HOSPICE fundraisers have joined forces with council bosses in a drive to turn hi-tech trash into cash to help patients.

Sedgefield Borough Council is urging all its residents to post off old printer cartridges and mobile phone equipment to help the Butterwick Hospice at Bishop Auckland.

FREEPOST envelopes are available at council offices, housing offices, leisure centres and libraries.

Coun Lucy Hovvels, the borough's lead member for environment, said: "We fully support this important scheme. Not only does it help raise money for charity but it also protects the environment by stopping a lot of waste going to landfill."

There are as many as 20 million unwanted mobile phones across the UK, but fewer than five per cent will be recycled. And 28 million printer cartridges, each made with 1 1/2 pints of crude oil, are thrown away each year, even though they can be cleaned, refilled and used again.

Contact the hospice on (01388) 603003.