news/meridia...

He’s pink. He’s fluffy. And he wants you to recycle your batteries and electricals safely.

HypnoCat is back to help Stop Battery Fires.

www.recycleyoureletricals.org.uk

Binned batteries and electricals are causing a sharp rise in fires in waste management facilities and bin lorries.

Fortunately, these fires are completely preventable.

Find your nearest battery or electrical recycling point by using our drop-off locator: bit.ly/4sW4RDt

Television, the drug of the Nation

"Nobody watches live telly anymore" is a common claim.

If you are a VoD watcher then maybe you will see a new type of pawse screen.

And the message is that you can help stop battery fires!

www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk

What a stat!? How many electrical items are lying unused in UK homes? Watch the clip to find out. A surprise appearance for Material Focus and one our key Recycle Your Electricals stats on BBC… | S... What a stat!? How many electrical items are lying unused in UK homes? Watch the clip to find out. A surprise appearance for Material Focus and one our key Recycle Your Electricals stats on BBC Hous...

www.linkedin.com/posts/scott-...

The Dark Side of Wearables: What Do We Do With Devices When They Die? | Scott Butler Strike a pose! The environmental impacts of the rise of fitness tech and tech enabled wearables is looked at by Vogue Business. Pleased that Material Focus and Recycle Your Electricals could contri...

www.linkedin.com/posts/scott-...

Vanishing cars jeopardize Europe’s raw materials security | Scott Butler Vanishing vehicles and lost treasure. Used cars are a treasure trove of metals essential for new smart and green tech, but is the EU letting them vanish without a trace? Marianne Gros writes in POLI...

www.linkedin.com/posts/scott-...

Material Focus awards £567,720 to first Circular Electricals Fund projects Four projects selected from 65 applications to address WEEE repair, material recovery and reuse

resource.co/article/mate...

Saving valuable materials - Material Focus impact review - Material Focus A report assesing the impact of publicly available recycling drop-off points on electrical collections and portable battery rates in the UK.

materialfocus.org.uk?press-releas...

Material Focus announce first four projects to receive Circular Electricals Funding - Material Focus Material Focus is pleased to announce that four projects have been awarded funding from its Circular Electricals Fund.

materialfocus.org.uk?press-releas...

A £1 billion circular electricals opportunity is being missed This post is by Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus.

♻️ January sees a 30% spike in electricals recycling as people reset for the new year.

But 880 million unused devices are still sitting in 'drawers of doom' across the UK.

@begreenuk.bsky.social, exec director of Material Focus, gives 5 key principles for keeping electricals in use for longer ⤵️

A £1 billion circular electricals opportunity is being missed This post is by Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus.

9.2 million more people have started recycling electricals in the past 5 years. Progress is happening.

But to truly unlock the value in our tech, we need producers, retailers and government working together.

@begreenuk.bsky.social from Material Focus on what comes next ⤵️

Millions of schoolkids lead nationwide hunt to tackle the UK’s e-waste crisis - Material Focus • Almost six million children from the UK’s more than 20,000 primary schools  called to join the Hidden Treasure Hunt...

materialfocus.org.uk?press-releas...

Is this the end of disposable vapes? | The Observer As rates of vaping continue to rise across the UK, a health and environmental crisis is unfolding. Will the banning of single-use vapes in the UK turn th...

We are one week on from the UK disposable vapes ban.

To be honest, not much seems to have changed.

And the “in your face” public takeback that is desperately needed to help meet the environmental and fire risk challenges is still a vape dream.

observer.co.uk/listen/daily...

Bidders demand Thames Water granted immunity over environmental crimes Exclusive: ‘Ransom note’ requests would leave Environment Agency unable to prosecute company or management

Water palaver!

Thames Water was debt free when it was privatised in 1989. It has paid dividends to shareholders of around £10 billion since then and now sits on a debt burden of around £20 billion.

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

Don’t miss our first online round table - this one on the environmental and fire risks from e-bikes and e-scooters.

Join us online Wednesday 11th June, 2-4pm as we map out the current situation and agree how to move forward as a sector.

events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b1af8d...

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

Material Focus Circular Electricals Fund webinar next Wednesday lunchtime 11th June.

£1 million is available to support and accelerate new ideas aimed at reducing e-waste and keeping electricals - and their materials - in use for longer.

Sign up here - events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2e126d...

About six months or longer ago surely?

Kent County Council to be subject of Reform's first Reform to begin Musk-style audits of councils - BBC News Reform says a team lead by an as-yet unnamed tech entrepreneur will review council spending in Kent.

Hands up who thinks an unelected volunteer group of “entrepreneurs” and successful (?) businessMEN with next to no experience of ever running public services are equipped to review how best those services can be delivered.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk

Talking vapes and all things electricals on BBC Breakfast News red sofa earlier today.

Anything and everything with a plug, battery or cable has value.

Old or unwanted electricals should be:

🔧 fixed
💷 sold
💖 donated
♻ recycled

❌ 🚮 they should never ever be binned.

Vapers warned not to stockpile ‘fire risk’ disposables before UK ban The ban, enforced from Sunday, is designed to reduce youth vaping and tackle environmental damage

Actually it is even more than 5 million reported here. Our last report puts it at just over 8 million vapes a week being binned or littered.

Will the disposable vapes sale ban make any difference?

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Material Focus webinar - Government guidance on how to comply as a vape producer or retailer YouTube video by Material Focus

The slide deck and recording of our recent cross agency vapes webinar is now available. ⬇️

youtu.be/Cxt5WZt1iJw?...

Safe and easy ways to recycle electricals – and even get money for your old gadgets From collection bins at your local supermarket to trading in or reselling, there are options for unwanted tech

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Elton John or Elton Welsby?

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

In the 2010 UK TV general election debates everyone was rushing over themselves to agree with Nick.

Is anyone agreeing with Nick now?

www.theverge.com/news/674366/...