Norfolk stockpiles more than 3,000 fridges after recycling plant fire

Hundreds of thousands of unwanted fridges and freezers are building up across the UK as councils lose access to specialist recycling facilities. The growing stockpiles are an environmental and local concern because appliances require careful dismantling, and there is no clear date for normal disposal services to resume.

In Norfolk, more than 3,000 fridges have accumulated after a fire closed a local treatment facility; a plant in south Wales shut after its operator went into liquidation, and another in the West Midlands closed following a fire. This summer, 26 local authorities stopped accepting fridges and freezers, while Newport amassed 80,000. Record heat led to more appliances breaking down, and households that increased refrigeration during Covid have added to the volume.