Details of the project were due to be unveiled at a conference last week, but the event was postponed. However, Ian Fielding, Hampshire County Council's waste contracts manager confirmed to letsrecycle.com that the county is in the processor of organising a trial retailer take-back scheme.
Last year retailer take-back schemes were ended in the face of new legislation requiring the removal of CFCs from fridge foams.
The Hampshire project would operate in a similar format to existing third party credits schemes which many local authorities have in place for materials such as paper and green waste. The credits would be redeemable by retailers, who would arrange for collection of the fridges, and by reprocessors to whom the fridges would be delivered for reprocessing.
At present Hampshire, through its Onyx-run contractor Hampshire Waste Services, sends waste fridges to Holland for reprocessing. It is unclear whether a credits scheme would fund the export of fridges or whether using a UK-based fridge reprocessors would be preferred.
Tagged
A key part of the Hampshire trial centres on ensuring an audit trail for each fridge which would be tagged. Upon proving a proper disposal route both Comet and the reprocessor would claim the credits from the local authority.
Mr Fielding explained that Hampshire: “would have to set credits at a level that would be acceptable to both the council, the retailers and the reprocessors.”
Plans for the scheme are still under discussion. Talks about how the credits arrangements could work are expected to continue this week under the auspices of the fridge working group co-ordinate by the department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
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