Welcome to the letsrecycle.com fridge recycling section.
In the year 2000, Europe adopted new regulations on Ozone-Depleting Substances
(ODS), which banned the use of chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
because they can harm the ozone layer when released into the atmosphere.
As well as banning the use of ozone-depleting substances in manufacturing items
including fridges, the regulations also demanded that controlled substances
should be recovered from equipment before disposal to prevent release into the
atmosphere.
The regulations caused some problems when
they came into force in the UK in January 2002,
as preparations were not sufficiently underway.
However, there are now a number of companies
licensed to collect and treat fridges under the
regulations.
In 2003, Europe adopted the Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment Directive to set collection
and recycling targets for appliances including
fridges. An associated directive also brought in
restrictiong on the use of hazardous substances
in manufacturing electrical equipment. The UK is
still in the process of adopting the Directives.
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