Home / Environment / Fridge Crisis: Council Stores 1,000 White Goods
Fridge Crisis: Council Stores 1,000 White Goods
2 Nov
Summary
- Nearly 1,000 fridges and freezers are in storage due to disposal issues.
- Heatwaves increased white goods breakdowns, overwhelming processing plants.
- A new processor in Dartford is expected to open early next year.
Southend-on-Sea City Council has found storage space for approximately 1,000 fridges and freezers, a critical measure amidst a national disposal crisis for white goods. This situation arose due to increased appliance breakdowns during the summer's extended heatwaves.
Residents were initially asked by the Essex authority to temporarily store their unwanted fridges and freezers. The council's Stock Road recycling centre continued to accept these items. Currently, the stored appliances are being moved into shipping containers in Leigh-on-Sea for safe, undercover storage.
The national issue stems from multiple heatwaves increasing the demand for white goods disposal. Compounding the problem, three specialist processing plants closed earlier this year, reducing the national number from ten to seven. The remaining plants struggled to operate efficiently during the summer heat, creating a significant backlog.
Councils were advised to hold onto unwanted goods, with Southend's recycling centre having space for 200 items. The appliances are transported to shipping containers in Leigh-on-Sea. A new processing plant in Dartford is expected to open at the start of next year, with officials believing it will take a couple of months to resolve the backlog.
Essex County Council confirmed it continues to accept fridges and freezers at its recycling sites. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs acknowledged the challenges and is working with stakeholders to manage the shortages, including permitting temporary storage under specific conditions.
