Rapra Technology Awarded Contract

Rapra Technology has won a contract from new recycling body, London Remade, to study the recycling of polyurethane and polystyrene materials recovered from domestic and industrial refrigerators.

London Remade is a strategic partnership between the business sector; London boroughs and regional government, waste management and the not-for-profit sector.

Hugh Carr-Harris, London Remade's chief executive, said: "We commissioned Rapra Technology to advise us at the start of this work - due to their wide expertise in the field."

Recent EU legislation has classified fridges as hazardous waste, and Rapra will be investigating and recommending routes to London Remade for recycling the principal polymeric materials involved.

The UK disposes of about three million fridges each year, and because of the ODS involved, disposals can now only be handled by licensed operators.

The London Remade research will help establish a way forward for handling the throughput of materials and establishing a market for the recyclables.

Rapra Technology project manager Andrew Hulme said: "New fridge disposal plants, similar to those in Germany, will soon be established in the UK in order to separate the component materials of fridges while preventing the release of CFC's remaining in the fridge.

"Our role will be to review the technological issues, as well as contact suitable reprocessors who have the ability to use the recycled material."