A major backlog of discarded refrigeration units has accumulated at a recycling facility in Newport following the collapse of the company that operated the site.

Approximately 80,000 decommissioned fridges and freezers remain stranded at the Unimetals processing plant after the business entered administration.

The interruption has created significant disruption to white goods recycling operations throughout England and Wales, prompting local authorities to demand action from central government.

Laura Gordon, representing Oxfordshire County Council, stated that immediate ministerial intervention was necessary to restore operations at the facility while the equipment remained on site.

The council has formally appealed to the UK Government to prioritise reopening the Newport facility to address the mounting backlog.

The Unimetals plant possessed specialist apparatus designed to handle refrigeration units safely.

Such equipment is essential because these appliances contain cooling substances that require careful extraction to prevent environmental harm.

The shutdown has compounded existing pressures on the waste management sector.

Recent incidents at recycling centres in Darlaston and Thetford, where fires occurred, have further diminished national processing capacity.

Gordon described the combination of circumstances as creating considerable difficulties for local authority waste services.

According to Gordon, improper handling of cooling agents in refrigeration equipment poses risks to the ozone layer.

She noted that the loss of multiple processing facilities through both fire damage and insolvency has severely impacted the nation’s ability to manage the volume of discarded white goods.

Oxfordshire County Council has formally communicated with the UK Government requesting that steps be taken to resume operations at the Newport location.

The specialised machinery required to address the backlog remains installed at the facility.

Representatives for Associated British Ports, the operator of the Port of Newport, confirmed that negotiations regarding the site’s future are underway.

An ABP spokesperson explained that the Unimetals premises formed part of the company’s liquidation proceedings, and that discussions with external parties concerning the site and the materials held there are currently in progress.

The closure has placed approximately 650 positions at risk of redundancy.