Britain’s fridge disposal crisis and what to do about it

Readers respond to an article by Sam Wollaston about Norfolk’s fridge mountain

Sam Wollaston (What an eyesore! My day at Norfolk’s frightful fridge mountain, 21 October) highlights an urgent issue, but misses a key underlying driver: the reality of climate change and increasingly hot UK summers.

Many standard UK fridge-freezers are only built to normal (N) ambient climate classes, rated to operate in temperatures up to +32C. During recent heatwaves, indoor temperatures in many homes regularly exceed this limit. Even subtropical (ST) rated units fail when ambient temperatures push past 38C. When ambient limits are exceeded, cooling systems fail, leading to compressor breakdown, spoiled food and premature appliance disposal.