A Norfolk recycling centre is nearing its storage capacity as approximately 3,000 fridges and freezers have accumulated due to a national shortage of specialist waste processing facilities. Mayton Wood Recycling Centre near Coltishall is currently holding these appliances as a short-term measure, according to Norfolk County Council.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has stated that the national issue stems from a loss of specialist facilities and is urging producers to address the problem. Kate Murrell, assistant director for waste at the council, expressed concern, stating, "We don't want to see fridges and freezers stored like this, they need to be managed properly through that reprocessing system."
By law, fridges and freezers require proper disposal to prevent harmful gases from damaging the environment. The Local Government Association (LGA) has noted a national shortage of specialist processing capacity, partly due to site closures and incidents such as fires. This has led some producer compliance schemes to delay or halt collections from council sites.
Norfolk County Council operates 19 recycling centres, but only seven of them can currently accept cooling appliances. The council hopes the government will "urgently" intervene to assist Norfolk and other affected counties. Reform UK councillor Patrick Gould urged central government to provide suitable companies for reprocessing these products, warning that exceeding storage capacity would force a halt to collections.