# Disposing of wood, MDF & general waste. Who do you use?



## MrYorke (4 Jan 2013)

I'm looking at getting quotes in for the disposal of my workshop waste.....off cuts of wood, MDF and general waste including empty paint pots etc. and mixed saw dust. 

Who do you use and can you recommend them? I guess it's only national companies that can be recommended unless they cover the South Wales region as I live and work in Cardiff. 

Any other advice that you can give in terms of safe and legal disposal?

Much appreciated, thanks


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## Noel (4 Jan 2013)

Fire and local council skip. Why pay?


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## MrYorke (4 Jan 2013)

The main thing is MDF and saw dust. I've had a few passes for the tip for my own household refurb but I can't use them too many times. 

And if I do ever get asked, I need to show the council that I at least get some stuff picked up


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## Jacob (4 Jan 2013)

I burn it all in a wood burner and keep the house warm.
Occasionally swap a bag of dust for eggs from a poultry keeping neighbour.
Taking it to the tip? What a waste!


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## mseries (4 Jan 2013)

MrYorke":1lp9gehv said:
 

> The main thing is MDF and saw dust. I've had a few passes for the tip for my own household refurb but I can't use them too many times.
> 
> And if I do ever get asked, I need to show the council that I at least get some stuff picked up



Passes for the tip ? Is this to prevent them being used for trade waste. Round here I don't think households need passes for the tip, perhaps if I go every week with off cuts they will suspect I am disposing of business waste. I don't throw much wood etc away, if I do I just put it in the bin or burn it. I don't have a car so taking it to the tip will be tricky,


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## MrYorke (4 Jan 2013)

I don't have a car at the moment so taking the van I need a pass and it mustn't be trade waste.

I can give wood to the in-laws to burn.....until I have a wood burner myself. General waste can be thrown out with the household waste collection but I still need to get rid of the MDF every so often. 

I'm trade so some day I may be asked to prove how I dispose of my waste so that's what I'm asking for.....who do other trades use?


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## marcros (4 Jan 2013)

is it worth getting rid of what you can via household waste/inlaws etc. then once in a while, hire a small skip, so that you have a paper trail of waste disposal through a licensed company? Anybody checking is probably not going to dwell on the volume, more on the fact that it is controlled disposal etc.

i would get rid of whatever paint tins you can through household- IIRC they are classed as hazardous waste, certainly if there is anything in them.

I dont know what the rules are for small businesses. I have looked after waste disposal in the past for large companies, where every last waste stream is separated out, down to batteries where there are a few dozen a year. i would hope that legislation wont require you to go to this degree, because if it does then i doubt that any small business will comply.

Not sure what to suggest on the mdf, other than put it in the skip when you get it, or burn it. general dust and shavings can probably go on a compost heap- there was some discussion about this last year on a thread called "the problems of disposing of woodwork waste" (I believe). I dont remember it reaching a conclusion. That was from the other point of view- domestic waste being assumed to be trade.


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## Benchwayze (4 Jan 2013)

MrYorke":3dlklwrh said:


> I don't have a car at the moment so taking the van I need a pass and it mustn't be trade waste.
> 
> I can give wood to the in-laws to burn.....until I have a wood burner myself. General waste can be thrown out with the household waste collection but I still need to get rid of the MDF every so often.
> 
> I'm trade so some day I may be asked to prove how I dispose of my waste so that's what I'm asking for.....who do other trades use?



If the waste comes from a household it isn't trade waste. (As long as your house isn't approved by the Council as trade premises.) Ergo; waste is classified by where it originates. NOT what it actually is. (Except obvious hazardous materials) I believe there is an Act of Parliament that stipulates this, and Councils insisting that woodwork waste is industrial waste per se are breaking the law. 

I recently had to dispose of an old three-piece suite, I couldn't burn it. (Smokeless zone) but I could take it to the tip. Or I could pay the Council to come and collect it. That service used to be free. Not any more. 

If you are conducting a business, then I have to admit, I'm not sure where you stand. It's going to be difficult to prove whether or not your timber waste comes from orders, or from jobs you did for yourself. 

I know one thing. My house is slowly being surrounded by rubbish that the Council WON'T take away, and which I am no longer able to take to them. Maybe when I can get around a bit more, I can get it to them, but until then I'll have to pay them to remove it, or suffer it washing around my ankles. It's the latter unfortunately! I just think it's about time they sorted out the whole she-bang, so we all operate on a level playing field.

So for now, I cut up woodwork waste and what I can't burn, I bag up and put into the non recyclable bin, for Council burning. At least they tell me it's burned.
8)


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## petermillard (4 Jan 2013)

Benchwayze":1nsyfgjp said:


> If the waste comes from a household it isn't trade waste. (As long as your house isn't approved by the Council as trade premises.) Ergo; waste is classified by where it originates. NOT what it actually is...


True, but as with the OP my local authority has a commercial vehicle 'van ban' for domestic waste - ergo the 'pass' system that he refers to, or in my case the LA can fax (lol!) authority for a one-time visit in a commercial vehicle, provided you have proof of residence e.g. council tax statement. 

My workshop has commercial bins where I can lose a lot of the smaller offcuts & general waste, and for the bigger bits and pieces I have a waste disposal company come and collect as and when required; usually costs me about £60 (£40 - £80 depending on how long I've left it) which personally is money well spent, and a fully deductible trade expense - depends on how you value your time, I guess. My customers are charged a nominal 'managed waste disposal' fee on each job, so it works out about evens in the long run. Customers are, of course, welcome to make their own arrangements for waste disposal at their own time/expense, but it's only ever happened once in ~10 years 

FWIW a Google search for "managed waste disposal Cardiff" threw up plenty of likely candidates.

