As from 6 January:: Waste upholstered domestic seating will only be accepted at the three primary HWRCs
• Winsford Household Waste Recycling Centre Leslie Rd, Woodford Park Industrial
Estate, Winsford CW7 2RB
• Ellesmere Port Household Waste Recycling Centre Garth Road, Off Bridges Road,
Ellesmere Port, CH65 4LB
• Chester Household Waste Recycling Centre 29 Bumpers Lane, Sealand Industrial
Estate, Chester CH1 4LT
Background
Following guidance from the Environment Agency to Councils and waste site operators, CW&C
are now required to comply with legislation for the storage and disposal of upholstered
furniture. The changes relate to the storage and disposal of Waste Upholstered Domestic
seating (WUDs), as they often contain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). POPs are
chemical substances often used as fire retardants which need to be handled and disposed of
in a special way to ensure they are not released into the environment. Items that often contain
POPs generally include upholstered items, particularly older ones and include:
• Sofas, sofa beds and armchairs.
• Upholstered kitchen and dining room chairs.
• Home office chairs.
• Upholstered stools and footstools.
• Bean bags, floor or sofa cushions
• Futons
This also includes any part made of, or containing leather, synthetic leather, other fabric, or
foam.
Mattresses, curtains, blinds and beds are not domestic seating and are not affected by the
new regulations, but this may change in the future. If these items are not good enough to
donate for re-use, they can still be disposed of in the general waste skips at any HWRC.
Councils must collect and store the waste in a way that prevents damage to the items that
may release POPs and contaminate other waste. Such items must be kept separate from
other waste and recycling streams and then be destroyed at an incinerator authorised to
accept POPs waste.
For further information on this legislation, visit Manage waste upholstered domestic seating containing POPs – GOV.UK