What POPs are, briefly
Persistent organic pollutants are chemicals that do not break down in the environment and accumulate in living things. Some flame retardants used in upholstered furniture fall into this category.
Because they persist, the rule is not that this furniture should preferably be treated carefully. It is that the material must be destroyed rather than released back into the recycling stream.
What that means in practice
Waste upholstered domestic seating must be incinerated at an authorised facility. It must not go to landfill, and it must not be shredded or recycled alongside general waste. It also has to be kept separate from other waste in the vehicle, and the chemicals have to be declared on the waste transfer note.
All of that costs more than tipping a load of mixed waste, and the cost is unavoidable for anyone following the rules. If someone offers to take a sofa away for the same price as an equivalent volume of general rubbish, that is worth a second thought.
The rules cover anything with upholstery you sit on: sofas, armchairs, sofa beds, dining chairs with padded seats, futons, bean bags, floor cushions and the padded parts of modular seating.
What is not covered
Furniture with no upholstery is ordinary waste and priced accordingly. A solid wooden dining chair, a bed frame, a wardrobe, a table — none of these are affected.
Mattresses are also outside these particular rules, though they are bulky and awkward enough to carry their own handling cost, and most skip firms will not take them.
If the sofa is still usable
The cheapest disposal is not disposal. A sofa in good condition can often be reused, and there are separate rules allowing that — though a charity or reuse organisation will want to check its condition and fire labelling first.
It is worth asking before paying to have something destroyed. If it is sound, somebody may want it.
Where these facts come from
Checked on . Rules change — if you're relying on this, follow the links and confirm it still says what we've said it does.