Selling stuff from ‘Dump Runs’

[RealhousewifeofStoke]

Interested in opinions after seeing drama unfold on a local FB selling page. Couple advertise ‘Dump Runs’ where they charge £20-30 to take a van load of household stuff to the local dump/recycling centre.
I’ve used them myself once just before a house move and it was hassle free and really was stuff only fit for the dump such as old tins of paint, garden stuff etc.
It’s now emerged that they sort through the stuff they collect and are selling some of it on so things like sofas for £30. Amongst the listings are more valuable items like Wedgwood pottery etc.
I don’t think they’re doing anything wrong. But many people do. My thinking is if you’re happy to dump it, you shouldn’t be annoyed. Be a different story if they claimed to be taking stuff to a charity shop and THEN selling it? They advertise the dump runs AND the stuff for sale on the same page.

@skirk64

They're wrong for doing this. If I pay someone to take my belongings to the dump then that's what they should be doing with them. As the OP states: Couple advertise ‘Dump Runs’ where they charge £20-30 to take a van load of household stuff to the local dump/recycling centre. That makes it clear where my stuff will go.

It's different of course if they didn't specify what they would do with them. If they said they'd take it off my hands and dispose of it, they could legitimately dispose of them by selling them. But if they say they will landfill it, that's where it should go.

Of course this shouldn't be a problem because the licence that they must have will show me what they are able to do with my rubbish, and the waste transfer note will show me what they actually did with it.

Why exactly would you object to something being reused, probably by someone who couldn't otherwise afford something like that, rather than go into landfill?

Some people are jobsworth arseholes.

@LadyTrieste

There's something wrong about picking (some would say snooping) through other people's rubbish. Whether there's sellable stuff in it or not is a different issue.

Yeah if some randomer was poking through your wheelie bin

@NothingIsWrong

Agree they need a waste transfer licence and if you use them you need to get some paperwork from them to keep yourself the right side of the law. I work in construction project management and waste management is a huge part of running a compliant building site.

This.

No way they’re disposing of it legally and making a profit for that price. It’s being dumped, burnt or buried somewhere. If they get caught, the person who has given them the waste to take is also liable.

Your taxes are paying to clean these up: www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&hl=en-gb&sxsrf=ALeKk02Jh93CZYM4Q51kHM3YrjniP0fwVw:1621704364582&q=warehouses+of+illegal+waste&spell=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiindPE593wAhUEolwKHaCfBUkQBSgAegQIARA2&biw=1261&bih=1521

As long as they don't fly tip the rest, I couldn't care less! If I couldn't be arsed to sell it myself or go to the tip myself, I don't really deserve to be angry about it.

No way they’re disposing of it legally and making a profit for that price

They could easily be. Here any vehicle smaller than a transit van can make unlimited visits to the tip and trailers don’t count. So where I live it would be entirely possible.

Wouldn't bother me. I couldn't be arsed to sell it so if someone else does it's fine by me. However my unwanted tidy stuff goes to the charity shop. Not so good stuff goes to the tip.

If they are selling the stuff, they should be transparent about it, rather than advertising their services as ‘dump runs’.

‘No way they’re disposing of it legally and making a profit for that price. It’s being dumped, burnt or buried somewhere. If they get caught, the person who has given them the waste to take is also liable.’

So a quick google of recycling/dump facilities locally ( bearing in mind that there are significant variations across the UK) confirms that there are no charges for using any of the facilities. The only restrictions are that large vans and cars with trailers have to use a couple of larger designated centres and are not allowed access to the smaller ones.

People seem to forget that there are huge variations to services across the UK. Anyone would think we all lived in London

I'm a Chartered Waste Manager and work in local government. Yes they are disposing illegally at that price. The Environment Agency and local authorities simply don't have the resources to chase every man and van. Sadly as evidenced by this thread, there are plenty of customers willing to pay cash and not care. The link upthread to Wandsworth Council gave excellent guidance. I introduced van permits for the authority in Devon where I then worked 17 years ago and since then the overwhelming majority of local authorities have introduced similar restrictions. These restrictions have been put in place because of higher waste disposal costs and tough recycling targets; your Council tax should be paying for schools and libraries, not subsidising greedy flytippers.

My dh used to work at the local tip and the stuff that was thrown is shocking

I mean, he once bought me home a glass tigger figurine with gold leaf on it that retails at £50+.

It is in a brand new condition and they just tossed it. I was quite pleased with my new ornament

Good on them really. Like you said, if they are happy to get rid of it, once it leaves their home and money has been exchanged, it’s nothing to do with them anymore

I was at the tip earlier and saw a man chuck a really nice table and footstool in the skip, I would much rather people sold those things for a tenner than dumped them.

Definitely do not see a problem with this. Good on them.

So much stuff goes to landfill because people don't want the hassle of finding it a new home (it can be time consuming and stress-inducing) so fair play to these people.

your Council tax should be paying for schools and libraries, not subsidising greedy flytippers

I beg to differ, getting rid of my rubbish is just about the only thing I get for my council tax. £240 a month to get my bins emptied means it costs about £40 a bin. Council tax should be paying for all the services the local authority provides, not just the worthy ones.

Well I don't live in London, but are there really still councils who allow traders to dispose of waste without charge?

Blossomtoes

No way they’re disposing of it legally and making a profit for that price

They could easily be. Here any vehicle smaller than a transit van can make unlimited visits to the tip and trailers don’t count. So where I live it would be entirely possible

Even if dumping at the tip was free I still can’t see how they could make a living wage. After paying for the van, tax, insurance, petrol, maintenance and depreciation and just their time to load and unload it just wouldn’t be worth it

@ThePlantsitter

I don't know why you're being so defensive on the licence thing. It's not accusing you of a moral defect it's just saying, factually, that if you pay for someone to take your rubbish away and they are unlicensed and do it in a way that's not legal you will be held responsible and fined if it is discovered. So you should check. Selling things on is a different thing and fair game I reckon.

Maybe the OP is getting ‘defensive’ because the licence issue is completely beside the point? The question was ‘Is it okay for these people to sell items they said they were dumping?’ Whether they’re licensed to dump these items or not would be relevant when deciding whether or not to use the service, but it isn’t relevant to the question.

Isn’t that how junk removal and house clearance businesses have always worked?

That's what clearance people do .. it's a business model so hardly doing any thing wrong but I guess if they weren't transparent then could be an issue .

I can't see anything wrong with it OP, but many people clearly object to others selling their bit of tatty old junk. Even when it never happened to them they are digging right into the bowels of it all only to come up with the licence thing, or the ripping off an elderly lady.

I've just had a mass clear out & it's hard work giving stuff away. I know that it will be sold, but I don't care seeing as I can't be bothered to sell.

@Bythemillpond

Blossomtoes

No way they’re disposing of it legally and making a profit for that price

They could easily be. Here any vehicle smaller than a transit van can make unlimited visits to the tip and trailers don’t count. So where I live it would be entirely possible

Even if dumping at the tip was free I still can’t see how they could make a living wage. After paying for the van, tax, insurance, petrol, maintenance and depreciation and just their time to load and unload it just wouldn’t be worth it

That’s why they’re selling stuff!

Blossomtoes

Exactly.

I can’t see how people cannot work this out.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with this. It's doing the person dumping a favour and the collector is finding a use for some of the things rather than landfill.