Dozens of councils across the UK have suspended or restricted the collection of fridges and freezers at recycling centres, as a national backlog leaves sites overwhelmed, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
The move follows a surge in broken appliances, which the LGA attributes to recent heatwaves, as fridges and freezers are more likely to fail during hot weather. The disruption has been reported across England and Wales, with the Midlands, particularly Birmingham and Shropshire, and the Southeast and South of England said to be the most impacted.
Backlog and site closures
Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Moneybox reporter Dan Whitworth said pictures showed fridges and freezers stacked up high at recycling centres. He explained that residents had done the right thing by dropping off their old appliances, but that specialist waste firms were not collecting them as expected.
Whitworth said: “People have obviously they’ve done the right thing. They’ve dropped off their old fridges and freezers. And what should happen next is they’re collected and taken to a specialist waste firm that can safely dispose the quite hazardous materials inside them. But that isn’t happening here clearly or in at several other sites right across England and Wales. And that means dozens of councils are now reporting problems and refusing to accept any more fridges or freezes. The Midlands, particularly Birmingham and Shropshire and the Southeast and South of England, are said to be the most impacted.”
A spokesperson for Warwickshire council said: “So essentially, it’s because the secured um recycling scheme facilities have um a backlog. Um I think the hot weather over the summer has also created an issue. We’re seeing more and more fridges um not working and then the councils encourage residents to dispose of them in a responsible way. So we collect them and then these um schemes have 5 days to come and collect them off the council but we’re seeing that that’s not happening which is creating a huge issue and a backlog across the country.”
Fires and temporary storage
Whitworth said the problem at some centres was being made worse because of site closures, and some have been hit by a growing wave of fires, often caused by lithium batteries. He said: “The government told us it’s working with local authorities and others to limit the impact, including actually allowing the storage of fridges on temporary sites. And that’s something that’s not usually allowed.”
For residents needing to dispose of an old fridge or freezer, Whitworth advised checking the website or social media of their local recycling centre first. He said some restrictions have already been lifted while others are only just being introduced.
“If you can’t wait, one council has this advice. If the fridge still works, well, try selling or donating your old appliance. Check if the retailer you bought a new one from operates what’s called a takeback scheme. And if you’re going to ask someone to come and take it away. This is so important. Make sure they are a licensed waste carrier. Some unlicensed operators may just dump it, and we don’t want that to happen.”
LGA warning and affected councils
The Local Government Association said: “Ongoing national processing issues mean many people will be unable to recycle fridge and freezers this Bank Holiday weekend with councils calling for recycling schemes to get back on track as discarded appliances pile up at recycling centres, the Local Government Association says today.
“Councils are working hard to ensure residents who want to do the right thing can continue to bring old and broken appliances in for recycling. However, their ability to provide this service is being threatened by a national shortage of specialist processing capacity that is entirely beyond their control – with a significant backlog emerging nationally.
“Fridges and freezers are more likely to fail during hot weather, with the recent heatwaves likely exacerbating this issue, increasing the number that need to be collected and recycled.
“Councils up and down the country are now securing costly temporary storage, asking residents to delay disposing of appliances or warning that they may have to stop accepting them as sites reach their safe capacity.”
LGA research has identified dozens of councils which have already been forced to stop or restrict fridge and freezer collections, with more expected to be affected as the disruption continues.
Councils that have publicly reported suspensions, temporary stops, or significant restrictions include Bradford, Gloucestershire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Warwickshire County Council, Leeds, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Staffordshire County Council, Oxfordshire, South Gloucestershire, Somerset, North Tyneside, and Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. Some areas, including parts of the North East, have continued accepting appliances while monitoring capacity.
Residents are advised to check their council website for real-time updates before taking action.
