The Environment Agency have issued a new piece of legislation which comes into force on the 1st of January 2023, from this date upholstered furniture cannot be safely disposed of in general waste or in landfill sites. This means the items cannot be recycled, re-used or repurposed. Instead, these soft furnishings must be safely disposed of through incineration.

These types of items have been found to contain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) which are harmful to the environment, wildlife and humans if not disposed of safely. Investigative work carried out by The Environment Agency has identified large quantities of POPs and other hazardous chemicals in the foam of upholstered seating, as well as associated textiles which can come into contact with the foam.

Textiles and foam in waste upholstered domestic seating often contain Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and other hazardous chemicals. Legal1 requirements apply to these chemicals and the management of these waste items. They must not be disposed of in landfill.

The Environment Agency has undertaken an investigation. That confirmed the widespread presence of large quantities of these POPs in items of waste domestic seating. The average concentration was four times the legal concentration limit, of 1000mg/kg, that requires destruction.

POPs remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife, and have harmful impacts on human health or on the environment.

From the 1^st January 2023 additional charges for these items will apply.