Immediate ban on recycling fridges and freezers at Warwickshire's tips

By James Smith 5th Aug 2026

Local News by James Smith 5th Aug 2026 1

Warwickshire County Council says fridges and freezers can no longer be taken to its tips (image via WCC)

Fridges and freezers can no longer be recycled at local tips, Warwickshire County Council (WCC) has confirmed.

The local authority says there is a "national crisis in fridge and freezer recycling capacity" and there is not enough space to store them.

"This is because UK recycling capacity has tightened significantly due to facility fires and plant closures," a WCC statement said.

Other councils have also issued a ban on recycling old appliances at tips.

The ban applies to residents and businesses.

Cllr Darren Cheshire, portfolio holder for environment, heritage and culture, said: "We had hoped to avoid this scenario through our temporary storage and contingency measures, but the national processing network has simply reached its absolute limit.

"With no clear end in sight to the processing crisis, we have been left with no choice but to suspend the acceptance of all fridges and freezers at our HWRCs with immediate effect.

"We know this is incredibly frustrating for our residents, local businesses, and our District and Borough Council partners. However, this is an escalating nationwide infrastructure issue - as we are seeing with Nottinghamshire and Many other authorities taking the exact same emergency steps this week.

"Please do not bring these appliances to our recycling centres, as our staff will have to turn you away. We urgently ask residents to keep hold of their old appliances for the time being or explore retailer take-back or repair and reuse options if appropriate. We are continuing to press the Government and industry partners for a national resolution and will reinstate our collection services as soon as it is viable to do so."

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Yet again, the system can't cope, so it's a case of "we will have to stop supplying it" or "we don't have the resources" or "we haven't got the cash" etc etc. This society will only function if the infrastructure remains in place for it to do so. All of our choices have been removed throughout the last 40 years or so, and we all have to go along with the few remaining options available to us that the state tells us is to do. Examples are things like how we now have to make a doctors appointment (sold to you as being so much easier/better etc), or the ridiculously drawn out method to simple pay for parking, or that you HAVE to have internet capability to do the "office" jobs of every company you need to deal with. When we are forced to do things in their singular chosen way (other options removed, you have only one way of doing it now), they really need to have a structure in place to be able to continue to supply their services in the manner that they have insisted we have to use them. In this instance here regarding the fridges etc, it appears to be a case where everyone responsible for this (who allows for this society to work) have again shrugged their shoulders, say it's not possible for them to do their job, and just pass the problem all the way down the line right back to the last person - The customer with the failed fridge. The customer doesn't have many choices or options on what to do (stupid repair charges nowadays above the price of a new unit, or scrap it), yet all of those who are responsible have washed their hands on everything and just said "That's now your problem. Nothing to do with us. We're OK now as we've washed our hands on it". But hey, they'll be all driving around and quick to catch/fine/discipline those who have left it in their garden/side of the road or even, god forbid, fly tip it. Now, I wonder why people do that? If only someone could think up a system where that didn't need to happen. Oh well. Maybe those responsible also look at household waste and think that if the bins are emptyied every 3 weeks instead of weekly, people will be encouraged to then make less rubbish! Now, if only we could also get people to not make ANY of that annoying rubbish that they grudgingly have to go around every 3 weeks to collect. Anyway, where's my valium..... Arrrgh!!!!!! >:O