Skip to content
  • Our planned essential maintenance work on the council’s IT systems is expected to complete tomorrow (Tuesday 10 June). We will update this message once all our systems are working. − During this time you can still contact us for other enquiries via our enquiry form or by phone. We apologise for any inconvenience. Find out more information on this work.

Let’s rethink bulky waste – could you rehome or repair it instead?

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are encouraging residents to think twice before booking a bulky waste collection – because that old cupboard, television, table or unwanted bookcase might still have plenty of life left in it.

As part of a new campaign, the councils are highlighting that there are plenty of smart, sustainable – and often free – alternatives to throwing items away. Whether it’s selling, donating, repairing or rehoming, a little extra effort can reduce waste, save money and even help others.

If an item is still usable – before people book a bulky waste collection or take it to a recycling centre, we are encouraging them to please check to see if they could:

  • Freecycle it or give it away on social / community platforms.
  • Sell it on sites like Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay.
  • Donate it – get in touch with local charities or community action groups to check if they collect or accept bulky items in good condition.
  • Repair or upcycle it – ask a local repair café or friend for help.
  • Check with retailers – they should pick up the old electrical item for recycling when they’re dropping off your new one.

Local charity shops, repair cafés and community groups across the districts are often happy to take on good quality furniture or help to bring broken items back to life. Residents are encouraged to check locally before deciding to throw anything away.

And if an item doesn’t shift right away, don’t give up! Rehoming things can take a little time, but it’s worth it – and it will be helping the community and the planet.

For more information and advice, visit southandvale.gov.uk/reuse

Cllr Sam James-Lawrie, Cabinet Member for Environment at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “We want to empower residents to think differently about unwanted items.  So many things that end up being collected could be reused or rehomed. It’s better for the environment and could help someone else out too.”

Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Climate Action and Nature Recovery at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “It can be fun and rewarding to upcycle or rehome something. Every item that’s reused is one less item going to waste. Even if you don’t need it anymore, someone else might – it could make a real difference to them.”

Notes for editors:

The campaign to encourage people to rethink bulky waste is part of the councils’ new Rethinking Waste – Waste Resources and Street Cleansing Strategy. Following the key themes of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover the strategy sets out ways everyone can reduce the amount of waste they produce and try to reuse, repair, refill and rehome items as the go to option, instead of throwing them away.

Important information about upholstered furniture

Some household furniture items like sofas, armchairs, bean bags, futons, and office chairs may contain harmful chemicals called POPs (persistent organic pollutants), especially if they are upholstered with leather, synthetic leather, fabric, or foam. You must treat these items as POPs waste unless you can prove they don’t contain POPs. These items must be handled separately from regular bulky waste

New rules mean that any item that might contain POPs must be disposed of separately from other items, they can’t be reused or passed on, and must not be broken down, even if they are longer than six feet. 

Anyone needing to dispose of an unwanted sofa or upholstered furniture should book a bulky waste collection or arrange for it to be taken to their local Household Waste and Recycling Centre.

Items like wooden chairs without upholstery, mattresses, curtains, blinds, and beds are not considered domestic seating and usually don’t contain POPs.

Disposal of old electrical items

Many retailers are required to take old bulky electrical items away when delivering a new one.  For more information, please check the Electrical waste: retailer and distributor responsibilities.

Booking a bulky waste collection

If a bulky item is broken beyond repair or can’t be reused, you can book a collection via southoxon.gov.uk/bulkywaste or whitehorsedc.gov.uk/bulkywaste

Don’t risk a fine – dispose of bulky items legally

If you pay someone to remove your waste, you must ensure that the waste items will be transported and disposed of legally.  If you pay someone to remove items from your property which are then fly-tipped, you could also be fined or prosecuted.  To find out how to stay legal, visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/removingwaste / southoxon.gov.uk/removingwaste