After the introduction of new, national legislation on the disposal of soft furnishings, Sefton Council is having to raise the cost of its Bulky Items collection service, which has long been one of the region’s cheapest.

Chemicals that damage the environment

Introduced by the Environment Agency in 2023, the new legislation covers chemicals that can damage the environment. These are called Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).

POPs are found in sofas and armchairs, beanbags, floor and sofa cushions. They are in other soft furnishings such as kitchen and dining room chairs and upholstered stools.

Councils now have to collect the items separately to make sure POPs are kept separate from other waste. This means Sefton Council has to add a new vehicle and team to its Bulky Items collection service, which has pushed up the cost to run it.

From Tuesday 1st April, the cost per booking, for up to three items, will be £25.

Whole new team and vehicle

Councillor Peter Harvey, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene said: “Being required to introduce a whole new team and vehicle because of the new laws on POPs means our costs have gone up. This means the charges have had to rise to £25 for collecting three bulky items, a level that is now in line with most other Merseyside authorities.

“Although introducing the extra vehicle and team does mean extra costs, it is also gives us extra capacity and a chance to reduce the waiting times, which will be an improvement for people booking the service.

“And our new cost, which works out at just £8.33 per item is still cheaper than most stores will charge to take away your old items when they deliver new ones. And when you book a collection from the Council you can be sure the items are being disposed of legally.”

Local charities

Two local charities, Emmaus and the British Heart Foundation will collect furniture and household items free of charge if they are in good condition and can be re-used.

People can find out how to donate to these organisations at www.sefton.gov.uk/bulky-items, where they can also book a Council collection.

People can also take items to one of Sefton’s four Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Previous warnings about unregistered companies

In the past, Sefton Council has warned Sefton residents about hiring unregistered companies to dispose of their household and garden waste. While the offer to take away rubbish for a small fee can be tempting, if that rubbish is dumped illegally, they are responsible and can face a fine of up to £400.

Any individual or firm taking away bulky or rubbish must be registered with the Environment Agency. You can ask to see the license issued by the Environment Agency or call the agency directly on 03708 506 506 or check on their website at www.gov.uk/environment-agency .

People should also take names addresses and vehicle details and ask for a proper invoice or receipt.

Fly-tipping always unacceptable

Councillor Harvey continued: “Some people may suggest that the price rise will tempt people to fly-tip.

“However, sadly, I have to say that despite us having had the lower cost of £14, which we have had in place for 2 years and prior to this a low cost of £10 was in place for many years, this has not deterred some people in Sefton from fly-tipping.

“Fly-tipping is always unacceptable. The money we spend clearing it up could  be spent elsewhere for the benefit of our communities.

“It is not fair that the majority of residents should be subsidising the small minority who don’t follow the rules, which is why, where we can identify those responsible, we will continue to follow up and issue a fixed penalty notice of £400.”

You can find full details of waste collection and disposal services in Sefton here.