The company has secured Environment Agency approval to store up to 2,000 tonnes of waste refrigeration equipment at the Northamptonshire facility – equivalent to around 50,000 domestic fridges.
The temporary storage facility, which will initially be available until early 2027, is intended to support local authorities, producer compliance schemes and other customers by providing a compliant storage solution during a period of sustained capacity constraints across the sector.
Enva said the additional capacity will help maintain continuity of collections and ensure end-of-life refrigeration appliances continue to move through the recycling chain while new treatment infrastructure is developed.
Alongside the temporary storage solution, Enva is continuing work on its new fridge recycling facility in London, which is expected to become operational in early 2027 and provide an additional 35,000 tonnes of treatment capacity.
Barry Phillips, Managing Director for e-Waste, Plastics and Glass at Enva, said: “The UK fridge recycling sector continues to experience significant pressure on treatment capacity, making it more important than ever that customers have access to reliable, compliant solutions.
“Securing additional storage capacity at Corby is a practical response to current market conditions that helps ensure fridges continue moving through the recycling chain.
“At the same time, we’re continuing to invest for the long term. Our new facility in London, together with our recent investment in Stourbridge, will further strengthen our ability to support customers and increase the UK’s capacity to recover valuable materials from end-of-life appliances.”
Fridge capacity pressures
Enva’s announcement comes as the UK fridge recycling sector continues to face significant treatment capacity constraints, with pressure increasingly affecting local authority collection services.
In recent months, a growing number of councils have warned they may have to suspend the acceptance of fridges and freezers at household waste recycling centres because treatment capacity has become constrained.
Unlike many other waste streams, refrigeration appliances cannot easily be diverted to alternative facilities when capacity is reduced.
The concentration of treatment infrastructure has left the sector vulnerable to disruption, with capacity coming under sustained pressure following a series of operational and commercial setbacks over recent years that have reduced the UK’s fridge recycling capability.
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