How 1st Choice can help with bulky or hazardous waste removal

Bulky and hazardous items are trickier to dispose of than other household rubbish.

Each of us has a responsibility to remove and recycle household products safely and sustainably. Yet, many people are unaware of how bulky or hazardous items should be removed or if their disposal incurs any additional costs.

As a reputable local skip hire company in Liverpool, 1^st Choice Concrete & Skip Hire is committed to removing waste responsibly, legally and ethically. Here, we outline what you need to know about bulky and hazardous waste removal and how we can help.

Bulky and hazardous items that require specialist disposal

Specialist waste disposal is necessary for items that cannot be processed with general waste. Let’s take a look at some of the bulky or hazardous household items that require specialist disposal.

Fridges and freezers

Fridges and freezers contain harmful refrigerant gases such as CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs:

CFCs – Chlorofluorocarbons. Found in older units, these are artificial chemicals made of carbon, chlorine and fluorine. Although they are non-toxic and non-flammable, when released into the atmosphere they become potent greenhouse gases that release chlorine atoms.

HCFCs – Hydrochlorofluorocarbons. HCFCs contain hydrogen, carbon, chlorine and fluorine. Although they were introduced to replace CFCs as a less damaging alternative, they still produce harmful greenhouse gases.

HFCs – Hydrofluorocarbons. HFCs replaced CFCs and HCFCs but they still have a much greater impact on the environment than carbon dioxide.

To ensure these harmful gases are safely removed, UK law stipulates that fridges and freezers cannot be put in a skip with general waste. This is because the gases need to be safely removed at a specialist recycling facility where other fridge and freezer components are also sorted and recycled, and foam insulation is handled separately.

Disposing of fridge and freezers with 1^st Choice Skip Hire

1^st Choice Skip Hire provides specialist collections of fridges and freezers. We raise a small additional cost to cover the extra handling that ensures safe, legal and environmentally responsible disposal at a regulated waste facility.

Mattresses

Can a mattress be put in a skip with general waste? Unfortunately, no it can’t.

Not only do mattresses take up too much room in a skip, they are also made of mixed materials such as foam, metal springs and fabric. Older mattresses usually contain hazardous POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) which are toxic chemicals that do not decompose. POPs also accumulate living organisms and therefore pose an additional health and environmental risk.

Disposing of mattresses with 1^st Choice Skip Hire

1^st Choice Skip Hire offers mattress-only disposal, or general skip hire with the add-on service of mattress collection for an additional handling fee. We take mattresses to a specialist facility where they are sorted and broken down for recycling, incineration or landfill.

Upholstered furniture

Upholstered seating, particularly older sofas and chairs, often contains POPs in the textiles and foam. Flame retardants and chemical treatments, now banned under UK general waste regulations, are also typically found in upholstered furniture.

The risk of contamination with general waste means upholstered furniture cannot be put in a skip. This includes sofas, chairs, footstools, sofa beds, bean bags, home office chairs and futons.

Disposing of upholstered furniture with 1^st Choice Skip Hire

1^st Choice Skip Hire removes upholstered furniture separately for a small additional handling fee to cover the cost of taking upholstered items to the appropriate waste management facility or treatment plant.

Gas bottles and tyres

Gas bottles are never truly empty and therefore present a fire or explosion risk, so they cannot be put in a skip. Likewise, tyres are banned from skips because of their rubber content.

Disposing of gas bottles and tyres with 1^st Choice Skip Hire

Most skip hire companies don’t collect gas bottles or tyres because they are so difficult to deal with. However, as an add-on service 1^st Choice will take your gas bottles and tyres to be correctly recycled to environmental specifications.

Speak to 1^st Choice Concrete & Skip Hire about bulky or hazardous waste disposal in Merseyside

Hire a skip today or get in touch to discuss the removal of bulky or hazardous waste.