As discussed in our last blog post, there are huge penalties that come with fly tipping, and it’s your responsibility to ensure that your furniture is disposed of in accordance with the law.
There is some good news when it comes to bulky waste though, and it’s relatively cheap.
Local council bulk waste collection
If you live in London, you may be able to take advantage of a bulky waste collection service for a fee. If you’re not sure which local council you fall under, you can check here, and then go to their website to see if they offer the service.
Once you’ve established what service they offer, it’s best to find details on what condition the furniture needs to be in for them to take it. If it is damaged, it may not be safe to transport, so you will need to ensure that it is disposed of safely in another way. Otherwise, you can arrange a pick up time and date with your council for them to collect and take it to a recycling centre.
Don’t block the street
If you live in a flat or a house with little space between the building and the pavement, you may have a problem. When you book a pick up with the council, you usually leave your items outside, but if there’s no way to do this without blocking the street, they are unlikely to collect. In this case, you’ll need to look at other options.
Check out your local recycling centre
If your furniture is still in pretty good condition, it may be that it could do someone else a turn. Local recycling centres will accept some items – this will vary depending on which centre you would like to use. You could always donate your furniture directly to a good cause. More information can be found on local council websites:
Haringey Council: www.haringey.gov.uk
Islington Council: www.islington.gov.uk
Barnet Council: www.barnet.gov.uk
Camden Council: www.camden.gov.uk
Westminster City Council: www.westminster.gov.uk
City of London: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Some charities also specialise in helping the local community to recycle Furniture, for example:
The Furniture Re-Use Network http://frn.org.uk or the London Re-use Network http://londonreuse.org
Some charities may pick up, but be aware you may need to hire your own transport.
Use a hire and disposal service
Would you rather not drive through London or spend time trying to arrange things with too many people? Using a registered waste and clearance company is an easy way to clear your furniture and ensure that you don’t incur any penalties for fly tipping. Here at Fast Forward Group, we won’t just take your items to be disposed of if they still have life in them – if you feel that any of your furniture could have a new future with someone else, just tell us where they need to go. We will always prefer for things to avoid going to landfill, but if you do need a straightforward disposal, we will ensure that it happens responsibly and in accordance with the law.
If you would like to talk about your disposal and clearance options or add them into your move, please get in touch.