POPs Waste Explained: What It Is and How to Handle It
POPs waste is waste containing persistent organic pollutants, chemicals such as certain flame retardants that don't break down and can build up in people and the environment. Upholstered domestic seating and some WEEE plastics are common examples, and POPs waste must be destroyed rather than landfilled or recycled. Digital waste tracking also asks you to record POPs details for loads you receive.
Last reviewed: 16 October 2026
What Is POPs Waste?
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemicals that don't break down easily, build up in living things and can travel long distances in the environment. They're controlled internationally under the Stockholm Convention and in UK law.
POPs waste is any waste containing these chemicals above set concentration limits. Some POPs were widely used as flame retardants in furniture, electronics and textiles, which is why they still turn up in everyday waste today.
Common POPs Waste Streams: Upholstered Seating and WEEE Plastics
Waste upholstered domestic seating. Sofas, armchairs, upholstered stools, footstools and similar items from homes are likely to contain POPs from flame retardants. Environment Agency guidance treats this waste as containing POPs unless testing shows otherwise. This affects house clearance firms, bulky waste collectors, HWRCs, transfer stations and furniture reuse organisations.
WEEE plastics. Some plastics from electrical and electronic equipment, particularly from older display equipment and small appliances, contain brominated flame retardants that are POPs.
Other sources can include certain treated textiles, insulation foams and some industrial wastes.
How POPs Waste Must Be Treated
The basic rule is that POPs must be destroyed or irreversibly transformed, usually by high-temperature incineration. In general, waste containing POPs above the limits:
must not be recycled
in a way that keeps the POPs in circulation
should not be landfilled
without the right permissions
should be kept separate
from other waste so it doesn't contaminate it
For upholstered domestic seating, this means collecting it separately from other bulky waste, keeping it intact, storing it under cover and sending it for incineration. Follow the current Environment Agency or devolved regulator guidance for the full requirements.
Recording POPs in Digital Waste Tracking
Digital waste tracking asks receiving sites to record POPs information for loads where it applies. That includes:
whether the waste contains POPs
which POPs
where known
where the information came from
for example provided with the waste, based on published guidance, or from your own testing
concentrations
where they're known from testing
If you rely on guidance or your own testing, you'll need to list the components. Our apps prompt for POPs details on relevant waste types, such as bulky waste and WEEE, and check the record is complete before submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related
Official guidance
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