Householders in the North West are being warned to make sure that they are disposing of their unwanted furniture in a responsible way, following a recent spate of fly-tipping.
Unscrupulous rubbish collectors, claiming to be working for legitimate organisations, are placing their details in local publications and offering to collect and recycle residents’ unwanted furniture for a small charge before dumping the items illegally – large items such as sofas and cookers have been discovered at popular fly-tipping locations in the region.
While council waste departments are keen to reassure locals that these illegal traders are far outnumbered by genuine registered waste operators, they are reminding residents to ensure that they check companies’ credentials before arranging a collection of their unwanted furniture.
Councillor Albert Pound, Fylde cabinet member for customer and operational services, commented that, while local residents were very responsible, many might still be unaware of their duty of care towards their second hand furniture.
“We don’t want any of our residents to be fooled by these fly-by-night waste removers who damage the environment by dumping bulky items.
“Alternatively, if your items are in a good condition, rather than throw them away, think about if they could be reused instead.”
Illegal waste disposal is not a new trend, nor is it limited to the North West. As waste disposal services are something that every UK householder will need at one point or another, some unregistered traders across the country offer their seemingly legitimate services in the hope of making a quick profit. And, with householders who dispose of their unwanted furniture illegally at risk of Environment Agency fines of up to £5,000
Furniture Donation Network – a charity furniture collection scheme run by Recycling Lives – offers free collections to householders wishing to dispose of very good or excellent quality furniture. Items are cleaned and then sold to create valuable revenue for charity, or passed on to individuals who would be otherwise unable to afford the furniture they need.
For furniture that has suffered a little more wear and tear, householders can book a collection with Furniture Donation Network’s sister scheme – BulkyWaste.org.
Unlike Furniture Donation Network, which is only able to accept items that are in a nearly new condition, Bulky Waste guarantees to pick up goods no matter what state they’re in. Items are collected and assessed by the Bulky Waste team to determine whether they can be refurbished and then reused. If the items are beyond repair, they are sent to the Recycling Lives recycling centres to be processed in an environmentally responsible way.
As well as being a registered social welfare charity, Recycling Lives is a fully licensed commercial recycler and waste handler. The company adheres to all necessary environmental guidelines and legislation, which means that householders who donate their furniture to Furniture Donation Network and Bulky Waste can relax, safe in the knowledge that their unwanted furniture items have been disposed of safely or – even better – reused by someone who needs them!
