Persistent Organic Pollutants Waste - New Legislation Enforced
As of the 1st January 2023, the UK Environment Agency has enforced new legislation concerning the disposal of domestic seating waste containing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
POPs are organic compounds that are resistant to degradation, and persistent in the environment. Most POPs are pesticides, insecticides, solvents, or industry chemicals. They are toxic to human health and the environment, as they bioaccumulate in fatty tissues, and increase in concentration as you go up the food chain.
Although POPs are now restricted for use and placing on the market under the Stockholm Convention, domestic seating containing POPs may have been put on the market prior the restrictions, and as such it is possible that non-compliant upholstery products are currently on the market.
Waste is considered “POPs waste” if it contains POP chemicals in concentrations which exceed the threshold set by the environment agency. In practice, the approach that is taken is assuming all upholstered furniture is POPs waste, unless proven otherwise.
All domestic seating waste that is considered POPs waste will no longer be able to go into landfill, be recycled or reused. Instead, it must be destroyed by either physicochemical treatment or incineration. Additionally, POPs waste should not be mixed with other waste during waste production, collection, or treatment, to prevent contamination.
Upholstered domestic seating may contain POPs, hence may be considered as POPs waste, this includes:
- sofas
- sofa beds
- armchairs
- kitchen and dining room chairs
- stools and foot stools
- home office chairs
- futons
- bean bags, floor and sofa cushions
Domestic seating that is not upholstered, such as wooden chairs without a textile back, are unlikely to contain POPs, and mattresses, curtains and beds are exempt from this new legislation.
Waste contractors are advised to consult the manufacturers product safety data sheet for information on chemical composition and possible POPs content in upholstered domestic seating, for this reason its important manufacturers have this information readily available.
Contact us:
For more information or to access our suite of POPs testing services, email [email protected] and one of our experts will be in touch.
15 June 2023