RESIDENTS are being urged to take care when getting rid of unwanted fridges and freezers after reports of several fly tipping incidents.

Redditch Council officers are urging residents to dispose of their fridges and freezers properly instead of leaving them out on the side of the road.

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 Debbie Taylor, whose portfolio covers environmental services, said: "Most people don’t realise that 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 it may be illegally and hazardously disposed of.

"It is better to get it disposed of correctly than face a fine for fly tipping. Even better than that - you could be helping a disadvantaged family by donating your fridge or freezer to a charity."

If an appliance is still in good working order, there are a number of charities such as New Starts, Boomerang and the British Heart Foundation Electrical which will accept and collect them, often giving them to residents in financial difficulties or who can’t afford to buy them new.

But if they are no longer in working order they can be safely disposed of for free at a local household waste recycling centre. Find out where at letswasteless.com or contact the borough council. Residents can also call 01527 881188 or visit a customer service centre or One Stop Shop to arrange a bulky rubbish collection which costs £7.50 for a single item.

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 borough council bulky rubbish collection.