HTH Pete

Edited to say that paint cans (and plasterboard) can be a real headache to dispose of as a lot of LAs (and ergo waste companies) treat it as hazardous waste - ludicrous really, if you think that spend most of our lives surrounded by paint and plasterboard... Anyway, paint cans get sealed up with gaffer tape and disposed of in black bags, and plasterboard gets cut up small - and disposed of the same way.


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## Benchwayze (4 Jan 2013)

Yes Peter. I know how you feel. 

it's nonsensical. Hard luck on Householders who use a white, or any other colour van, as personal transport, instead of a Saloon. (Many campers do so I know.) I still think LA s are finding ways around the legislation and in typical local Hitler fashion, suiting themselves. :evil:


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## Atkins joinery (4 Jan 2013)

I just use hippo bags available from b &q wickes etc. Theres a couple of different sizes. A ton bag size is about 60 pound. I put a fee on each job which is a guess as to how much bag it will take up. By the time its full i will have drawn in 60 quid easy. Occasionally ill get a job which requires a skip so ill get 1 for that job and empty my bag in it aswell. Theres no limit on how long you have the bag and less unsightly than a skip tucked in the corner of my drive.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## Aden30mm (4 Jan 2013)

Any waste paint can be donated to a paint exchange scheme. A number of organisations in the UK operate “RePaint schemes” that collect paint from householders (and others) and give it away for re-use . The RePaint schemes accept usable paint for domestic application. They do not accept paint thinners or strippers, varnishes, woodstains or specialist paints.

web site:

http://www.communityrepaint.org.uk/trade-retailers/


Also if you need paint they can be a good source of nearly free stuff.

Web site:

http://www.communityrepaint.org.uk/need-paint/

Finally, empty paint tins, I have always believed are not considered hazardous, and on large projects I have had involvement with were placed in normal general construction waste streams.

Rgs

Aden


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## tomatwark (4 Jan 2013)

Atkins joinery":1h3fwtlt said:


> Finally, empty paint tins, I have always believed are not considered hazardous, and on large projects I have had involvement with were placed in normal general construction waste streams.




I get a skip as and when I need one, my firewood goes to my father in law and the shavings to a local farm, the skip hire company I use will take empty paint and lacquer tins but will not take any liquids. 

I am lucky in that I have the space in the store to build up enough stuff to fill a skip, and I add the cost of a skip to any kitchen I do so I can normally get rid of the general waste when I have one for that.

This way when I am asked what I do with my waste I can produce invoices and transfer certificates to prove I am not getting rid of it over a fence somewhere.

The waste solvents is the biggest problem I have as I do not produce enough to get a company in to collect it so I am still trying to find a way around that which is legal, I have produced about 20 litres in seven years which is currently stored at the bottom of my lacquer cupboard.

I know I could get rid of it in the local council tip if I went in the wife's car or light the garden bonfire with it, but I then have a problem proving what I did with it.

Tom


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## Giff (4 Jan 2013)

We used to have a lot of sets ( built in studio ) to dispose of. We put it all in a van and went to the commercial drive in part at the local council tip / incinerator. It had a weigh bridge and we were charged by weight. A van full of MDF and similar was about £40. We poured old paint ( usually water based ) into sawdust and left it to go off. We also had to do this and prove the disposal as the tax man thought we were using all the boards....but we threw them all out after each job.


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## riclepp (4 Jan 2013)

Aden30mm":3fvrnnhm said:


> Any waste paint can be donated to a paint exchange scheme. A number of organisations in the UK operate “RePaint schemes” that collect paint from householders (and others) and give it away for re-use . The RePaint schemes accept usable paint for domestic application. They do not accept paint thinners or strippers, varnishes, woodstains or specialist paints.
> 
> web site:
> 
> ...




Depends on what is in the paint can. There are some paints, thinners etc that are very harmfull even in a dry condition (the residue fumes) can be quite dangerous. This is why most disposal companies request that you do a special waste transfer for these types of paint cans and this is expensive.


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## kostello (4 Jan 2013)

At our tip you can take trade waste and pay by weight.

When I found this out I thought fab this could save me loads of aggro as I normally only make a few bin fulls of rubbish a week..............


Then found out I need a waste carriers permit. £200 ish a year. Waste transfer notes amongst other aggro.


I now have a 2 yard (sometimes bigger) skip at the bottom of the garden most of the time.

At the worst I have no skip with 3 or 4 sacks of rubbish hanging around.


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## Aden30mm (7 Jan 2013)

Yep I agree with you however:

All my projects (All are CDM projects) Client and CDMC specifies non hazardous products (SWMP, Pre Construction Information & CPP will refer). Most surface coatings applications are carried out off site. VOC are not used on most industrial construction jobs (I haven't come across them in perhaps eight years now, legislation control was brought in 2005 and superseded two or three times), and not used for tunneling or offshore jobs. 

Site Waste Management Plan ensures early communication with the contracted Waste Management Company. They get the range of products/chemicals/substances to be used and agree with regimes to contain, transfer and treat waste. this normally is reviewed and managed for the client by the CDM-C. He will also carry out due diligence and audit the waste transfer/processing activity. 

When construction is engaged the site will have 2 daily waste walk down to ensure waste is correctly contained. All chemicals coming on site are booked in and must comply with contractor issued risk assessment and method statements regarding their use, storage and waste management. 

Most onshore projects, largest cost ref waste is contaminated land, and getting out of the ground and moving potentially thousands of tons of waste normally has the bean counters in tears. 

Rgs

Aden30mm


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