Thousands of illegal vapes, dangerous toys, harmful cosmetics and counterfeit small electricals, clothing and jewellery will soon be recycled thanks to a special partnership between Solihull Council and Lighthouse Security.
The Council’s regulatory services team works hard to protect residents from illegal and dangerous goods. Criminal gangs consider anything to be fair game, and in the last few years the service’s trading standards officers have seized illegal goods ranging from harmful tobacco and vapes with high levels of nicotine and other unknown and unregulated substances, to poisonous cosmetics and even dangerous toys for small children.
As well as protecting residents from these dangerous products, the team has looked for ways to minimise the impact on the environment. Working with Lighthouse Security, many of the illegal and often dangerous items can be safely and securely recycled.
They’ve also linked the company with local homeless provider St Basils and the Council’s rough sleeper outreach team to distribute some other goods which have been seized and made safe, or donated, by Lighthouse Security. This will provide some additional warm clothes and toys for the Young Families Scheme and people who are sleeping rough.
Solihull Council’s Cabinet member for Communities, Cllr Wazma Qais, said: “Our Regulatory Services team works hard to ensure that our residents are safe and criminal gangs aren’t funded through these highly dangerous goods. It’s good to know that we’re also working with companies like Lighthouse Security to recycle them safely and securely and that they won’t end up in landfill.
“The company will be recycling over 1,000 illegal vapes, some dangerous toy scooters and soft toys, hundreds of bottles of harmful cosmetics, small electricals which could be a fire risk and lots of counterfeit clothing and jewellery which as it’s unregulated could be harmful to the wearer. These were all seized in Solihull. I’m also really pleased to see that some goods can be made safe and redirected to some of our most vulnerable residents.”
To report suspect goods, please call trading standards on 0121 704 8001