Home | How to recycle electronics and electricals | What can be recycled? | Toasters
Old or broken toasters can be recycled – like anything with a plug, battery or cable.
Toaster recycling
It’s as easy as ABC
ASK
Could you mend your toaster? Donate it to a charity? Could you pass it on to a friend? Or maybe sell it to someone who can get a few more slices out of it?
BAG IT
Time to recycle your toaster? Find a bag that you can use to store all your unwanted electricals until your next trip to the recycling centre – or until collection day if you have one.
CHECK
Discover your nearest reuse and recycling point. Just pop your postcode in our recycling locator. Perfectly done.
Recycling locator
Where can you recycle your toaster?
With your recycling collection
Some councils collect electricals for recycling – either with your regular waste collection or by special arrangement. Contact the council or check their website.
At the recycling centre
All household waste and recycling centres have bins for electricals. Some also have an area for items that can be refurbished to be passed on.
Kerbside recycling bins
Some supermarkets, car parks and designated roadside areas have bins where you can deposit small items like toasters for recycling.
In store
Thousands of shops across the UK will now take your old toaster for recycling if you’re buying a new one from them.
Retailers recycling
Near you
Find your nearest electrical recycling collection or drop-off point by popping your postcode into our handy locator.
Recycling locator
DID YOU KNOW?
404
The number of separate parts in a typical toaster
That’s what artist Thomas Thwaites found when he set out to make his own toaster from scratch.
Humans!
Anything with a plug, battery or cable can be recycled – that includes toasters.
Crumbs.
Toaster recycling – frequently asked questions
Why recycle an old toaster?
Electric toasters contain valuable materials such as iron, nickel, copper and plastics. Specialist recycling plants will break down your old toaster and recover the materials it is made of. The materials are then reused or disposed of safely. Recycling materials in this way reduces the need to mine more raw materials and manufacture more plastics. It’s better for the environment than sending your old toaster to landfill, or leaving it to gather dust in a cupboard.
What does the wheelie-bin symbol on my toaster mean?
The crossed-out wheelie-bin symbol on electrical products means you should not put the item in with your general rubbish. Read more about how waste electrical and electronic equipment is managed.
Can electric toasters be repaired?
In principle, yes. The heating element or power lead might be replaceable, for example. But it depends on the design and what the fault is. UK kitchen equipment company Dualit make toasters that they claim can be fully repaired (by specialists).
If you want to have a go yourself at mending an old toaster, check out our page on repairing electricals or visit the Restart directory: to find repair shops by postcode.
Can you put a toaster in a bin?
Never put old electricals in your general waste or recycling bins. Like anything with a plug, battery or cable a toaster can be recycled. That means it can be refurbished for reuse or broken down for parts and valuable raw materials. To find your nearest recycling point, pop your postcode in our locator.
Find your nearest recycling point
Put in your postcode to find recycling and reuse centres near you
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