Fridge from Southwark rubbish depot goes on show at Design Museum

The Coolzone fridge – model number CZ 51058 – was collected from Manor Place recycling and reuse centre in Walworth which is operated by Veolia Environmental Services on behalf of Southwark Council.

Fridges and other white goods collected via the council's free bulky waste service are brought to Manor Place before being sent on to reprocessors to have their component parts recycled.

The selected fridge is now on display alongside the work of designer Dirk vander Kooij who has used discarded refrigerators to create new pieces of furniture for his collection, Endless. His work has been shortlisted for the fourth annual Brit Insurance Design Awards and is exhibited at the Design Museum alongside other shortlisted entries.

Melanie Spencer, exhibitions project manager at the Design Museum, selected the fridge at Manor Place.

"We chose this particular fridge for its size, style and internal cleanliness," she said. "It beat off stiff competition from several others that vied for our attention on the day."

If you think this is your old fridge and would like the chance to see it again contact the council's customer service centre on 020 7525 2000 with the date you arranged for its collection. If the dates match up Veolia Environmental Services will provide you with a free ticket to see the show.

"It just goes to show that good things happen when you recycle and we would always urge residents to be responsible when disposing of their white goods or other bulky items," says Simon Bussell, managing director of Veolia Environmental Services in Southwark.

"Older fridges contain CFCs, which are classed as hazardous waste and need to be disposed of properly. There are also many component parts, which should be recycled."

Cllr Barrie Hargrove, Southwark's cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling, added: "It's not often you get an old fridge turned into a piece of artwork, and the fact that our popular bulky waste service was able to play its part in the process is all to the good. The service plays an important role in our aim to encourage residents to reuse and recycle where they can."