Household collections of broken fridge-freezers have been suspended by some councils across the UK, leaving residents storing appliances in their gardens for months. This follows the closure of specialist treatment facilities and a wider shortage of capacity to process cooling appliances, according to the Local Government Authority (LGA).
The situation intensified after recycling company Unimetals, which operated numerous sites in the UK, filed for liquidation in 2025. This left tens of thousands of fridge-freezers at Newport Docks. Associated British Ports, now running the Newport site, is reportedly in discussions with third parties about its future.
Almost a quarter of Welsh councils have suspended household collections of fridge-freezers due to a lack of space at disposal sites. Cardiff is among these, with one resident, Lee Young, stating he has been unable to dispose of his broken appliance for two months. The LGA has identified dozens of councils in Wales and England that have been forced to stop or restrict collections, with more expected to follow.
Dr David Santillo, a research scientist at Greenpeace, warned that some of the fridges and freezers at Newport Docks may still contain harmful chemicals, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are powerful greenhouse gases. He also noted that leaving appliances out for extended periods could produce "toxic smoke" if a fire occurs. Santillo urged the UK government to intervene and find a solution.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) acknowledged the challenges faced by local authorities and stated it is working to manage the impact of treatment capacity shortages. This includes allowing temporary storage of fridge and cooling equipment under certain conditions set by the Environment Agency.