Fridge and Freezer Disposal at Blackpool HWRC – Latest Update

Fridge and Freezer Disposal: Why Is the Service Changing?

You may have noticed that our Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) has had periods where we have been able to accept fridges and freezers, followed by periods where we have had to temporarily stop. We understand this can be confusing, so we wanted to explain why.

What’s happening?

There is currently a national shortage of specialist fridge and freezer recycling capacity, which is affecting councils and recycling centres across the UK.

Fridges and freezers cannot be processed in the same way as general electrical items. They contain refrigerants and insulating materials which require specialist treatment, meaning there are only a limited number of facilities in the UK able to process them safely.

Over the past year, UK processing capacity has been significantly reduced following facility closures, fires and other operational disruption.

One of the largest facilities, formerly operated by Unimetals in Newport, has not operated since late 2025. It previously processed around 600,000 appliances a year, and it is now reported that tens of thousands of fridges and freezers remain at the site awaiting a solution.

What does this mean for Blackpool?

The national backlog affects how quickly fridges and freezers can be removed from our HWRC for specialist processing.

This means our ability to accept them can change depending on the storage capacity available at the site and whether collections can take place.

We may therefore be able to accept fridges and freezers at certain times but have to temporarily pause acceptance when capacity is reached.

Please check before you visit

We know residents want to dispose of their appliances responsibly and appreciate your patience and understanding while this national issue continues.

We’ll continue to provide updates on our website and social media channels as the situation changes.

For more information about the national situation, you can read the recent industry update from Letsrecycle.com – Tens of thousands of fridges in limbo at former Unimetals site.

Please check the latest HWRC information before travelling to the site.