Assembly minister for Environment Sue Essex said that the money would help Wales ensure the safe management of more than 100,000 fridges.
Since January 2002, local authorities have been unable to dispose of fridges without having harmful CFC coolants removed and treated to prevent their release into the atmosphere.
Commenting on the Welsh government's announcement, Ms Essex said: “In response to calls from local authorities for added assistance, I am pleased to be able to make a further 2 million available for the safe disposal of fridges. It is vital that old fridges are disposed of safely, and the EC Regulation ensures that ozone-depleting substances are not released from them.”
As well as coping with European regulations on ozone-depleting substances, authorities will have to tackle the demands of the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive before long. The 2 million windfall for local authorities comes in addition to the 2.4 million handed out by the Assembly in October 2002 (see letsrecycle.com story).
As well as the new funding, the Welsh Assembly has said that guidance has been provided for 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.
The Assembly believes that capacity now exists to manage the expected number of domestic fridges discarded in Wales each year.
For more information about existing and forthcoming regulations on the disposal of fridges and other electrical items, see the letsrecycle.com legislation page.
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