News

House Clearance Durham is currently collating the results of the first private county Durham survey on the packaging content of collected household waste, which has shown that tonnes of waste packaging is thrown away each year in County Durham. The survey involved hand-sorting waste from 250 households, and confirmed the suspicion that households using wheeled bins produce significantly more waste for collection than those using traditional dustbins or plastic sacks.

A new survey of local authorities, carried out by House Clearance Dumfries shows that almost 26 million tonnes of municipal waste was generated in England and Wales in 2012/13. Household waste accounted for 23.82 million tonnes (over 90%), of which 1.54 million tonnes was recycled. This gives a national household recycling rate of 6.5%. The waste was dealt with in the following ways: 83% went to landfill, 12% was either recycled, composted or used in energy recovery and the remaining 5% was incinerated without energy recovery. House Clearance Dumfries manager commented, “These figures show how much work there is to do if we are to achieve both significant levels of recovery from municipal waste and a high level of recycling of household waste.”

The fall in waste paper prices which has affected mainland Britain is reported to be causing major problems in Scotland. All the major paper mills have cut back on waste paper purchasing, which has led to paper collections being curtailed. Prices do not justify the export of waste paper to England. Alan Graham of house clearance Glenrothes says that stability is needed or paper recycling in Scotland could face disaster: ‘local recyclers & house clearance companies need to know that they can sell their waste paper.’

The House Clearance Waste and Recycling Scheme was set up as a joint initiative between Northern house clearance Dunfermline and a group of waste transfer stations around the Dunfermline area to look at the most environmentally acceptable way of dealing with waste from household waste centres around Dunfermline. The survey is examining the seasonal weight distribution of differing waste streams within the average house clearance load, breaking the amount into what can be recovered and recycled and so reduce the amount going to landfill. The results are due at the end of the year.

A report on a kerbside recycling cost survey has recentley been completed. The trials were carried out in Kirkcaldy by the staff at Northern House Clearance Kirkcaldy and were done to establish the cost per household for the kerbside collection and recycling of selected household waste in Kirkcaldy.

The house clearance industry has been grabbing the headlines lately, complaining about the high costs of Vehicle Excise Duty and fuel tax. We here at house clearance Falkirk examine the problems escalating transport costs are creating for house clearance services in Falkirk & the rest of the UK.

Uncertainty. That’s the word I hear most when I talk to people from the different sectors of the house clearance industry. Uncertainty over markets. Uncertainty over licensing. Uncertainty over legislation. Uncertainty over their jobs or their businesses. Future uncertainty. Difficulties you face now, feel even worse when you cannot rely on the situation improving in the future. Belt-tightening is all very well – but there are only so many notches! For example, house clearance companies are facing the forthcoming Directive on waste recycling (although it has been delayed yet again). This legislation could be yet another blow for the House Clearance Cumbernauld industry, or it could spell a revival.

Spring or the York house clearance & recycling industry, Spring also brings with it the annual increase in waste management licence fees for house clearance companies in York & the rest of the UK, and the accompanying ‘reason’ from the Environment Agency. Last year, they blamed the hike on solving the problem in their computer systems. This year, most of the increase in waste management charges is accounted for by the removal of Government subsidies, which end this year. If this is the case, then next year charges should rise only a few percent, in line with inflation, unless of course the Agency can think of yet another reason to keep hiking up the bills, and targeting the house clearance and waste management industries.

Criticising the Scottish Environment Protection Agency plans to increase waste management licence fees by up to 25%, drew a strong reaction from some quarters. When discussing the Environment Agencies with people from all fields of the recycling house clearance industry especially here at house clearance Northumberland, the complaint heared most frequently is the lack of accountability.

It is almost 17 years since the Agencies were first set up, and in that time I must have discussed them with a vast range of people from both the recycling and the house clearance industries, and the overwhelming consensus is that the Agencies get away with far too much. The Environment Agency does have a ‘customer charter to ensure fair regulation and consistent enforcement.

The first, which is good news for responsible house clearance companies in Perth & the rest of the UK, is the Environment Agency, which has launched a nationwide crack-down on an estimated 850 illegally operating house clearance services, with the ultimate aim of bringing them all within the licensing system. The exercise, headed by a well-respected regulator, will be carried out over the next twelve months. The regulator explains: “The environment does need protection from the adverse effects of the fly tipping house clearance companies, but the regulatory regime has to reflect both that priority and the enormous environmental benefits the industry brings.”