Letter from Biffa Waste Services Ltd to
local authorities 18 April 2001
RE: DOMESTIC
FRIDGES
A substantial proportion of domestic white fridges
are disposed of by agents working for the retail trade direct
to car fragmentation plants. A proportion are also returned through
Civic Amenity sites. From 1 January 2002 that may all be set to
change with significant increases in numbers turning up at CA
sites. Around 250,000 fridges are scrapped each month—that's
an average of 1,000 for every Waste Collection Authority in the
UK each month.
Why the increase in favour of CA sites? On 1
January the disposal of fridges with insulating foams containing
CFC depleting substances via plants producing uncontrolled releases
could become illegal. The most modern car frag plants are not
atmospherically self contained—with a result that the value
of such fridges will disappear and retailers will be obliged to
stockpile them or export them to countries with approved technologies
utilising sealed destruction units with CFC recovery distillation
units at their cost.
Biffa is interested in developing the UK's first
Environment Agency approved destruction route for domestic fridges.
When the regulations are implemented it is unlikely that retailers
will be keen to stockpile substantial quantities of scrap fridges
and your CA sites may thus be inundated next February and March.
Our intention is to offer a collection service for these units
based on a unit cost service fee with containers placed at your
facilities for loading. If you are interested in this service
can we ask you to e-mail us or complete the enclosed questionnaire
so that we can provide you with additional information.
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