Bulky household waste terms and conditions

1. The bulky household waste collection service is for large individual household items, e.g.. beds, wardrobes, etc. which cannot be disposed of through the normal domestic waste collection service. For more information see Bulky household waste collection.

2. This service is for domestic properties only and is not available to businesses disposing of commercial waste. For business collections see Bulky and special business waste collections. No refunds will be given where collections have been attempted but not completed where commercial waste has been presented.

3. The service is only available to residents of the Preston City Council area. To find out if our service includes your area please visit GOV.UK - find your local authority.

4. The customer has entered in to a contract for Preston City Council as a licensed waste carrier to collect bulky items of household waste.

Cancellation and refunds

5. In line with the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, the customer has 14 days following the date of payment to request cancellation without having to give a reason and receive a full refund.

6. No refund will be made where collection has been completed or attempted.

7. Cancellation requests may be made in writing to wastemanagement@preston.gov.uk, by phone on 01772 906905 or by post to:

Waste Management
Preston City Council
Argyll Road
Preston
PR1 6JY

8. Cancellation requests must be received within 14 days of payment and by 4pm on the working day immediately before the scheduled collection day, whichever is the earliest. Cancellation requests may not be accepted after this time and refunds may not be given.

Charges

9. For current charges, please see Bulky household waste collection. A reduced charge applies if the household is in receipt Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support.

10. The standard charge covers collection of up to three separate items. For example, certain items such as a 3 piece suite would count as three separate items, a corner sofa would count as 3 separate items, and a dining table and four chairs would count as two. These examples are not exhaustive.

11. Additional items are charged individually, with a maximum of three additional items per collection.

12. Payments can be made by credit or debit card using the bulky waste collection payment form or by calling 01772 906905.

Collections

13. Items to be collected must be specified at the time of booking and only items specified will be collected. Preston City Council reserve the right to refuse to collect items which have not been specified.

14. Excess items will not be collected. A further collection will have to be arranged for such items. Any excess or uncollected items should not be left on the street, failure to remove items may result in enforcement action.

15. Items for collection may be amended without charge by contacting wastemanagement@preston.gov.uk or 01772 906905 up to 4pm on the working day before the scheduled collection date. Additional items may incur a charge. We cannot guarantee to collect items which have been amended and not notified.

16. A collection date will be set at the time of booking. Collection dates may be revised without charge by contacting wastemanagement@preston.gov.uk or 01772 906905 at least two working days before the scheduled collection date.

17. In exceptional circumstances Preston City Council reserve the right to alter the collection day. The Council will endeavour to give adequate notice and will attempt to re-arrange collections on a date convenient to the customer. If the change is requested by the Council, the customer may cancel the collection and request a refund without exception. However, the customer shall be responsible for disposal of the items in a lawful manner should the collection be cancelled at their request.

18. Items must be left out for collection by 7am on the scheduled collection date, but not before 6pm on the preceding day.

19. Collections may take place any time between 7am and 3.30pm on the scheduled collection date as specified by the Council, which subject to arrangement may be any weekday, i.e. Monday - Friday.

20.  Items must be grouped together for collection. Collection operatives will only collect from one point.

21. Items must be left accessible for collection in a convenient location that does not block footpaths or presents a danger to traffic.

• For houses they should ideally be left at the front of the property at the nearest location to the public highway
• For houses with back alleys they should be left at the end of the alley at the nearest point for vehicular access, ensuring not to block access, and not at the back gate of the property
• For flats/apartments they should be left at ground level, and in the communal bin area where possible.

22. Any item that may absorb water, such as, but not limited to, mattresses and sofas, should be covered when placed out for collection. Preston City Council may not collect them if they have become wet, as they may be too heavy to move safely, or if they have begun to disintegrate or fall apart. Refunds will not be given in these circumstances where collection has been attempted.

23. Individual items presented for collection must be able to be moved safely by two collection operatives. The Council reserve the right to refuse to collect items which are too heavy or too large. No refund will be given in these circumstances where the collection has been attempted.

24. Operatives will not be expected to dismantle items for collection. Any items requiring dismantling must be dismantled by the customer prior to collection. The Council reserve the right to refuse to collect items which have not been dismantled where necessary, and at the discretion of the operative(s). No refund will be given in these circumstances where the collection has been attempted.

