From Thursday (1 February) only the council’s Linwood HWRC will accept items such as sofas, bean bags, office chairs and futons, because it is the only site where where a a dedicated upholstered seating container can be installed.
This follows a ban set out by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) last year on the landfilling of waste upholstered domestic seating over fears they contain POPs (see letsrecycle.com story).
The regulator published guidance soon after the ban, which said these items can only be accepted if a dedicated space for them at HWRCs.
Bulky waste
The council outlined that while its bulky waste service will still collect the items, compliance with the new guidance also has implications for this.
From 1 February the council will be required to collect waste upholstered furniture separately to ensure adherence to the guidelines and to avoid contamination. This service will involve a charge of £45 per item. Damaged, ripped or torn items that may contain POPs must be covered with sheeting and secured with tape prior to collection.
Convener of Renfrewshire council’s infrastructure, land and environment board, councillor Michelle Campbell said: “The risk posed by POPs from upholstered furniture is low, but the potential harm increases when it comes to disposing of them. This is why it’s important that we follow the guidance set out by SEPA to ensure we are playing our part to reduce any risks to health or the environment by getting rid of these items in the right way.
“I’d encourage anyone looking to discard these items, if not fit for reuse, to visit the Renfrewshire Council website to get the most up to date information on how to safely and correctly dispose of them.”
Regulations
The new regulations dictate that upholstered seating containing non-degradable chemical substances harmful to both human health and the environment, must be kept separate from other waste to prevent contamination during the recycling process and can not be sent to landfill.
This follows similar guidance from the Environment Agency in 2022.
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