A survey conducted this month concludes that installers are unclear who is responsible for safely disposing of environmentally harmful appliances and struggle with the costs of taking goods to approved recycling sites.

• Over a third of installers mistakenly believe customers have full responsibility to dispose of old appliances – despite electrical waste regulations placing responsibility with retailers and producers (a term that includes manufacturers, sellers and distributors).
• Majority of installers unable to meet additional costs of transporting old appliances for recycling, instead leaving them for collection by local authorities or scrap collectors.
• 70% of installers expect new regulations to influence how they operate but 78% fear Government does not understand nature of their business.

Efforts to reach the UK’s target of net-zero carbon emission are being hampered by thousands of used household appliances, like fridges and washing machines being disposed of in unsustainable ways.

A survey of over 1,000 kitchen, bedroom and bathroom businesses were surveyed and a clear majority are unable to meet the additional costs of taking used appliances to approved recycling sites.

Carried out among members of The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Installation (BIKBBI), the results of the survey suggest that a major awareness-raising campaign is needed to ensure that installers fully understand who is responsible for the safe disposal of used appliances.

This would avoid appliances being left for collection by scrap traders or dumped into skips with general waste, contributing to the 155,000 tonnes of electricals that are discarded in the UK every year, instead of being reused or recycled correctly.

The survey revealed:

• 34% of installers believe it is the responsibility of customers to safely dispose of old materials and appliances when installing a new kitchen, bedroom or bathroom – despite current Waste Electrical and Electronic (WEEE) regulations making it the responsibility of retailers and producers;
•  53% of installers believe it to be appropriate to leave appliances in the hope that local authorities will pick them up, alongside a small number who believe it appropriate to use a skip (15%) or leave appliances on the roadside for scrap metal collectors (10%);
•  72% of installers are aware of Government approved sites to dispose of old fridges but only 32% use them on all occasions, with 66% citing costs as the reason for not doing so.

The results of the survey are particularly concerning given the important role that installers have in helping to reduce the environmental impact of end of life appliances. Around a quarter of the major domestic appliances, such as fridges and washing machines, sold in the UK every year are for new kitchen installations. The vast majority of these are replacements that create a huge amount of waste appliances.

Damian Walters, Chief Executive of BiKBBI, said: “Our industry has a huge part to play in the UK’s drive towards sustainability, but installers clearly need more support. As the results of our survey show, there is a real lack of clarity about whose responsibility it is to safely dispose of old appliances. It’s little wonder that so few installers are willing to take on the costs of getting appliances to Government approved recycling sites when they are not sure whether it is their responsibility.”

With changes to Waste Electrical and Electronic (WEEE) regulations widely expected over the coming months, the survey also revealed that 78% of installers believe the Government does not show understanding of their type of business when setting environmental rules and regulations.

Damian Walters, added: “Like all of us, installers want to do their bit for the environment but as very small businesses – often sole traders – they cannot afford to take on lots of additional regulation, responsibilities or costs. The Government needs to make sure that their needs are taken into account and that every effort is made to provide them with the right information if and when any changes are made.”

Following on from the announcement that Government plans to introduce a mandatory water efficiency label to inform consumers and provide guidance, BMA chief executive Tom Reynolds says they applaud the move, but the public must be engaged.

“In July this year, when Environment Secretary George Eustice announced new water efficiency measures, including new mandatory water efficiency labelling, details were scarce and the bathroom sector was left clambering for more information.

“Government is making all the right signals, recognising fresh water as the ‘world’s most precious commodity’ and acknowledging there is less of it to go around.

“As water supplies come under increasing pressure from climate change and population growth, these moves are very welcome by the bathroom sector, where we rely on secure supply for our products to function. In the home, it is the consumer who controls the amount of water used, the industry can provide water-efficient products but unless we educate the public on responsible water consumption, we will not reduce wastage. Providing the consumer with a product that limits the amount of water and reduces the efficiency and enjoyment of the experience will defeat the purpose.

“Government’s plans to deliver a ‘package’ of measures is laudable and includes moves to reduce leakage and the development of a roadmap to greater water efficiency in new developments and retrofits.

“We recognise and applaud the progress, it is a big step forward, but it must be accompanied by a clear public engagement campaign to help users understand the impact of their water consumption and influence behaviour change.

“To achieve the reductions required, manufacturers, our retail partners, policymakers and water companies have to deploy every tactic in their repertoire. It has never been more important to cooperate and work together to protect the UK’s supply and raise the profile of water efficiency.”

Under building regulations all baths in healthcare environments should be fitted with a thermostatic mixing valve that is TMV3 certified, but that doesn’t appear to have been the case in the bathtime scalding death of 93 year old dementia patient Frances Norris in a care home. 

Aster Healthcare, the healthcare firm concerned in the legal proceedings surrounding the death, has pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter.

Cynthia Fisher, commercial director at TMV specialist Intatec, was part of the campaign to get anti-scald legislation introduced throughout the early 2000s which resulted in a change to building regulations in 2010. 

She said: “There is no excuse for a bathtime scalding death in a healthcare setting. Every TMV2 and TMV3 accredited valve should meet strict operating criteria to not allow a bath to fill with scalding hot water. 

“The legislation for domestic bathrooms has been around for more than a decade and for healthcare settings much longer than that, so how has this happened?

“The valves aren’t expensive and they aren’t difficult to fit. A thermostatic mixing valve iis meant to be an absolute standard for any bath installation. 

“A valve should be fitted, regularly serviced and there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn’t be working. 

“What has happened is tragic and it’s incredibly disappointing that we’re seeing yet another avoidable death. 

“The press reports I’ve seen covering the case don’t mention that the bath should have been fitted with a safety device, so I think it’s important to reiterate that all new baths in healthcare environments need to be fitted with anti-scald devices – it’s the law.”