The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) says a shortage of WEEE treatment capacity is leaving retailers unable to arrange collections for damaged and end-of-life fridges and freezers.
Independent electrical retailers are increasingly being left to store damaged and end-of-life white goods on their premises amid a shortage of recycling capacity, according to the Association.
Bira, which represents more than 6,000 independent retailers across the UK, said members are struggling to arrange collections for unwanted appliances, with cooling equipment such as fridges and freezers particularly affected.
The issue follows the loss of a significant number of treatment partners within the UK’s WEEE recycling sector over the past year, creating a shortage of processing capacity for cooling appliances.
Some councils have already suspended household collections of fridges and freezers as a result, while the Environment Agency has allowed businesses to apply to store fridges on unlicensed sites while the situation continues.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: “Independent electrical retailers have always taken their environmental responsibilities seriously, but they are now being left to store broken and unwanted white goods because the wider recycling infrastructure simply cannot keep up.
“This is a problem retailers have had no part in creating, yet they are the ones absorbing the consequences on their shop floors.”
The WEEE Directive, introduced in 2002 and updated in 2012, places responsibilities on producers, manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers for the disposal and recycling of electrical items.
It covers large household appliances including fridges and dishwashers, as well as smaller electronics, IT equipment and lighting. The obligations were extended to overseas online marketplaces in December 2024, requiring online sellers to contribute towards waste disposal costs in the same way as high street retailers.
Bira’s specialist electrical retail division, Retra (The Radio, Electrical and Television Retailers Association), said several members had reported being unable to arrange collections for damaged and end-of-life stock.
Jeff Moody, commercial director for Retra, said: “We have already had members contact us directly about this. Space in a shop is precious, and every fridge or freezer sitting there waiting for collection is space that can’t be used for anything else.
“Retailers need clarity from the recycling sector on when normal service will resume. We understand new treatment capacity is being brought online this year, which should ease the pressure.”
“In the meantime, we would urge the recycling schemes to keep retailers properly informed so they can plan around the disruption.”