Skip to content
Fridge Recycling Survey
This APSE survey seeks to gather insight from local authorities on the recent shortage of fridge/freezer recycling capacity in the UK and how it has affected your authority, in terms of HWRC services, bulky waste collections, and wider impacts.
1.
Was your authority affected in any way by the fridge/freezer recycling capacity shortage in summer 2026?
Yes
No
Other (please specify)
2.
At the time of completing this survey, is your authority still impacted? (e.g. restrictions on HWRC disposal, bulky waste collections, etc)
Yes
No - we have lifted bans/restrictions
No - we were never affected
Other - please state
Comment
3.
Broadly, how did you first find out and how were you impacted?
Tick all that apply / add any comments
More specific questions on HWRC/bulky waste services will follow later in the survey.
Our reprocessor told us they would stop accepting fridges for recycling
Our reprocessor turned away deliveries of / stopped collecting fridges from our sites
We had to stockpile fridges/freezers that were collected
We had to find additional temporary storage space of fridges/freezers
Other / please provide further details and issues e.g. around storage space
4.
If affected, how did you communicate any restrictions to residents?
Tick all that apply
Signs at HWRCs
Staff at HWRCs advising
Social media
Local media - news websites, papers, radio, etc
Leaflets to residents
Council general news / recycling information website
Council website - when booking bulky waste collections
Direct contact to residents e.g. email/phone to those who have booked bulky waste collections
Other (please specify)
None of the above
Impact on HWRCs
5.
What was the impact, if any, on your HWRC service provision?
We stopped accepting fridges/freezers at all of our HWRCs completely
We stopped accepting fridges/freezers at
some
of our HWRCs, but continued to accept at others
We limited number of fridges/freezers we accepted (e.g. 1 per resident)
We limited trade/commercial drop-offs of fridge/freezers
We continued to accept fridges/freezers at HWRCs, and tried to store as many as we could
None of the above
Any additional comments/details
6.
Did you face any adverse consequences at your HWRCs as a result?
Tick any / all that apply
Residents were not aware of any bans/restrictions on fridges being accepted
Conflicts/abuse from the public to workers on site when told they could not deposit their fridges
Fly-tipping/dumping of fridges in the nearby area
Disposal of fridges into general waste skips or other recycling skips instead
None of the above
Any additional comments/details
Impact on bulky waste collections
7.
What was the impact on your bulky waste collection service?
Tick all that apply
Suspended collections of bulky waste collection bookings including fridges/freezers
Cancelled already booked-in collections including fridges/freezers
Continued collections that were already booked in, then suspended further collections
Continued to collect all fridges/freezers and had to stockpile them
No change
Other / further details
8.
What advice did you give to residents as alternative course of action?
Encouraged them to use retailer take-back schemes
Encouraged them to reach out to charities
Encouraged them to find alternative private sector collectors
Asked them to take the item home and return to HWRC at a later date
Bulky waste collections: asked them to hold on to the item until further notice
Other (please specify)
9.
As a result of any restrictions, did you notice any increase in fly-tipping of fridges/freezers in your borough?
Yes
No
Not sure
Any comments
10.
Please add any further comments, feedback, and/or a description of the situation and issues in your authority
Do you have any lessons learnt from this experience, in the event of a future bottleneck?
1 / 2