Wales begins 2.5 million fridge disposal contract

The four-year joint contract covers the transport and demanufacture of more than 100,000 fridges a year to meet the European ODS Regulation, which requires that ozone depleting substances are removed and contained before waste fridges can be destroyed.

Bob Napper, contract officer at Caerphilly, the council that led the contract negotiations, said of Aberystwyth-based Evan Logistics: “They are collecting and demanufacturing fridges and freezers from a number of Welsh local authorities with additional local authorities joining the contract as their existing contract arrangements expire.”

By joining together, the councils involved were able to negotiate a more favourable price by scale of economy, Mr Napper said. The fridges are now being taken to Evans Logsitics' plant in Rhymney, Caerphilly to be demanufactured.

Funding

Meanwhile, Welsh local authorities were given a funding boost this week by the Welsh Assembly, which announced an extra 1.75 million for councils' fridge disposal in 2003-04.

This is the second year that the Assembly has subsidised the disposal of fridges, after it provided over 2.4 million to local authorities to process 150,000 domestic fridges in 2002-03.

Minister for the Environment Carwyn Jones said last week: “The Assembly Government recognises that the management of domestic fridges continues to be a significant issue for local authorities and I am pleased to be able to make 1.75 million of additional funding available for the safe disposal of these fridges.”

He added: “It is expected that this year over 100,000 domestic fridges will be produced by the public and this extra money from the Assembly will be a great help towards the extra costs that proper fridge disposal creates for local authorities.”

A Special Grant Report from the Welsh Assembly regarding extra funding said that Welsh local authorities will continue to receive financial support for fridge disposal until August 2005. After August 2005 another European Directive, concerning waste electrical equipment, will shift the financial responsibility for the treatment and recycling of all electrical goods, including fridges, from local authorities to equipment producers.