Laura Gordon, cabinet member for the economy and the environment at Oxfordshire County Council, has written to the government calling for the reopening of a recycling facility in Newport, Wales.
The Liberal Democrat made the request last month as the county council temporarily limited the number of unwanted fridges and freezers it could take at its household waste recycling centres.
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Oxfordshire’s district and city council were also asked to make similar restrictions on bulky waste, with most agreeing.
At the time, Ms Gordon said: “I have written to the government to suggest steps they could take to alleviate the situation at a national level.
“Unfortunately, our capacity for treatment nationally has been reduced by a third and we have now had to introduce temporary restrictions at our household waste recycling centres to help manage a growing backlog as we seek to maintain the service for residents.”
Fridges and freezers (Image: John Hocknell)
Following the announcement, a group of Liberal Democrat MPs also sent a letter to Emma Hardy, minister of state for environment, food and rural affairs.
Calling it a “national crisis”, they said their constituents have been “left confused by collection arrangements and the safe disposal of fridges and freezers is at risk, with an increased threat of fly tipping now present”.
Olly Glover, Charlie Maynard, Freddie Van Mierlo, Layla Moran and Calum Miller all signed the letter.
One of the solutions identified by Ms Gordon, according to the BBC, was for a Newport facility to reopen after it closed in November last year following Unimetals going into liquidation.
Ms Gordon said: “Fridges and freezers require specialist recycling because of the cooling gases which can deplete the ozone, if they’re not handled correctly.
Olly Glover, MP for Didcot and Wantage (Image: Oxford Mail)
“Unfortunately, due to fires at two recycling sites and the bankruptcy of a third, national capacity is down massively.”
Unimetals Recycling, which is headquartered in Stratford-upon-Avon and operated 28 sites nationwide, collapsed into liquidation last year.
It followed several notices of intention to appoint administrators by the firm, with advisers from Alvarez & Marsal managing discussions with possible buyers.
Unfortunately they were unable to secure a deal.
The company reportedly employed 650 people across its 28 sites, with all jobs likely to have been lost as a resolution to liquidate the business was passed earlier this year.
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A statement of affairs in relation to Unimetals Group Limited – one of various corporate entities associated with the business that were in liquidation – revealed the scale of its creditors which totalled £85,130,185.70.
Sims Group Holdings was owed £62,771,539.52, with Unimetals having taken over the global company’s UK-based business in 2024.
A related Unimetals company was owed £22,235,746.55, while Deloitte was owed £24,915.60 and JP Morgan was owed £769.55.
Unimetals and its liquidators have been approached for comment.