Fridge-mergency: the national fridge disposal situation explained

What’s the current situation with fridges and is there a national fridge disposal crisis?

At Bristol Waste, finding the best reprocessors* for reusable, recyclable or waste items is a big part of our responsibility to our city. And, usually, it’s relatively easy because Bristol’s recycling is such good quality.

Our recycling is so good because it gets sorted so thoroughly.

Firstly, the people of Bristol put their rinsed, properly sorted recycling into kerbside containers. Bristol Waste’s crews sort it a second time when loading into the trucks, which take it to our depot, where machinery including magnets sort it a third time.

The thoroughly sorted materials are then sold on to our carefully selected reprocessors who turn it into brand new items.

Fridges, however, aren’t as straightforward as glass or aluminium cans.

If one reprocessor for aluminium cans closes, or moves, or changes policy in a way that means they’re no longer the best option for Bristol, we simply select another reprocessor.

Fridges (and freezers, and fridge-freezers) contain chemicals, including refrigerant gases and insulating foams, which if not handled properly can be dangerous and are highly regulated.

As well as being flammable, the chemicals in fridges are also ozone-depleting, greenhouse gases.

Because of the potential risks and the tight legal controls involved in waste fridge and freezer processing, only a handful of specialist companies deal with these items.

Those that do, Approved Authorised Treatment Facilities (AATFs), are equipped with highly specialised and regulated equipment designed specifically for safely and legally disposing of fridges and freezers.

This means that the system is vulnerable to disruption in a way that less specialised waste channels are not. This vulnerability has resulted in the current, national, fridge disposal crisis.

Unfortunately, this year, the small number of AATFs available in the country have taken a significant hit. Fires, losses of processing capacity, and loss of AATF status at some sites has resulted in a national crisis.

We have more waste fridges than the UK’s system can process.

“The pressure currently facing the sector is being caused by a series of operational and commercial disruptions that have unfolded over the past few years, reducing the capacity of the UK’s fridge recycling network.” Let’s Recycle.com ANALYSIS: Local authorities stop collecting fridges amid capacity crisis – letsrecycle.com

 

*reprocessors are the specialist third party off-takers for recycling, waste and reusable items. Our reprocessors are selected based on the following factors: location, environmental credentials, demand, and price. This ensures we get the best results for our city and the planet.

 

What does a fridge disposal crisis mean for Bristol?

Hard work from Bristol Waste Company and Bristol City Council have resulted in additional capacity for storing waste items until they can be processed appropriately.

However, we know that this will not solve the national processing issue and in the event that it is no longer safe and legal for us to accept any more fridges, we will close this service to the public.

Here’s how you can help our city and reduce waste during the processing issues with fridge disposal:

If you are thinking of getting rid of a fridge or freezer, please consider the following to help Bristol cope with this unprecedented demand:

• Sell or donate working products. If your fridge/freezer is still working, you could look to sell it, donate it, or consider keeping it for yourself.
• Could you put off needing a new fridge or freezer by repairing your existing one? Sometimes a thorough defrost can give your fridge a new lease of life.
• Buying a new replacement product? Lots of suppliers of white goods like fridges and freezers will offer a service where they remove your old one for a small fee. This is a great solution to safely and legally disposing of your used item

Here’s a list of where in Bristol you can donate working fridges:

• Emmaus Bristol offer a collection service: Donate quality items – Bristol
• British Heart Foundation offer a local collection service in Bristol: Book a free furniture and electrical goods collection near me – BHF
• St Peters Hospice offer free local collection in some areas of the city: Free Charity Furniture Collection, Bristol – St Peter’s Hospice