London

Fridge Mountains in London

John Bowis visited a "fridge mountain" in Wimbledon in 2002 and listened to concerns about the failure of Merton Council to deal with the borough’s growing fridge mountain.

This was being caused because the Government failed to prepare local authorities in London for the implications of an EU law they agreed to two years before.

The British Government's miserable failure over the EU recycling law meant that there were no facilities in the UK able to deal with fridge recycling. Merton Council, for example, had to send around thousands of fridges to Germany as a result.

John has also highlighted the consequences of a European Directive regarding the recycling of household electrical items and has warned that if the UK is to avoid a situation like the fridge fiasco, the Government must make adequate preparations. He said: "The last thing we want is another fridge fiasco, caused by government incompetence and mismanagement."

John inspecting a fridge mountain in South London.

Fridges accummulating in London.