A temporary ban on some household items will come into force at Cumbria’s tips.
New legislation, which comes into force on January 1, means that household recycling centres will no longer be able to accept:
- Sofas and armchairs
- Sofa beds and futons
- Kitchen and dining room chairs
- Stools and footstools
- Home office chairs
- Beanbags, floor, and sofa cushions
The recycling centres are run by Cumbria County Council, which said it was only informed of the enforcement in the last few days.
The legislation from the Government prevents certain items being sent to landfill which contain a specific type of pollutants, known as Persistent Organic Pollutants.
The council said it had had urgent talks with contractors and it was hoped that the items would be able to be accepted by the end of January.
Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for environment, Councillor Celia Tibble, said: “This rapid implementation was unexpected and contrary to indications previously given by Defra and the Environment Agency to local authorities.
“There is insufficient time to make the necessary changes to how this type of waste is handled at our Household Waste Recycling Centres and as a result, with effect from January 1, we will temporarily be unable to accept these items at our HWRCs.
“This is frustrating and unwelcome news, and we are working hard to find a longer-term solution as quickly as possible.
“We kindly ask residents looking to dispose of household items such as these to either visit their local Household Waste Recycling Centre before January 1, or remain patient and hold onto any of these items until such time we’re able to accept them again.”
The changes to the law for this waste type also affects bulky waste collection services managed by district councils.
