Ealing Council is scrapping the charge for collecting old fridges and freezers to mark the start of national recycling week.

From Monday, the Council has scrapped the £15 charge for collecting the appliances and taking them away so their plastic and metal parts can be recycled.

It costs thousands of pounds every year to clear up dozens of fridges and freezers are fly-tipped in the borough. In a bid to reduce the number of appliances dumped illegally across Ealing the Council has invested £71,000 in the new service.

It’s also good news for the environment because older models often contain chemicals in their cooling systems which can damage the ozone layer in they’re not disposed of correctly.

All appliances collected by the Council will be taken to a cryo-condensation plant where the ozone-depleting gases will be removed and destroyed.

Councillor Sue Emment, Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Services, said: “It’s disgusting that some people think it’s ok to just dump their unwanted appliances."

"It’s really sad that some people just can’t be bothered to dispose of their waste responsibly."

"I hope that by making the service free it will encourage more people to get rid of their fridges properly instead of being tempted to fly-tip them.”

The council's recycling team is holding a Recycling Week roadshow on Friday 6 June 2008, from 10am to 3pm at Waitrose, 2 Alexandria Road, West Ealing W13 0NL.