England and Wales face mounting fridge disposal crisis amid heatwaves

A growing backlog of discarded refrigerators and freezers has created a mounting challenge for waste management systems in England and Wales, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.

Councils in at least 26 areas—including Bradford, Gloucestershire, Durham and Nottinghamshire—have suspended collections of white goods this month due to a shortage of specialist processors and transport capacity. The issue has been exacerbated by recent heatwaves, which have increased appliance failures and limited the operating capacity of remaining recycling plants.

Councillor Arooj Shah, chair of the LGA’s Neighbourhoods Committee, said the backlog was reaching crisis levels. “Residents who are trying to dispose of old or broken appliances responsibly are being turned away from recycling centres because of failures elsewhere in the system,” he said. “This is not acceptable.”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) acknowledged capacity constraints and stated it was working to minimise disruption to collections and disposal. A spokesperson said the government was urging producers of fridges and cooling equipment to take steps to resolve delays.

The UK’s fridge recycling sector relies on specialist facilities capable of safely dismantling appliances containing ozone-depleting gases and other hazardous materials. However, three of the country’s 10 full-scale processing plants have closed in the past 12 months—due to fire, bankruptcy and a change of use—leaving only seven operational sites. High summer temperatures have further reduced output, as most plants cannot operate above 30°C.

Jacob Hayler, executive director of the Environmental Services Association, said the closures had “knocked out capacity suddenly,” leaving the sector unable to meet demand. He added that capacity would remain constrained until new facilities come online or existing ones reopen.

To manage the shortfall, some UK fridges are being exported to Europe for processing, with only one additional UK plant expected to open next year. The industry is funded through producer responsibility schemes, where manufacturers and importers register their sales volumes and pay for the recycling of equivalent tonnage. Fifteen compliance schemes coordinate the process, including Ecogenesys and the European Recycling Platform.

Graeme Milne, chief executive of Ecogenesys, said while European plants provided a temporary solution, the UK needed to invest in domestic infrastructure. He expects the situation to ease as temperatures drop but warned of ongoing pressure until new capacity is built.

John Redmayne of the European Recycling Platform described the UK as facing a “genuine capacity crunch,” with industry estimates suggesting a six- to twelve-month recovery period.

The bottleneck has raised concerns about an increase in illegal dumping. Gavin Lane, president of the Country Land and Business Association, said flytipping of fridges causes significant disruption and financial burden for landowners. He welcomed recent government efforts to crack down on illegal waste sites, noting that one large “super site” in Oxfordshire, containing 22,000 tonnes of waste, was cleared this week at a cost of £6 million to the public purse.

The government has increased fines for illegal dumping from £300 to £5,000 and is targeting organised crime groups profiting from waste crime. Authorities have also begun seizing assets linked to illegal waste operations.