As lockdown restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic begin to ease and as businesses are looking to resume operations, you will likely have to make changes to how your workplace is organised. This includes rearranging or removing equipment and furniture to allow workers, guests, customers and visitors to circulate the premises safely while adhering to social distancing guidelines. This might mean you have broken, redundant or obsolete furniture or equipment to get rid of.
What is bulky waste?
Bulky waste includes items that are too big for your standard rubbish bin or bag and cannot be presented for regular waste and recycling collections. It includes items such as:
- Large electrical equipment (fridges, air conditioners, washing machines etc.)
- Small electrical equipment (kettles, microwaves, lamps, TVs, coffee machines, fans etc.)
- IT equipment (phones, computers, servers, cables, photocopiers, printers etc.)
- Metal items such as cabinets, racks or shelving
- Carpets, underlay rugs and flooring
- Bedroom fittings (mattresses, beds, bedside tables etc.)
- Office furniture (desks, cupboards, desk dividers, chairs, shelving units, sofas, cabinets, lockers etc.)
- Doors, windows and window frames
- Fixtures
- Partitions, wood, panel boards
- Radiators, boilers, water heaters
Related read: Back to work: what you need to know about keeping a clean and safe workplace
How do you dispose of bulky waste?
While you clear out your workspace, it is important to note that there are two different ways to get rid of your bulky waste: donating good quality items to local charities or arranging for a bulky waste collection.
Donate to local charities first
According to a WRAP study, approximately 200,000 desks and 295,000 office chairs are reused in some way in the UK every year, with only 14% of desks reaching their end of life each year. The remaining 86% goes to landfill, energy recovery or recycling.
If you must get rid of any office furniture or business equipment still in good condition, find out if local charities will accept them. Second-hand shops or charities such as the British Heart Foundation can take reusable furniture off your hands. Reusing furniture and equipment is also one of the most efficient strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
While charity shops are currently open and accepting donations, it is critical to ensure the items you wish to donate are properly cleaned and sanitised, and to call ahead before dropping them off. Your items will then be processed, steamed, sprayed with disinfectant and quarantined for three days before being made available to the public.
Request a bulky waste collection
If you cannot donate redundant items to charity or if they are not in good condition, you can request our bulky waste service to collect them. Our collections are competitively priced per 15 minutes of loading time. We can collect your goods on an ad-hoc or repeat basis and take them to designated recovery or recycling facilities where they will be reused or recycled. Collections are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. However, if your collection is urgent, please let us know.
Consult government resources
Not sure how to reorganise your workspace or remove furniture and equipment in a way that keeps workers, visitors, guests and customers safe? Read the following government resources and HSE guidance to walk you through the process of resuming business operations:
- Shops, branches and stores: working safely during coronavirus
- Offices and contact centres: working safely during coronavirus
- Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services: working safely during coronavirus
- HSE guidance COVID-19 risk assessment
Keep your workplace clean and safe with our disinfection service
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, new measures will need to be put in place to limit the risk of infection within businesses. This includes yourself, your employees, visitors and customers. We recently launched our new disinfection service, which covers essential touchpoint disinfection and follows Public Health England guidelines.
As many businesses are reopening and preparing to resume activities, you will need to ensure that your workplace is clean and safe for everyone.
To find out more about how our service works, download our COVID-19 disinfection service leaflet or visit the disinfection service page to request a quote.
