From 1st January 2023, new legislation came into force to safely dispose of any upholstered furniture that has reached the end of its natural life. The legislation applies to both businesses and domestic situations.
From this date, upholstered furniture cannot be safely disposed of in general waste or at landfill sites and should be treated differently from general waste. It means the items cannot be recycled, reused, or repurposed. Instead, these soft furnishings must be safely disposed of through incineration.
So, when replacing your old office upholstered furniture (see examples below), your waste disposal company will no longer be able to collect any of these items if they are left outside as part of your general waste.
Why is this necessary?
These items could contain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which are harmful to the environment, wildlife and humans if not disposed of safely. Investigative work carried out by The Environment Agency has identified quantities of POPs and other hazardous chemicals in the foam of upholstered seating, as well as associated textiles which can come into contact with the foam.
To ensure that we can continue with the Bulky Waste Service, which is a valuable service for Bretton residents to dispose of their unwanted items sensibly, excluding Ash, Soil, Bricks, Rubble, Stone, Gravel, Concrete, Car Parts, Sand or Paint, to any of the six sites throughout Bretton and get assistance with disposing of it.
Bretton Parish Council has ensured no loss /disruption to the service by procuring an additional vehicle at a cost to collect the soft furnishings, allowing normal service to resume at the bulky waste collection on Saturday, 21st January 2023.
However, please ensure you STAY WITH YOUR ITEMS AND DO NOT LEAVE THEM on the side for others to dispose of. Doing this is construed as FLYTIPPING – which is an offence, and you can/will be prosecuted.
So please use this valuable service as it’s intended, take pride in where you live, and DON’T FLYTIP.
Many thanks, Bretton Parish Council.