BROMSGROVE District Council is urging residents to dispose of their fridges and freezers properly after reports of a number of fly tipping incidents.

In many cases officers have spoken to residents directly and discovered that many had left them out "for the scrap man to take", without realising that it cannot be collected in this way and is classed as fly tipping.

The chemicals contained in fridges and freezers, particularly older models, are highly dangerous and therefore make it vital that they are disposed of correctly.

Often fridges and freezers left out for collection are illegally stripped of metal releasing the hazardous refrigerants, before the rest of the appliance is either left behind or fly-tipped.

Councillor Mark Bullivant, whose portfolio covers environmental services, said: “You could be helping a disadvantaged family by donating your fridge or freezer to a charity.

"If they can’t be re-used, it is the householders’ responsibility to ensure they are collected by someone with a valid permit rather than leaving them at the roadside for the ‘scrap man’.

"It costs the scrap man money to dispose of a fridge – probably more than would be made selling the metal – so they are unlikely to take them and if they do they may be doing so hazardously and illegally, leaving you at risk of a fine.

“I would urge anyone wanting to get rid of this sort of appliance to use our new shared services bulky waste collection; help protect the environment and dispose of your appliances properly.”

Appliances still in good working order can be donated to a number of charities including New Starts, Boomerang and the British Heart Foundation Electrical - who will accept and collect them, often giving them to residents with financial difficulties or who can’t afford to buy them new.

However, if they are no longer in working order they can be safely disposed of for free at a local household waste recycling centre.

The owner of the fridge is responsible for its disposal and could face a fixed penalty notice of £75, unless collected by a licensed waste carrier such as a registered charity or a council shared service bulky rubbish collection.

For more details visit letswasteless.com or contact the district council.

Residents can also call 01527 881188 or visit the Customer Service Centre in School Drive to arrange a bulky rubbish collection - £7.50 for a single item.