Mountain of broken fridges growing across England and Wales

A surge in broken fridges and freezers is accumulating in waste centres throughout England and Wales, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). The growing number of defective white goods is attributed to the recent heat waves, which have caused a higher rate of appliance breakdowns. Many councils have had to halt collections of white goods due to a substantial backlog, primarily caused by a national shortage of specialists capable of safely processing these appliances.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has recently announced stricter measures against illegal waste dumps, prompting the LGA to urge the government to take immediate action on addressing white goods issues.

Councillor Arooj Shah, chair of the LGA's Neighbourhoods committee, called on the government to compel white goods manufacturers to assume responsibility, assist councils with the expense of extra storage, and prevent similar problems from arising in the future. The mounting pile of discarded white goods is at risk of becoming an overwhelming mountain, Shah stated.

Councils from Bradford to Gloucestershire, Durham, and Nottingham, among others, have suspended fridge collections this month. The Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) acknowledged the capacity issues and stated that temporary storage is being established. They are also encouraging producers to take necessary steps to resolve collection delays.

Three of the UK's 10 full-scale processing plants have closed in the past year due to a fire, bankruptcy, and a change of use. The remaining plants cannot operate above 30 degrees Celsius, exacerbating the problem during this year's heat waves. The Environmental Services Association reported that the closures have significantly reduced capacity nationwide until facilities can be reopened or new capacity developed.

Currently, UK fridges are being exported to Europe to meet the demand, with only one additional UK processing plant expected to open next year. White goods recycling relies on compliance schemes, which coordinate the collection, recycling, and disposal of appliances. The largest scheme, Ecogenesys, supports around 85 councils and is working on developing new UK fridge processing infrastructure.

Ecogenesys CEO Graeme Milne believes that the UK needs more processing capacity in the long term, anticipating that the situation will improve as the seasonal peak passes. However, John Redmayne, the managing director of another compliance scheme, the European Recycling Platform, warned that the UK is facing a genuine capacity crunch on recycling old fridges, estimating a six to twelve-month recovery period.

The ongoing bottleneck in white goods disposal has raised concerns about an increase in flytipping, as the government launches a major crackdown on illegal waste dumps. Country Land and Business Association president Gavin Lane expressed concern over the potential consequences, stating that finding a flytipped fridge in a field is a farmer's nightmare, causing disruption, stress, and expensive clean-up bills.

The government is targeting organized crime gangs behind the illegal dumps and increasing fines from £300 to £5,000.