Is a desktop printer a "small electrical item"?

[ShutTheFuckUpCakes]

Because our binmen don't think so. I did think so because it's literally small, electrical, and an item.

I did as instructed and bagged it up (it fitted in a normal size carrier bag, not even a bag for life just a normal one from the co-op) and placed it on top of the plastic recycling box on the kerb.

They removed it, put a sticker on saying it wasn't something they collect, replaced it on top of the recycling and then didn't empty the plastics box at all due to my terrible mistake.

The magnetic info sheet we get every year with info about the bin day and what goes in what box just says to bag up small electrical items and then says "eg kettles, toasters, hairdryers, tablets, batteries etc". It's not really much bigger than our 4 slice toaster so I assumed it was fine!

That's the sort of thing we have to take to the recycling centre as it isn't an item the bin men collect

Is it supposed to go out with a different bin maybe? Did they think you were trying to pass it off as a plastic item?

No, the instructions on the annual leaflet just say to put small electricals into a bag and place on top of the recycling box... It's a new service that they only introduced this April and I've not tried it before. Maybe the binmen don't know about it?

Just trying to decide if I need to book a tip appointment for it, or if I should try again in the hope that they were just wrong last week!

I'd say it is, I'd say a computer tower or microwave would cross into large. Obvious large being washing machine/fridge/freezer.

It would be a small electrical item in my council but everywhere is different.

If they say it isnt then it isn't.
Why not just lob it in the regular bin?

Weve put an old game console in the electric bag before

They've told you it's not, according to their rules.

The problem with a printer is likely to be that the printer cartridges themselves require a specialist recycling process, and even if there aren't any cartridges inside it still might have residual ink. So it's not as simple to recycle/dispose of as a kettle or a toaster. So it might not be the size which is the issue, it might be the fact that it's a printer.

If you have a Curry's near you, some of them take small electrical stuff with a plug (they were happy to take my old printer). Might save you a trip to the tip if that's more convenient.

In the time taken to wroite this post, you could have emailed the council to ask someone who actually knows the answer 😆

No need to ‘book a tip appointment’
just take it

Lots of council do reqiire an appointment now. Ours does.

Depends on your council. Ours won't let you in if you haven't booked.

Their rules aren't very clear though. If printers are excluded they should say so on the leaflet! The list of items they give starts with "eg" so is not meant to be comprehensive and therefore is wide open to interpretation.

Yes I could just lob it in the bin. But I want to dispose of it properly so it can be recycled, as far as possible. I try hard not to just have a lob it in the bin attitude

I have emailed them btw. I shall report back on what they say but as it's a Sunday night I don't expect a reply any time soon!

Ha! You need an appointment here. Have done since covid. They have ANPR barriers that just don't open if your numberplate isn't booked in. Oh and they're only open 3 days a week and the other tip in the county is a 58 mile round trip...

What I mean is, they've stuck a sticker on it. That's clearer than having it written in 'the rules', because it's about your individual item. You can't get a clearer message than the people who collect the thing refusing to collect the thing!

@DaughterNo2

You have to book at a lot of tips. You can't get into mine if you don't arrive within your 15 minute pre booked slot.

They removed it, put a sticker on saying it wasn't something they collect, replaced it on top of the recycling and then didn't empty the plastics box at all due to my terrible mistake.

No offence but why waste your time emailing the council. The bin man has stuck a sticker on it, are you saying he doesnt know how to do his job? It's heavier and bulkier than a toaster or hairdryer so there is some logic to them not taking it. Just chuck it in the bin and get on with life.

Apologies. Didn’t know this was still a thing in some areas

I emailed them asking for a list of excluded items or a size guide, so that in future I can save wasting anyone's time (and save myself from having to store an overflowing recycling box for a week) by only putting out things that they define as "small electrical items".

I don't want the only way to find out if something is/n't acceptable to be putting it out and seeing if they take it or not, because if they don't take it then they also don't empty the rest of the recycling box!

Any chance you could take it to a large electrical store like curry's that usually take these. Do you have a tip pile in the garage or shed, perhaps it's just us that has one of those😬, so you just go recycling centre when you have a car full, rather than a trip for one item.

our bin men also take small electrical items but it isn't too clear which ones they take

No space for a "tip pile" unfortunately, unless it's stuff that's ok to sit in the back garden. But Currys is a good shout, I've just slung it in the boot of my car for next time we are passing a retail park or big town! I imagine in about 6 months time I'll find it under the dog blankets and be like WTF is this doing still in here 🤣

We have bins for 'small electrical items' and they say no printers. So, while it's not obvious to me that a printer isn't one, I do know that as far as the Council is concerned, it isn't.