Guernsey fridge and freezer backlog 'to be cleared by autumn'

More than 6,000 old fridges and freezers which have been stockpiled in Guernsey will be taken off the island before autumn, waste bosses say.

The appliances, due for recycling, have been piling up at Longue Hougue since 2017, when international rules on exporting some gases changed.

Guernsey does not have the facilities to remove the gases, so they are sent to the UK.

Bosses say they hope to send at least two truck-loads a week to the UK.

Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the legal changes to allow the fridges and freezers being moved under the international Montreal Protocol, which covers gases harmful to the environment.

Shipments to the UK began in March and Sarah Robinson, Guernsey Waste operations manager, said "good progress" was being made.

She said: "We anticipate that the backlog will be cleared by the end of the summer.

"Once the stockpile has been exported, regular shipments will continue to take place to continue to manage incoming items."

Appliances which did not contain regulated gases were predominately newer units and could be processed on-island, so did not require stockpiling, Guernsey Waste said.

"It is therefore anticipated the amount requiring off-island treatment will reduce over time," it added.

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