What do you do with your scrap?!

[Luckyboy]

Hi all

newbie question

I’ve started my electrical business over the last 6 months (yes I do know the regs, yes I do a proper job, no I’m not a cowboy!)

What do you all do with your scrap consumer units, bits of TW&E, damaged MCB/RCBs? 
I’ve had a look online and contacted my local recycling centre but they want min. £100! 
 

Thanks 

Lucky

 

[Sharpend]

Hi all

newbie question

I’ve started my electrical business over the last 6 months (yes I do know the regs, yes I do a proper job, no I’m not a cowboy!)

Who’s a Luckyboy!

What do you all do with your scrap consumer units, bits of TW&E, damaged MCB/RCBs? 
I’ve had a look online and contacted my local recycling centre but they want min. £100! 
Who’s an unLuckyboy!

Thanks 

Lucky

Can you not leave it with customer to dispose of? 
cable save and take to scrapyard at end of year ? 

 

[Luckyboy]

I suppose so… Most of the properties I visit are during tenancy changes though, or have tenants inside. Don’t think leaving a bunch of old electrical equipment will get me on the LL’s good books. 

 

[Fleeting]

£100 for what. Do you have a waste carriers licence. 

 

[Luckyboy]

I do. That only allows me to transport my waste though 

£100 for what. Do you have a waste carriers licence. 

Regarding the £100… it’s actually £95, quote from council

trade waste is chargeable. The minimum charge is £95, which allows up to 340kg.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Our local metal recycling yard will accept any quantity of scrap including; 

stripped bare copper,  Unstripped cable, Brass, Aluminium, Steel etc..

Its all a question of quantities and how much time & effort it is for you -vs- monetary re-numeration..

Small electrical items can be disposed of along with standard domestic waste at our local tip into a specific skip for electrical waste..

I am legally entitled to dispose of my own domestic electrical waste, (PC's, TV's, Hobby electronics kits etc..),  at our local tip..

If a "customer" has given me some old electrical item for no monetary gain, then it is now my own personal waste not their waste.

A few MCB's do not create a very large size of waste..

and two or three standard sized domestic consumer units are not too difficult to include within domestic waste.   

(Whereas a few industrial / commercial / 3-phase boards could be a different question )..

Stripped, (clean) copper, and Brass both have higher value per Kg than many other waste metals..

So it can often be worthwhile to dismantle some older electrical switchgear that has larger quantities of brass terminals / switchgear..

I have some tubs in my garage where segregated waste metals are stored, (bare copper, unstripped cable and brass etc),

until they are sufficiently full to warrant a trip to the metal recycling scrap yard..   

A waste carriers licence is not needed for your own personal waste..

e.g. you take an old washing machine from your house to the tip..

BUT if you take an old washing machine from your parents house to the tip..

OR you pick up an old washing machine from a stranger who paid you £20 to dispose of it..

it becomes a different question.....

OR if you have replaced some electrical items in your own house... Domestic/Commercial???????? 

Bottom line is if I have to pay to dispose of waste.. probably not worth while..

If I am being paid for my waste.. its a no-brainer!! 

:coffee

 

[Andy™]

goes in the bin... 660l bin, someting like £29 per month

 

[binky]

Hi all

newbie question

I’ve started my electrical business over the last 6 months (yes I do know the regs, yes I do a proper job, no I’m not a cowboy!)

What do you all do with your scrap consumer units, bits of TW&E, damaged MCB/RCBs? 
I’ve had a look online and contacted my local recycling centre but they want min. £100! 
 

Thanks 

Lucky

Most stuff goes in customers bin. If doing a full rewire I will take to scrappy for a few quid. Flourescent tubes do go back to wholesaler for disposal. Strictly speaking you shouldn't carry any waste in your van, as you could be deemed an unlicensed waste carrier, and fined accordingly. My local tip does allow free disposal for a limited number of trips a year (6 I think) if you register your van with them. 

 

[Andy™]

 Strictly speaking you shouldn't carry any waste in your van, as you could be deemed an unlicensed waste carrier, and fined accordingly.

you  can if you have a waste carriers licence

 

[binky]

you  can if you have a waste carriers licence

but most people don't think of getting one of those. 

 

[kerching]

Is it  "waste" if it is going to be re used?

is it "waste" if it is going to be recycled?

serious questions

 

[Sharpend]

Is it  "waste" if it is going to be re used?

is it "waste" if it is going to be recycled?

serious questions

Are you avoiding purchasing a carriers licence!! 

 

[Phoenix]

Is it  "waste" if it is going to be re used?

is it "waste" if it is going to be recycled?

serious questions

I think No and Yes.

Its waste to be recycled if you are taking it for recyling, if you are re-using it then no its not waste, its reclaimed materials.

Mights have a job convincing a jobsworth that you are going to re-install a load of paint covered accessories though!, Removed breakers you should be able to make the case for though

Why not just get the waste carriers license and not worry about having the arguments

 

[kerching]

I have the license 

my son recycles his cardboard for packaging either by shredding OR reusing the boxes within his own business. So I was just curious as non of it is actually rubbish