MANUFACTURERS in the region have welcomed tough new recycling rules even though the prices of all electrical and electronic household goods are likely to rise to meet the cost.

From fridges to mobile phones, TVs to singing greetings cards, when they reach the end of their lives, the manufacturers will have to pay for them to be disposed of properly - and that cost will be passed on to the consumer.

The European Parliament has approved a new environmental directive, which is expected to be introduced in 2005, although it still needs the go-ahead from the EU Council of Ministers.

It is the latest of a series of new waste disposal rules, another of which recently led to local councils being forced to stockpile old fridges and freezers, because of the lack of special CFC gas recycling plants.

Durham County Council has been forced to ship scores of unwanted fridges to Germany for recycling.

"I think the Government will have learned a lot from the fridge situation," said David Burton, health, safety and environmental coordinator at Electrolux's factory in Spennymoor, County Dur-ham, which produces 30,000 cookers a year and employs 750 people.

He said there could be "teething problems" when the rules are brought in, but consumers would have to play their part.

The manufacturers will pay for disposal and recycling points at municipal tips, but the legislation will also force consumers to separate their household waste.

The European Parliament has rejected proposals by EU environment ministers to force manufacturers to pay the disposal costs for products made by companies which have gone into liquidation. MEPs agreed, instead, that producers pay up-front to a fund to meet disposal costs.

David Bowe, North Yorkshire MEP and Labour's environment spokesman in Europe, believes the move will boost for recycling companies.

He said the plan was the most extensive recycling scheme ever seen in the EU, and was one which would bring an end to indiscriminate dumping.