Scientists have called for people to go “urban mining” after a study revealed that old cables, phone chargers and other unused electrical goods thrown away or stored in cupboards or drawers could stave off a looming shortage of copper. The research found that in the UK there are approximately 823m unused or broken tech items hiding in “drawers of doom” containing as much as 38,449 tonnes of copper – including 627m cables – enough to provide 30% of the copper needed for the UK’s planned transition to a decarbonised electricity grid by 2030.
The study found that unused electrical goods could contain as much as £266m worth of copper. Scott Butler, from Recycle Your Electricals, which produced the study, called on the public to start recycling their unwanted electrical goods.
The Guardian
If i do some deep rummaging i reckon i could scare up a pound or two of the stuff from old tv cables and computer connectors. Hordes of cable have cluttered up the shed for years, gathering dust and accumulating spiders that crawl in there to die.
The study found that unused electrical goods could contain as much as £266m worth of copper. Scott Butler, from Recycle Your Electricals, which produced the study, called on the public to start recycling their unwanted electrical goods.
The Guardian
If i do some deep rummaging i reckon i could scare up a pound or two of the stuff from old tv cables and computer connectors. Hordes of cable have cluttered up the shed for years, gathering dust and accumulating spiders that crawl in there to die.