25. All items should be empty (where applicable) and reasonably clean. Food must be removed from fridges or freezers.

26. Items containing glass should have the glass covered or taped to reduce the potential for injury.

27. No refund will be given if items are not out for collection on the scheduled date, if the incorrect items are presented, if less items are presented than were specified, or if items are left in an inaccessible or unsafe location (except for instances outlined in section 31).

28. If the area where items are to be collected from are on the customer's property, the area should be free of dog fouling or any other deposits or items that may be unsanitary, unpleasant or present a risk to the health or working conditions of collection operatives.

Missed collections

29. Preston City Council cannot be held responsible for collections missed due to circumstances beyond our control. This may include, but is not limited to, access restrictions, flood, severe weather and vehicle breakdown. We will endeavour to return to collect items as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so.

30. Missed collections should be reported by the end of the second working day following the scheduled collection date by contacting wastemanagement@preston.gov.uk or 01772 906905.

31. In the event that the collection has been missed due to error on the part of the Council or its operatives, we will endeavour to return to collect the items as soon as is reasonably practicable after it has been reported.

Ownership

32. Items for collection remain the property of the customer until collected. At the point of collection the ownership transfers to the Council and the customer will no longer have claim to these items.

33. The Council may reuse, recycle or dispose of items collected at its discretion.

Injury or damage

34.  The Council's insurance policy does not cover any injury or damage caused by its employees in assisting in moving items to the collection point. If, in exceptional circumstances, Council employees are requested to assist in moving items to the collection point, including but not limited to removing items from a domestic property, then this will be entirely at the customer's or owner's risk and must be agreed in advance. It is entirely at the discretion of the collection operatives whether this is safe or acceptable, and, in such instances where the collection operatives agree to collect, the customer may be required to sign a disclaimer.

Customer's statutory rights

35.  The customer's statutory rights are not affected by the terms and conditions of this contract.

Privacy notice

36. Please see the Privacy notice for how the Council handles customer's data. Preston City Council comply with all applicable data protection regulations.

Carpets, linoleum and laminate flooring

37. Carpets, linoleum and laminate flooring:

• Carpet must be presented rolled and tied, and must be able to be moved safely by two collection operatives. Each roll counts as a single item for collection.
• Linoleum must be presented rolled and tied, and must be able to be moved safely by two collection operatives. Each roll counts as a single item for collection.
• Underlay must be presented rolled and tied, and must be able to be moved safely by two collection operatives. Each roll counts as a single item for collection.
• Rolls of carpet or underlay must be covered. If it gets wet and becomes too heavy to manoeuvre safely we may refuse to collect. No refund will be issued in this circumstance.
• Laminate flooring may be presented for collection. It must be tied (or taped) together and each bundle must be able to be moved safely by two collection operatives. Each bundle counts as a single item for collection.
• Laminate underlay must be rolled and tied, and must be able to be moved safely by two collection operatives. Each roll counts as a single item for collection.

Appendix 1 - Items that cannot be collected

This list is not exhaustive. Collections are at the discretion of the Council, and the Council reserve the right to refuse to collect items that are excessively large, unsafe or hazardous.

If you are unsure whether an item may be collected please contact wastemanagement@preston.gov.uk or call 01772 906905 for prior advice.

• Any items that are too heavy or too large for two collection operatives to lift safely.
• Items over 3 metres in length (excluding ladders)
• Items over 3 metres in diameter
• Items requiring dismantling prior to collection that have not been dismantled
• Dangerous or hazardous waste such as asbestos, clinical waste, chemicals, paint stripper or anything potentially explosive
• Building waste, rubble, stone or pieces of wood
• Tyres
• Gas canisters
• Car batteries, parts or engines
• Fridges - without motors and pipework present
• Freezers - without motors and pipework present
• Commercial fridges, freezers or cookers
• Sheds
• Window frames where broken glass remains in the frame
• Conservatories
• Garage doors
• Kitchen worktops
• Soil
• Garden waste
• Polystyrene
• Pianos and organs

Preston City Council may collect certain items separately from the Bulky Waste Collection service. Please contact the Clean Environment department at neighbourhoodservices@preston.gov.uk for an individual quotation based on your requirements. A minimum charge will apply.