Most people will be unfamiliar with the Term POPs, but anyone trying to dispose of an old sofa or armchair might find there are fewer options than they imagined due to new legislation and classification of POPs or Persistent Organic Pollutants as they are formally known.
What’s all the fuss about POPs
POPs are toxic chemicals that adversely affect human health and the environment around the world. They can be transported by wind and water. Most POPs generated in one country can and do affect people and wildlife far from where they are used and released so it’s a truly global issue. They persist for long periods of time in the environment and can accumulate and pass from one species to the next through the food chain.
POPs are present in upholstered soft furnishings as well as some plastic and electronic items. From seating textiles and foams to washing machines and e-cigarettes, POPs can be found in many of today’s ‘everyday items’, and it’s an issue that the Government, local authorities, and waste operators across the country are now grappling with.
The Environment Agency (EA) has published three regulatory position statements (RPS) regarding the handling and treatment of soft furnishings containing POPs after the EA announced in August that soft furnishings potentially contaminated with POPs must be sent for incineration.
What can you do if you need to dispose of something I suspect contains POPs?
What this means for anyone looking to dispose of any furniture or other soft furnishing that may contain POPs must now be treated as hazardous waste, handled correctly on a licenced waste site and disposed of via incineration. There are many regional council recycling centres and commercial waste sites that are unable to process POPs through their existing infrastructure due to a reliance on landfill for non-recyclable materials.
Don’t panic, we have this under control. Radical Waste is ready to assist you and can dispose of any waste containing POPs. Our zero-to-landfill pledge and advanced waste processing facilities prepared us for this legislative change, so we are one of the few regional waste handlers who can process this type of waste legally.
At Radical Waste we have over 20 years of experience dealing with all types of solid waste including those containing POPs. We have the infrastructure in place to handle your waste quickly and efficiently, so you can focus on your work or home life without worrying about compliance issues.
Contact us today to find out more about our services.