Tens of thousands of fridges and freezers have been left at a former recycling site at Newport Docks following the collapse of the company that operated the facility. Drone images show a large stockpile of appliances at the site, where the unwanted items remain while discussions take place over what should happen to the material.
Collapse of Unimetals
The site was previously operated by Unimetals, a recycling business with 28 sites across the UK, including in Newport and the Neath Port Talbot village of Skewen. WalesOnline previously reported that Unimetals Recycling (UK) Ltd was placed into compulsory liquidation after a winding-up order was made on November 25, 2025, with an official receiver appointed as liquidator.
Associated British Ports (ABP), which operates the Port of Newport, said the materials were being managed responsibly and would ultimately be transferred to another specialist recycling operation. An ABP spokesman said: "The Unimetals recycling site at the Port of Newport was part of the Unimetals liquidation process. ABP is in discussions with third parties about the future of the site and the material on site. In the interim the material is being managed responsibly as part of the site’s transition and will be transferred to another specialist recycling operation in due course."
Pressure on councils
The stockpile comes at a time when councils across Wales and elsewhere in the UK are facing difficulties dealing with unwanted fridges and freezers because of a shortage of space at disposal sites. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council temporarily suspended its bulky waste collections for fridges, fridge freezers and standalone freezers in July, citing "lack of processing capacity".
The number of fridges and freezers illustrates the growing backlog of unwanted refrigeration appliances awaiting recycling and reprocessing. Newport Dock, where the fridges and freezers are located, is said to be Wales' leading general cargo port and handles a number of services including construction, rail freight, steel, and other metals.
