Join metroSTOR's Webinar on Bulky Waste

Join metroSTOR’s Webinar on Bulky Waste

As pretty much every caretaker will tell you, one of the biggest challenges they face these days is bulky waste – items that are either too large or heavy to fit within standard waste bins, such as mattresses, disused furniture and broken appliances.

Many residents don’t have cars so are unable to take these items to the local HWRC, and while they should in theory make use of the Council kerbside collection service, the nominal fee means it’s easier to anonymously dump the items outside the block.

But even if residents were to pay this, where are they to realistically place said items until they’re collected, which might be a couple of weeks or more, where they won’t attract further fly-tipping or present an arson risk?

Landlords spend a fortune every month removing and disposing of this bulky waste from their estates so that the quality and appearance of neighbourhoods are not adversely affected, but in addition to this, valuable opportunities for reuse are also being lost.

Recognising this is now an unavoidable fact of life, some Council Waste Strategies now include a recommendation that every new residential development includes a provision for the short-term storage for bulky waste.

But what about all the existing blocks of flats out there, where the problem seems to be getting worse not better, particularly since the pandemic with the increase in online shopping and home delivery, often utilising heavy-duty packaging materials?

Well, rather than merely accepting the status quo, some landlords have been pioneering some infrastructure solutions to at least keep this burden within manageable proportions, rather than letting it spiral out of control.

Providing secure containment for bulky items has been found to reduce fly-tipping, overall disposal costs and fire risk while making it easier to separate any items that may be suitable for re-use. Access can be controlled by caretakers or by issuing residents with one-time access codes using an online platform, depending on the individual circumstances on each estate.

We’ve invited Bev Johnson, Caretaking Services Manager at L&Q, along to share some insights on our webinar at 11am on 29th November.