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Bulky waste collections

We have recently had to make a change to the way the Bulky Waste Collection Service operates.

What has changed?

Upholstered domestic seating are now being collected separately from other types of bulky waste.  Examples include:

  • sofas
  • sofa beds
  • armchairs
  • recliner chairs (electrical or mechanical)
  • kitchen and dining room chairs
  • stools and foot stools
  • office chairs that are fire resistant to domestic standards
  • futons
  • bean bags, floor and sofa cushions
  • any other upholstered items that can be reasonably be described as a form of seating used by households, to which relevant fire regulations apply to this and might include child car seats, high chairs and benches

Why has this change been made?

This change is in response to recent updates to UK legislation.  New regulatory guidance from the Environment Agency says that any 'Waste Upholstered Domestic Seating' (WUDS) that may contain 'Persistent Organic Pollutants' (POPs) must be collected and disposed of separately from other waste streams.  POPs are a group of flame-retardant chemicals that were used until 2019 on upholstered furniture in order to meet fire safety regulations.  Whilst POPs are perfectly safe to have in your home, the concern is that they can cause significant harm to the environment and human health (by entering the food chain) if they are not disposed of correctly.  All local authorities now have to collect and dispose of these items that may contain POPs in a very specific way.

What difference will I notice?

This change will not have any impact on the way you use the Bulky Waste Collection Service.  You will still complete and pay for your booking in the same way.  The only difference is that if your booking contains a mix of upholstered and non-upholstered items (for example, a sofa and a fridge), then the items will be collected separately.  In these circumstances, please be aware that while we will attempt to ensure all items are collected on the same day upholstered items may need be collected up to 2 business working days later.

We are unable to specify what time of day items will be collected, please continue to have all items presented for collection by 6:00 am on the day.