Material Focus has launched its Electricals Recycling Fund 2026, offering UK councils and other organisations the opportunity to apply for a share of £1 million in grant funding.
Now in its third year, the Electricals Recycling Fund is inviting applications for projects that introduce or expand practical or scalable collection options for electrical items.
Material Focus, a not-for-profit aiming to reduce e-waste, says the funding will focus on supporting on-street collection banks, as well as creating and refurbishing community collection points in high-traffic locations like libraries and leisure centres.
Applications close on 31 May 2026.
Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus, commented: “This £1 million investment will help councils and partners test and scale practical solutions that can be rolled out more widely, ensuring fewer electricals are held onto or thrown away, and more are reused or responsibly recycled.”
Previous pilots that have received a grant from the Electricals Recycling Fund include Richmond Council, which used the investment to install 20 outdoor bring banks across the borough and equip waste trucks with cages for small items.
According to Material Focus, the pilot collected over 48 tonnes of small electricals from bring banks and 3.1 tonnes from kerbside rounds, increasing local monthly recycling by more than 8%.
After receiving funding in 2025, Hillingdon Borough Council introduced 15 pink drop-off bins in local libraries and partnered with Friends of the Earth to host local community repair events. Over the year, 11.88 tonnes of electricals were collected and more than 100 items repaired, Material Focus says.
Half of the grant funding has been provided by the Distributor Takeback Scheme (DTS) operated by Valpak Ltd.
Ian Guest, Environmental Compliance Consultant, Valpak Limited, said: “The pilots delivered so far demonstrate how targeted investment can unlock meaningful environmental benefits and help the sector meet its obligations while delivering real value to communities.”
