Pupils at ten Kingston primary schools helped collect 3,917kg of unwanted electronics during a four-week competition, with 732kg directed to repair and reuse.
A further 3,185kg went for recycling, according to Kingston Council’s results, published on 29 September 2026. The figures describe different destinations for the collected equipment, rather than suggesting all of it was recycled.
Chessington school takes first place
St Paul’s Church of England Primary School in Chessington collected the most e-waste per pupil. Its prize was a mobile animal-farm visit sponsored by Fairphone. Second-placed St Luke’s Church of England Primary School received £500 from Surbiton Rotary Club.
The council says more than 5,000 pupils, parents and residents participated. Children organised collection points, spoke to classmates and encouraged families to bring in unused or broken devices.
The project involved Race Against Waste, Solutions for the Planet, Relove Technology and Limetrack, alongside local business and community support. The council says it is exploring funding to extend the competition to every borough school. That is an ambition, rather than a confirmed borough-wide rollout.
Recycling beyond the competition
Residents do not need to wait for another school collection. Our guide to Kingston’s electrical recycling and donation points explains the difference between sites accepting broken small appliances and those taking working technology only.
Check what a location accepts before making a trip, particularly if you have larger appliances or a device containing personal information.
Updated on 28 October 2026.
Illustrative archive photograph of discarded electronics, December 2006. These are not items collected by Kingston pupils. Discarded electronics – illustrative archive photograph by Jemimus, CC BY 2.0. Resized and compressed; display crops may vary.
