Ever wondered what it would be like to be an unwanted electrical appliance in Essex?
Essex’s first talking toaster has had its epic journey from being unwanted to resold played out in a new YouTube video aimed at promoting Basildon Council’s electrical item reuse scheme.
The video, which can be viewed at www.basildon.gov.uk/reuse, follows the journey of a cheeky talking toaster as it narrowly evades being thrown in the rubbish bin before making a hair-raising journey in the boot of its owner’s car to Laindon Library.
The toaster is then placed in a WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) donation bin, where it sits with a shy radio before being transported to the Lighthouse workshop where it is given a spruce up and sold to a student.
Since February this year outlets have been open across the borough where people can donate unwanted electrical items for refurbishment and reuse.
Basildon Council, in partnership with Lighthouse Furniture Project, collects unwanted electrical items at its WEEE reuse outlet at the recycling centre at Barleylands.
Residents can place all unwanted electrical items that are in good working order into a specific container which Lighthouse will collect and retrieve for repair/reuse.
Outlets have also been set up in local libraries, including Billericay, Wickford, Fryerns and Laindon, for all small electrical items.
