How Do New Waste Rules Affect Office Chairs? Understanding POPs & Proper Disposal

Sam Coggin • February 1, 2023

Making Sense of the Confusing Environment Agency Guidance

New rules came into effect from 1st January that mean that certain items of unwanted furniture known to contain Persistent Organic Pollutants, or POPs, must be dealt with differently when they are no longer wanted or when they reach the end of their useful life and require disposal. Current guidance is a bit contradictory and confusing, so here’s a quick run-down to help you understand how it affects you.


The foams and coverings of some upholstered furniture items contain POPs. These are chemicals that are used to give furnishings their fire retardant properties. The manufacture, sale and use of products containing POPs is now banned under The Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulations 2007.


At the start of the year, the Environment Agency in England introduced new rules that stipulate what must happen to waste domestic seating that contains POPs.


This is where the confusion starts.


Contradictory guidance


In its official guidance, the Environment Agency tells us that ‘waste domestic seating is any item of seating of a household type from households or businesses that is waste.’


It goes on to list the following examples of items that are affected by the rule change:


  • sofas
  • sofa beds
  • armchairs
  • kitchen and dining room chairs
  • stools and foot stools
  • home office chairs
  • futons
  • bean bags, floor and sofa cushions


So that’s domestic seating, of a household type, but that can also arise in business premises, including home office chairs but not commercial office chairs.


You can see why we think it’s confusing for people.


We’ve had it checked with the Environment Agency to get some clarity on proper office chairs, and its position seems to be this: until evidence emerges that says otherwise, assume that any foams and textile covers on commercial office chairs also contain POPs and deal with them accordingly when they become waste.


Why is hasn’t just said this in its published guidance is a bit of a mystery, and you may see us making that point and asking for greater clarity in the media.


What do you have to do with commercial office chairs that are waste?


If you have badly damaged or end-of-life office chairs that you’re discarding, you have to ensure that the POPs materials are destroyed or irreversibly transformed. In practice, this means incinerated.


But don’t panic at the idea of paying a fortune to incinerate entire chairs (even though we’ve seen a number of waste management companies out there telling their clients that’s exactly what has to happen).


Again, having had it checked with the Environment Agency, we can confirm it's acceptable for furniture containing POPs to be broken down so that only the affected components and materials have to be incinerated - everything else can be reused or recycled provided that it is not contaminated with POPs.


We’re already set up for this. Any waste office chairs sent to or collected by us for disposal will be carefully dismantled by hand, and the foams and covers sent for incineration. Everything else will either be used for spares and repairs, or recycled.


Can waste office chairs be refurbished?


This is less clear, and there’s some ambiguity in the published guidance, which tells us that upholstered domestic seating that is waste can only be refurbished if:


  • it can be confirmed the item does not contain POPs
  • all textiles and foam removed are managed as POPs waste and sent for incineration
  • whoever does the refurbishment holds a suitable environmental permit or a T12 waste exemption for manually treating waste


So, we already have the T12 permit and can remove textiles and foams for incineration as if they contain POPs. It's the first requirement that’s confusing - does it mean before or after refurbishment?


We’re going to have this point checked with the Environment Agency and will then update this blog when we know more.


OK, but what about chairs that aren’t waste but we just no longer need?


We love office chairs like this where we can extend their working life and help businesses avoid costly and less environmentally sustainable alternatives.


Which is great, because after (yet more) checks with the Environment Agency, office chairs that are not waste, but may still contain these POPs materials, can be reused. The rules on this are that it only applies to office chairs that are non-waste, which means that the following conditions must be met:


  • it is reused for the same purpose for which it was designed
  • the previous holder intended for it to be reused
  • no more than minor repair is required to it
  • both the previous holder and new holder know at the point of transfer that it does not need more than minor repair
  • if a repair is required, it will be done
  • its use keeps to the law, for example it carries appropriate fire safety labels
  • it is managed as a non-waste – that is, it is not moved or stored in a way that will damage it, for example in a skip with items of waste


We know we can meet these requirements with you, and so will still be collecting or receiving your unwanted, surplus and non-waste office chairs to spruce them up and sell them on!

Contact Us

Stretching the Education Budget: How Refurbished Furniture Delivers Quality Without the Cost

By Ida Gorecka • July 7, 2025
Your education budget is under more pressure than ever. Whether you're managing a school, college, or university, you know the challenge: creating inspiring learning environments while budgets shrink and demands grow. According to research by the IFS , between 2010/11 and 2022/23, funding received by colleges for 16-19 education dropped by nearly a quarter, and adult skills funding was cut by more than half. Meanwhile, overall surplus levels fell for the sector as a whole from £2,290 million (5.6 per cent of income) in 2021-22 to £1,284 million (2.9 per cent of income) in 2023-24 ( source ). This financial squeeze is hitting at exactly the wrong time. Your students deserve quality learning environments, but premium furniture prices make this increasingly difficult to achieve. But what if there was a solution that delivered professional-quality furniture without the premium price tag? What if you could create the inspiring spaces your students need while actually saving money ? By choosing refurbished office furniture , you can stretch your budget 3-5 times further, receive furniture in days rather than months, and create premium-quality learning environments - all without compromising on the standards your institution demands. Curious to see what's available? Browse our current inventory of high-quality refurbished educational furniture - updated daily and ready for fast delivery.

The Hidden Costs of Buying New: Why Refurbished Office Furniture is the Smarter Investment

By Ida Gorecka • June 30, 2025
Planning your next office fit-out? Before you commit to that £50,000 furniture budget, consider this: the UK office furniture market reached £3.24 billion in 2024 ( source ), yet businesses are increasingly discovering that the "obvious" choice isn't always the smartest one. You’ve likely priced up premium ergonomic chairs at £800-£1,200, desks starting at £2,000, and meeting tables from £3,000+. Leading brands like Herman Miller and Steelcase come with quality-but also long lead times, hidden costs, and potential delays that can hold up your entire fit-out. But here’s what those new furniture quotes don’t mention: the true cost goes far beyond the price tag. Hidden expenses, long lead times, and missed opportunities can add up to serious disruption, something savvy businesses are now avoiding. On the other hand, refurbished office furniture that delivers the same premium quality, ergonomic support, and professional look-at 50-80% less, and available in days , not months. In this article, we’ll unpack the hidden costs of buying new and explain why choosing refurbished furniture is a strategic, value-driven decision for your office. If you're looking to save money, time, and hassle on your next office fit-out, get in touch or browse our refurbished range today.

Beyond the Skip: How Recycling Office Furniture Saves Money and the Planet

By Ida Gorecka • June 17, 2025
Are you still throwing perfectly good office furniture into skips? Every year, millions of pieces of furniture are discarded in the UK, with the majority going directly to landfill. Meanwhile, the standard landfill tax rate in the UK is currently £103.70 per tonne, and it's only getting more expensive. But what if there was a better way? What if that "outdated" desk or those "worn" chairs could actually save you money while keeping valuable resources in circulation ? Recycling old office furniture isn't just about doing the right thing environmentally; it's about making smart financial decisions that protect your finances. According to recent statistics , office furniture accounts for an estimated 8.5 million tons of furniture waste per year globally, yet 51% of furniture is reusable if we take into account items requiring slight repair. You're facing a choice every time you clear out your office. The skip route costs money and harms the environment. The recycling route saves money and creates value. Here's how recycling old office furniture can transform your business operations while delivering measurable savings. Want to see how much you could save by recycling your office furniture? Contact our team for a free assessment and quote.