§ Mr. SpellerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to reduce chlorofluorocarbon damage to the ozone layer by arranging for the collection of redundant domestic and commercial refrigerators; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AtkinsI have been asked to reply.
I am aware of only one nationwide retailer of domestic refrigerators which has arrangements to collect old appliances when delivering new ones, and for recovery of the CFC refrigerants for recycling. The Government are encouraging others to do the same, and officials are discussing with local authority associations what can be done with the appliances which end up with them. Warren Spring laboratory is currently considering the possibility of economic recovery from domestic appliances and the Department is assessing the need for further research in this area.
CFCs in domestic refrigerators account for only about 3 per cent. of total CFC use in the United Kingdom. There are considerable technical and logistical difficulties in recovering and recycling CFCs from the coolant systems and particularly from the foam insulation in such appliances.