POPs are poisonous chemical substances that break down slowly and get into food chains as a result. From 1st January 2023, this waste cannot be disposed of in a landfill and must be incinerated. From 1st January 2023, new legislation from the Environment Agency came into effect regarding the storage and disposal of waste upholstered domestic seating containing Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
What items contain POPs?
Waste domestic seating is any item of seating of a household type from households or businesses that is waste. Upholstered domestic seating may contain POPs. For example:
Sofas
Sofa beds
Armchairs
Kitchen and dining room chairs
Stools and footstools
Home office chairs
Futons
Bean bags, floor, and sofa cushions
This includes any part of or containing leather, synthetic leather, other fabric, or foam.
The following items of domestic seating are unlikely to contain POPs:
Items that are not upholstered, for example, a wooden chair without a cushioned or textile back, seat, or arms
Deckchairs
Wastes from manufacturing new domestic seating that the manufacturer can demonstrate do not contain POPs
Mattresses, curtains, blinds, and beds are not domestic seating and are not covered by this guidance.
For POPs removal and disposal, contact us at 0113 347 0013.