Sofas and Sofa Chairs – Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Persistent Organic Pollutants

What are Persistent Organic Pollutants?

In mid-2022, the Environment Agency introduced new guidelines outlining the legal requirements for collecting and disposing of items containing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
Persistent Organic Pollutants are chemicals once commonly used as flame retardants in upholstered furniture and textiles, but are now banned. These harmful substances are predominantly found in the foam and textiles of waste upholstered domestic seating. Due to their long-lasting nature, POPs persist in the environment if not properly managed and disposed of.

To eliminate the environmental risks posed by POPs, legislation requires that any waste containing these pollutants must be incinerated and cannot be recycled, reused, or sent to landfill.

As of January 1, 2023, upholstered domestic seating containing POPs must not be:

  • Disposed of in landfills
  • Mixed with non-POPs waste
  • Recycled or reused

 

As a customer, what impact does this have for you?

From 1st January 2023, we will no longer accept POPs waste items in our skips where they are mixed in with other items.

This reduces the risk of other waste types becoming contaminated by POPs. A mixed skip containing POP items would affect the other waste types and subsequently be classed as POPs contaminate. As such, the contents of the skip will be treated and priced accordingly.

 

There will be a charge for POP items of £100.00+vat per item should they found in a mixed skip.

 

How to Identify POPs

Waste items that contain Persistent Organic Pollutants are :

  • Sofa Beds
  • Kitchen and Dining room chairs
  • Home Office Chairs
  • Sofas
  • Home Office or Office Chairs
  • Bean Bags
  • Stools and foot stools
  • Futons
  • Cushions
  • Sofa Cushions

 

If you have waste items that contain POPs then please contact us on 0330 113 2775 and our team will help you organise and dispose of your POP waste items.

Should you have any questions with regards to this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us by email on enquiries@budgetskipsdirect.co.uk or by phone on 0330 113 2775.

Our team at Budget Skips Direct remain committed to providing an excellent skip hire service to you and thankyou for you continued understanding and support.

Notes and References :

– This strict guidance from the Environment Agency outlined above does not include solid wooden, plastic or metal furniture. These items are fine to placed into our skips. This notice only applies to seating and furniture items classed as upholstered with foam and textile padding.

– Waste domestic seating is any item of seating of a household type from households or businesses that is waste. Upholstered domestic seating may contain POPs

– The manufacture, sale and use of products containing POPs is now banned. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are poisonous chemical substances that break down slowly and get into food chains as a result.

– Many POPs were widely used during the boom in industrial production in the late 1940s right up to 2007, when thousands of synthetic chemicals were introduced into commercial use. Many were used in everyday furniture, such as Sofas, dining and office chairs.

For further information please visit the Environment Agency website for POPS here : https://www.gov.uk/guidance/identify-and-classify-waste-containing-persistent-organic-pollutants-pops