UK consumers are being asked to think more about recycling unwanted electrical and electronic gadgets and gizmos.

Around a quarter of people are expected to receive some type of electrical or electronic device this Christmas, so Recycle Now is asking them to consider clearing out the clutter after the holiday season.

The official UK recycling campaign said last year that UK consumers bought more than 154 million small electrical goods – equating to around 551,000 tonnes, but only recycled around 56,000 tonnes.

It pointed out that although the UK has a good track record in recycling PCs and white goods such as washing machines, we tend to hoard smaller items.

The average household has at least three old, broken or unwanted electrical items around the house, ranging from old toys to toasters. When these are finally disposed, although they are not meant to be put in wheelie bins most are and so end up in landfill.

Gerrard Fisher, project manager for Wrap, the Government-funded recycling development organisation that runs Recycle Now, said: “Most items that were bought were replacements, such as new kettles or toasters or mobile phones. But the old ones are just usually stored somewhere.

“Yet one old iron, for example, could be recycled to make many new products. The waste is valuable and companies can make use of the recycled plastics and the metals in these gadgets.”

Mr Fisher said that all local authorities now have dedicated recycling facilities. However, some stores will also take back unwanted items, even if a person isn’t buying anything. The Recycle Now site lets people search for their nearest recycling plant by postcode. There is also a list of retailers that will take back old gadgets, but Mr Fisher warned people to call the store first.

The UK will also have to meet new targets under proposed revisions to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive.

By 2016, a new collection target of 65 per cent of the equipment put on the market each year during the past two years is expected to come into force. Previously, EU member states were required to collect an annual 4kg of waste per head from private households.