AO has processed its 10 millionth household appliance at its recycling facility in Telford, marking a decade since the site opened.

The Bolton-headquartered electrical retailer said the appliances processed at the plant would stretch around 11,000km if laid end-to-end, equivalent to roughly the distance from Telford to Buenos Aires.

The site, which has been operational since 2016, processes around 500,000 fridges a year, alongside more than 500,000 washing machines, tumble dryers and cookers.

Appliances are either recycled or refurbished on site, with some reused products sold through AO’s trade and outlet shops.

The retailer’s 80-tonne fridge-crushing machine, known as Bertha, feeds material into a nearby plastics recycling and refining facility.

AO says it processes around 10,000 tonnes of fridge plastic annually, using electrostatic and sink-float technology to separate different materials.

Following a £2m investment in an extruder last year, AO can now also produce HIPS and ABS plastic pellets for use in new products. The recycled plastic is currently used in bathroom extractor fans, with the company planning to expand into areas including floorcare and broadband products.

AO group recycling director Robert Sant said: “We’re incredibly proud to have processed 10 million appliances in a decade.

“It’s been amazing to watch our operation grow over the past ten years and this feels like a really significant milestone.”

“Investing millions of pounds in an extruder last year marked another big step forward in our circular capabilities, as it allows us to create more substantial, longer-lasting products.

“Our ‘North Star’, as it were, is still to take plastic from an old fridge, process it and feed it into a new one. We’re still not quite there yet but that goal gets closer all the time.”

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