Posted on 11th March 2021 by Hintons
Whether you’re tackling a kitchen refurbishment or you just want to get rid of your fridge or freezer so you can get something new, putting this appliance type in a skip is not an option. No skip hire company will accept a fridge or freezer placed in a skip, but here at Hinton’s Waste, we’ll talk you through why that is and what your options are so that you can still get that brand new, fancy fridge for your home.
Why can’t a fridge or freezer go in a skip?
Disposing of your fridge or freezer is different from disposing of other appliances since they use chemicals and gases that are harmful to the environment. These can pose a danger if not dealt with correctly.
By law, for these items to be disposed of and recycled, the harmful substances must first be removed properly.
It’s estimated we throw out millions of fridges each year, so what can you do with these appliances once they’re past their usable lifespan?
Don’t fly-tip!
While it might be tempting to fly-tip, you should think about the impact this has on the environment. Not only does the area you dump the appliance in look worse, but the harmful chemicals within the appliance could hurt someone or damage the environment itself if it leaks.
If you ignore the law around fly-tipping, you could face an unlimited fine and up to five years in prison per the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 33(1)(a).
Consider donating your appliances
If you know your appliance is still in good working order and you’re simply looking to upgrade, then why not consider donating it? After giving it a good clean, give local charity organisations a call to see if they would accept a fridge or freezer. The British Heart Foundation will even arrange to collect your appliance for free.
Alternatively, you could advertise your appliance for collection on local marketplace sites. Here you can stipulate a price and whether people will need to come and collect.
All of this will help to prevent your appliance from having an impact on the environment as a form of recycling!
Council Collection
Croydon Council also offers a collection service for a fee if you have bulky one-off items or appliances not suitable for skips. You can find out more about this on the Croydon Council website — if you’re based elsewhere, check the services your local authority offers for disposing of items like fridges and freezers.
Skips for kitchen refurbishments
When it comes to a kitchen refurbishment, no matter how small the space, you’re likely to produce a lot of waste. Thankfully, skip hire is a great option for everything other than your fridge and freezer. So once you know how you’re disposing of your old appliances, you can use a skip to get rid of all of the following:
- Building rubble
- Cabinets
- Metal
- Plastic pipes
- Countertops
- Flooring (tiles, lino and laminate)
To make sure you’re abiding by the rules, you can check out our list of items that aren’t accepted in a skip in our previous article here.
At Hinton’s Waste, we offer a huge range of skip sizes to help meet the needs of any project – from 6 to 16-yard skips – so no matter how much waste you create when working on your kitchen, you can dispose of it easily and legally.
To book skip hire anywhere in Croydon, Sutton or the surrounding region, call today and we’ll be happy to help. You can even get next-day skip hire when you order before 12pm!