Temporary Suspension of Fridges and Freezers Bulky Waste Collections and One-Unit Limit at Household Recycling Centres

Due to significant restrictions across the UK's fridge reprocessing network, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, like many other Council’s has made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend bulky waste collections for fridges, fridge freezers and standalone freezers with immediate effect from 16 July 2026, until further notice.

Any existing bookings already in the system will still be honoured.

Temporary Restrictions at Household Recycling Centres
Residents can continue to dispose of these items at the Household Recycling Centres in Dowlais and Aberfan. However, to help manage storage capacity, a temporary restriction of one fridge, fridge freezer or freezer per household will apply.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and may need to introduce further restrictions if storage capacity at our sites is reached.

Suspension of Trade Waste Acceptance for Fridges and Freezers
Due to the limited availability of reprocessing capacity, the Council has also temporarily suspended the acceptance of fridges, fridge freezers and standalone freezers through its Trade Waste Acceptance Scheme until further notice.

Businesses are advised to make alternative arrangements for the disposal of these items while the national processing restrictions remain in place.

Help Reduce Pressure on Recycling Facilities
Unfortunately, the current lack of processing capacity has left local authorities across the UK with little choice but to introduce temporary restrictions until the situation improves.

Where possible, we encourage residents to consider selling or donating working fridges and freezers rather than disposing of them. Items can be sold privately, gifted through community groups, or donated to reuse shops and charities. This helps keep appliances in use for longer, reduces waste and minimises pressure on recycling facilities.

Residents purchasing a replacement appliance should also check whether the retailer or manufacturer offers a take-back service, as many suppliers will collect and responsibly manage old fridges and freezers when delivering a new one.

We apologise for the short notice and thank residents, businesses and visitors for their patience, understanding and cooperation while this national issue is resolved.

wasteservices@merthyr.gov.uk
01685 725000