Northern House Clearance

Changes were on the cards for some trade associations: the UK House Clearance Association gained a lot of new members and a more dynamic public profile; while rumours of a merger between two of Edinburghs largest waste transfer stations were well and truly scotched. The National Association of Waste Disposal Contractors also changed its name to the Environmental Services Association; and who could forget the attempts to rid the house clearance industry in Edinburgh of the phrase ‘man and van’.

The Government’s commitment to waste minimisation has lead to a certain amount of change, perhaps the most obvious example of which is the introduction of a new tax. However, the three R’s philosophy of reduce, reuse, recycle has been slightly distorted. We in the house clearance business have been recycling upto 90% of waste for years.

With the amount of new legislation affecting house clearance these days, perhaps some of us should consider a career change as we now have a fair amount of legal experience. After all, lawyers earn pots of money, and do not have to face the environmental Spanish Inquisition. My desk is heaving with consultative documents for this, regulations for that, European consultation papers, directives… And yet, despite the barrage of legislation, mounds of red tape, science fiction-like bureaucracy and faceless officials, house clearance companies keep their shoulders to the grindstone.

Earl Ferrers is the government Minister responsible for the regulation of the recycling industry. He is undoubtedly an able politician, and yet is he even vaguely qualified to judge the future of one of this country’s longest established and environmentally necessary industries (The House Clearance Industry)? At a recent Recycling exhibition , representatives from the UK House Clearance Group asked the Minister to explain the reasoning behind the placing of used copper, brass and other everyday metals in the category of controlled waste.

An informal meeting was held in Dundee on 3rd September organised by Dundee House Clearance companies, the purpose of which was ‘to open a dialogue on the application and interpretation of the Special Waste Regulations.’ At last, you might think, some response to house clearance industry concerns!

The traditional House Clearance & recycling industry in this country is not only under threat, but facing extinction. In years to come, David Attenborough will be making documentaries about House Clearance & recycling companies; carefully preserved specimens may be allowed to exist in certain areas, but they will be few and far between (and no doubt under close observation).

Although Edinburgh may have a relatively low population compared to other cities in the UK, their commitment to recycling is easily equal to anything going on in England. The Edinburgh Recycling Advisory Group provides a cohesive forum for recycling discussion and planning in Edinburgh. It also provides a slightly different viewpoint for recycling throughout the UK.

The Environment Agency opened for business on 1st April 1996; it is one of the biggest environmental regulators in the world and incorporates the National Rivers Authority, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution, the 83 local authority run Waste Regulation Authorities and some important functions from the Department of the Environment. These include the control of technical waste, contaminated land and toxic substances.

The key then, is to make less trash. Strategies for waste reduction are usually incorporated into the familiar mantra of the three “R”s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Below are some suggestions for easy ways to use our roles as consumers to make change in our society’s patterns of waste, as well as reduce the waste we are personally responsible for.

Even though the amount of hazardous waste coming from a single household may be small, these small amounts from many homes can add up to a big problem. If not properly disposed of, this waste can pose a real risk to both people and the environment, even if the effects are not immediately obvious.