Somerset Council and its recycling site operator, Biffa, have announced that during August only one fridge, freezer or other type of cooling appliance will be accepted per household to any of Somerset’s 16 recycling sites.
The change follows a national shortage of UK reprocessing capacity. The shortage is likely to have been caused by a fire and other unplanned outages at specialist treatment facilities, alongside increased volumes during warmer weather as more appliances are replaced or fail.
Residents are asked to hold off bringing appliances to recycling sites over the next month, if they can be safely stored, to help ease pressure.
Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, Environment and Climate Change at Somerset Council, said:
We appreciate that residents may be frustrated by this temporary change, but it is needed because of pressures on national reprocessing capacity for these appliances.
By limiting each household to 1 fridge, freezer or cooling appliance during August, we can keep sites operating safely and fairly for everyone while the specialist treatment network recovers.
We would like to thank residents for their patience and ask people, where it is safe and practical to do so, to consider storing appliances for a short time while this disruption continues. As the national situation may take longer to resolve, this will really help ease pressure on our recycling sites. Residents can also consider alternative options for recycling their appliances, such as retailer take-back schemes.
Alternative options for recycling appliances include:
- Using retailer take-back schemes as the preferred route where available, particularly when buying a replacement appliance
- Delaying disposal of fridges and freezers for a short period where it is practical and safe to do so
- If appliances are still usable, considering reuse options, including offering them on sites like Freegle or Facebook Marketplace, or donating them to local charities if they are accepted for resale
The position will be kept under review and may need to continue beyond August if national reprocessing capacity remains limited.
The temporary limit applies to household users only, these appliances will not be accepted from commercial users.
Appliances such as fridges, freezers and air-conditioning units need specialist treatment because they contain refrigerants and other materials that must be handled carefully.
More information about how to pass on items can be found via the via the Council’s Pass it on and furniture reuse page.
