Who Can Dispose Of White Goods?

White goods are a particularly challenging category of waste to dispose of, owing largely to their bulky nature and complex combination of materials. In fact, in line with the Waste Duty of Care Regulations 2005 and other white goods disposal laws, you can recycle your white goods by handing them over to a licensed waste facility or to a professional company that has been officially approved by the Environment Agency.

To help you decide who to trust with the disposal of your white goods, our specialist white goods disposal experts have explored your options in more detail, so you don’t have to! 

Due to the specialist facilities available at local recycling centres, you can dispose of white goods at your local tip with the assistance of the team there. Thankfully there are hundreds of recycling centres throughout the UK.

Once you have dropped your white goods off to the recycling centre, it is then separated into materials and processed either by hand or on a conveyor. Any potentially toxic or sensitive materials are treated with care and other materials are sorted, shredded and melted down before being sold to manufacturers who can use the recycled materials rather than raw ones, which is better for the planet. 

One difficulty, though, is that many recycling centres are extremely busy and have limited opening times, which means that you could be expected to queue for some time to dispose of your white goods. 

Find your nearest recycling centre here.

If you are looking to dispose of your white goods, the likelihood is that you have already sorted a replacement, such as a new fridge, freezer or oven from a retailer or distributor. 

What many people don’t know is that many electrical retailers provide ‘take-back’ schemes for your old electrical goods. In fact, under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulation, all distributors are required to offer a take-back scheme, accept WEEE items for free from customers who have been sold similar or like for like products, and give customers information in writing about the take-back service, and how they can dispose of their WEEE items (which under the regulation includes white goods). 

The only disadvantage of this offering is that it may not be as quick and easy as other options. This is because the take-back schemes offered by retailers are often based on-site, which means that you need to go out of your way to load, clear and deliver the white goods to the retailer. This can be especially challenging if you ordered your white goods online and you don’t have a local store or site nearby. It is also very impractical for individuals without access to a large car or the time to arrange this drop off during opening hours. 

Some retailers do provide a white goods collection service whilst they deliver a replacement appliance, even if you have not bought the appliance from them. These retailers include:

• Argos
• John Lewis
• AO
• Appliances Direct

And more. However, these do come at a cost and you must meet the eligibility criteria they set out for a collection. 

Your local council are also capable of disposing of old white goods from your home since they have access to expertise and resources that make recycling white goods safely and legally possible. In fact, if you apply for a special collection of large waste items from your local council, this service includes the collection of white goods such as fridges and washing machines for a small fee. 

When you arrange to have your white goods collected and disposed of by the local council, the items have to be placed outside your property by early in the morning, away from other items and materials that are not for collection. To find out whether your local council offers this service, you can use the collection postcode search tool. 

Although these council-run collection services are available throughout England and Wales, it is worth noting that they may need to be booked fairly far in advance since there is high demand for these services and not always enough resources to deliver them quickly as a result. Typically, you can expect to wait anywhere between two to four weeks for a collection from the council.

Furthermore, you will also need to pay for this service, and the council often charges a higher fee for electrical items. However, you may be charged a lower, or subsidised fee if you are entitled to certain state benefits, such as Council Tax Support or Housing Benefit, for example. 

You can also trust professional waste removal companies to dispose of your white goods, so long as they have been approved to do so by the environment agency and can provide all of the necessary documentation to do so. 

When you hire a specialist waste clearance team to get rid of your white goods, you benefit from flexible collection times that suit your routine, highly qualified and experienced professionals who can clear, transport and dispose of your white goods with no hassle at all. Not only is there no limit to the number of white goods that they can collect, unlike at the local recycling centre and through council collections, but most professional clearance companies also offer same day white goods removals, meaning that your white goods are never left around to collect dust. 

If you’re looking for white goods removal services in London, you’re in luck. We offer first-class furniture disposal services, which is why we are often described as the best rubbish removal company in London.

Get in touch today for your free fixed no-obligation quote.