Officials say Norfolk's recycling centres are coping well despite an influx of electrical items being taken to them after a partial ban on such waste was finally lifted.
Norfolk's recycling centres started accepting all electrical items again this week—ending a temporary ban which had been put in place following a major fire.
The council's 19 recycling centres had been forced to limit the items after an April fire at Wiser Recycling at Thetford, which Norfolk County Council used to process many of the electrical items which people take to tips.
The company then stopped operating, after it lost its treatment facility approval, leaving County Hall with no legal way to deal with much of the electrical waste.
The council had to apply to a national scheme to be appointed a new contractor, which took some time to conclude.
In the meantime, recycling centres were able to accept washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers and cookers.
Later, they were also able to take cookers, TVs, monitors and laptops, but not smaller electrical items, batteries, light bulbs and fluorescent tubes.
Council officials had urged people to hang on to electrical items in the meantime.
Even before the fire, tips had stopped accepting fridges and freezers, because of national capacity issues in recycling such items.
But, since last Monday, people have been able to take all electrical items to tips once again, including fridges and freezers.
A spokesman for Norfolk County Council said: "Since we restarted collecting electrical items at our recycling centres, we have seen more electrical waste than usual, as was expected.
"However, we have not required additional staff and customers have been able to book a slot as usual at all of our sites this week."
People can also now get rid of batteries at tips once again, which council bosses say is the safest way to dispose of them.
They have long urged people not to put them in with general rubbish, as, when compacted in bin lorries, the cells in some batteries become damaged, causing "fast, fierce and sometimes fatal" fires.
People who want to dispose of electrical items at tips need to book slots at recycling centres online through the council website.
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