Around 80,000 discarded fridges and freezers are stranded at a recycling facility in Newport, South Wales, after operator Unimetals entered administration and closed the site. The shutdown has put up to 650 jobs at risk and intensified concerns about a shortage of specialist white-goods recycling capacity across England and Wales.

Oxfordshire County Council has urged the Government to reopen the facility while its specialist equipment remains available, allowing councils to clear the backlog. Campaigners blame hot weather, fires at recycling sites in Darlaston and Thetford, and the collapse of another operator for creating a “perfect storm”; cooling gases in fridges require careful handling because they can damage the ozone layer. Associated British Ports said it was discussing the site’s future with third parties.