The funding has been derived from an “end of year flexibility” relating to proposed increases of 12% in the Welsh Assembly Governments' Environment, Planning and Transport spending budget for next year.
This allocation will cover costs for fridge disposal until the end of March 2003. Ms Essex said: “It is vital that old fridges are disposed of safely, and the EC Regulation ensures that ozone-depleting substances are not released from them.
Under EC law, which came into effect for domestic fridges on 1 January 2002, CFC's from both the insulation foam and the coolant must be removed and treated to prevent their release into the environment before waste fridges can be recycled or scrapped.
“The Assembly's grant earlier this year has ensured the safe management of 28000 fridges and I am pleased that with this further grant the Assembly will again be able to assist local authorities with the extra costs that arise,” said Ms Essex. The Assembly granted 600,000 to the disposal of fridges in December 2001.
In addition to this funding, guidance has been provided to local authorities on the safe storage of fridges and a leaflet is also available to advise consumers on how to dispose of their old fridges safely.
Since January 2002 new specialist facilities have been developed and capacity now exists to manage the expected number of domestic fridges that are discarded in Wales each year.
Currently, two licensed specialist facilities in Wales and a further six in England exist to reprocess fridges.
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