COUNCIL FORCED TO PAUSE FRIDGE AND FREEZER COLLECTION
Richmond Council has been forced to stop the collection of unwanted fridges and freezers because of a national shortage of processing capacity, its been revealed.
A statement from the council said: “We’ve had to temporarily pause our fridge and freezer collection and disposal services due to a national shortage of processing capacity.
“Residents will not be able to book a collection or drop these items off to Townmead Road Household and Recycling Centre and are being asked to hold onto these items or use retailer take-back services where possible.”
Processing sites across the UK are currently under pressure, which means fewer fridges and freezers can be safely treated and recycled. The temporary pause will help reduce demand while capacity recovers.
Residents are asked to follow the guidance below while the temporary restrictions remain in place:
- Use retailer take-back schemes wherever possible when purchasing replacement appliances
- Store unwanted fridges and freezers safely at home, where practical, until collections resume
- Avoid leaving fridges and freezers on the highway or on public land, as this may be treated as fly-tipping
Please note that fridges and freezers will not be accepted at Townmead Road or any West London reuse and recycling centre while capacity restrictions remain in place.
The temporary pause in services is part of the West London and national approach to manage demand and protect local waste services.
The statement added: “We understand this may cause some inconvenience and we appreciate your patience while this is resolved.
“Please check our dedicated fridge and freezers page for updates about when the service will resume.”