The ‘reckless’ disposal of fridges

THESE photographs show Dublin City Council workers disposing of a fridge in a bin lorry to be compacted.

The fridge was crushed in the back of the machine along with other bulky household items, including metal gates, cookers, radiators and furniture after collection in South Dublin.

Fridges and freezers are hazardous waste under EU law and strict directives demand they are de-polluted in a designated facility before disposal. This requires careful removal of CFCgases, which damage the ozone layer, from both the cooling system and the insulation foam.