How could your old tech make wind power?

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, A lot of wind turbines will need to be built in the next few years to hit the government's green energy goals - but what materials will be needed to make them?

A new campaign is asking people in the UK to check their drawers for spare electrical items.

This could be things like old plugs, extension leads, cables or old electronics.

The 'Recycle Your Electronics' campaign says that copper, which is a metal found inside electronic items, is vital for creating green energy sources, like wind turbines.

The campaign which is working with the Royal Society of Chemistry, estimates that there's over 38,000 tonnes of copper inside the UK's abandoned electronics.

What is copper?

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Copper has lots of different uses, but in electronics, it's mainly used for wiring

Copper is a metal used in items like plugs and cables. It is a great conductor, which means it transports electricity efficiently, making it good for cables and wires.

It also is quite resistant to heat, which makes it a reliable metal that won't get too hot if you're using it.

Copper is also fairly resistant to corrosion, which is a process that can happen when materials are exposed to water, heat and air.

What has this got to do with renewable energy?

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Copper can be recycled and reused to make new electronic items

The Royal Society of Chemistry says that around 347,000 tonnes of copper will be needed to make enough wind turbines and solar panels by 2030.

They told Newsround that's the weight of nearly 28,000 London busses!

Copper is very recyclable - so it would be more sustainable to use what we already have rather than go mining for more.

Copper is used in wind turbines and solar panels for the wiring, because of how durable it is as a metal.

As well as helping create renewable energy, it's also a chance to clear out old electronics like cables to prevent them from going to landfills.

Go mining at home

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Time for a clear-out?

Recycle Your Electricals says that in the UK there's around 1.3 billion unused electrical items, including enough cables to go to the moon and back!

A lot of these are hanging around in people's homes, in what they call "drawers of doom", which are drawers or cupboards full of unused cables, wires and plugs.

They refer to all this copper in people's homes as an "urban mine".

The Royal Society of Chemistry is asking people to recycle their old cables so we can use the copper we already have to make renewable energy over the next few years.

Izzi Monk, from the Royal Society of Chemistry, advised Newsround readers on how they can get involved. "The best thing is that we can all do our bit by never binning anything that is electrical", they said.

"Because throwing electrical items away is not only bad for the environment, it also means we lose the important materials that they are made from."