Find out more about the Council's latest position on fridges at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC).
Despite announcing earlier in the month that residents can once again dispose of fridges and freezers at Household Waste Recycling Centres across the county, the Council has not seen a notable influx of these appliances and would like to thank its residents for their continued cooperation and understanding.
Residents are reminded that capacity remains limited and are encouraged to consider the alternative disposal options, outlined below, where it is possible.
The backlog was due to a national shortage of capacity to recycle and process fridges, freezers and other cooling appliances. The UK's recycling infrastructure has been significantly affected by facility fires, plant closures and limited storage capacity. Warwickshire was among numerous local authorities affected.
Since the suspension, WCC has made significant progress in clearing the backlog through concerted collection efforts. In addition, the Council has worked closely with the Environment Agency, which has agreed to relax specific storage requirements. This has allowed for the allocation of additional outside space increasing the overall capacity for storing fridges and freezers across the recycling centres.
WCC has advised all district and borough councils that they can resume booking their own fridge collections or providing collection dates, depending on their local operational arrangements.
Cllr Darren Cheshire, Warwickshire County Council's Portfolio Holder for Environment, Heritage and Culture, said: “We would like to thank our residents for their cooperation over the past month. Following our announcement in early September, we have not seen a large or unmanageable increase in the fridges deposited at our recycling centres, and thankfully, fly-tipping has not been a significant issue either.
"Having worked closely with the Environment Agency to secure additional outside storage space and having made excellent progress on clearing the existing backlog, we are continuing to work towards a position where fridges can be accepted without restriction.
"In the interim, we are continuing to advise residents that while we are accepting fridges once again, if you are able to safely keep your old appliances in storage a little longer, please do so to help us manage capacity at our centres."
Advice for Residents
WCC continues to urge residents to consider all available options before bringing cooling appliances to a recycling centre:
Store safely at home: If possible, please continue to store old units safely at your property to help ease the pressure on HWRC capacity.
Retailer take-back schemes: If you are purchasing a new fridge or freezer, check if the retailer offers a "take-back" service to remove your old appliance. Under the UK WEEE Regulations, distributors and retailers have obligations to offer take-back facilities or accept old fridges and freezers where a new one is being purchased.
Consider repair: Spare parts such as drawers and seals are easy to source online and replace yourself. For mechanical issues, consider a local appliance repair company.
Reuse: If your unwanted item is still in working order, a good way to give it a new home and a second life is to list it on Freegle, Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace, or Nextdoor.
Beware of rogue waste collectors: Only use licensed waste carriers to dispose of any type of waste. Get a record of where they say they will take your waste and keep hold of your receipt. Handing appliances over to unlicensed operators often leads to fly-tipping, which remains a criminal offence.
Warwickshire County Council will continue to monitor storage levels closely to ensure operations remain safe and manageable.
Find your local HWRC: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/hwrc
Residents can Follow Warwickshire Recycles on social media for daily tips:
On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/warwickshire_recycles/
On Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/warwickshirerecycles/