Spain. Four businessmen were sentenced to up to four years in prison for the improper use of the recycling of domestic refrigerators, which they acquired and crushed without complying with the stipulated requirements, sending polluting gases into the atmosphere without any control.
The sentence issued by the Provincial Court of Madrid revealed that the people involved fragmented at least 2,236 refrigerators and released the equivalent of 3,378 tons of carbon dioxide, according to Spain's El País newspaper. The purpose of those involved was to obtain the iron and copper of the devices, which has a high value in the current market.
Other sources mentioned by the media indicate that in Spain there are several refrigerant waste recycling centers that do not receive the necessary amounts of equipment for treatment, which is why the centers are oversized.
There are facilities prepared to treat 30,000 tons of equipment a year, but only 10,000 are working.
