Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee

Irresponsible waste disposal (such as fly tipping) is a serious problem throughout the whole of Scotland has escalated significantly over the past few years.

Rubbish lines the streets of our cities and towns, and our beautiful countryside is under constant attack from ‘cowboy’ waste disposal companies looking for a cheap place to dump the waste of often unsuspecting home and business owners.

It has become harder and harder to know who to trust when getting rid of junk and unwanted items, and making the wrong decision could leave you facing severe legal consequences.

At Junk-It Scotland, we have decided that enough is enough and have launched our very own ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’, helping Scotland’s residents get rid of their waste responsibly, by identifying companies who take their legal obligations seriously and go above and beyond in their commitment environmentally responsible waste disposal.

What does our ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’ mean?

We aren’t being clever with the name here! Our ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’ is exactly what it sounds like. It is a guarantee that all the waste we remove and process will be disposed of in an ethical, legal and eco-friendly manner.

Our Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee means that when you choose Junk-It Scotland, you are choosing a business who:

• Holds Full public and employer liability insurance
• Is fully SEPA Registered
• Offsets carbon emissions via the Trees for Life scheme
• Follows a strict Waste Hierarchy (see below)
• Never EVER fly-tips or partners with unaccredited third-party waste disposal companies.

Only businesses who meet ALL of these criteria qualify for our ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’, so if you don’t see the badge when choosing a waste disposal company, make sure to double-check their credentials before you trust them to deal with your junk.

What is a Waste Hierarchy?

Constantly reviewed and updated, the fundamental principles of the waste hierarchy are the basis of everything we do here at Junk-It Scotland, and at the core of the ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’.

Our Waste disposal process is as follows:

1. Donate and Reuse

Always the first choice when available!

If the item is in good working condition is donatable we take it to a charity shop) the decision is down to the charity shop to accept or not based on how much space they have, and what they are looking for at that moment in time.

We also work closely with other local community groups to find new homes for as many of the items we remove as possible, and many are still in excellent working order.

2. Recycle

All the items we collect are sort by hand to ensure that no recyclable materials are allowed to slip through the net.

Wood, cardboard, plastics and metal are recovered then taken to appropriate recycle stations.

Some items are a combination of these and need to be split. Unlike many other waste collection companies, we manual split these items, minimising the risk of the items being rejected and ending up in landfill.

3. Specialist Item Disposal

Hazardous items, fridges, WEEE (waste electrical) mattresses and gas bottles (among many other items) all have to go to specific places for processing.

We do everything that we can to keep our prices as cost-effective as possible for our customers, but there may be surcharges on certain items simply due to the fact there are only a few (in some cases only 1!) facilities in the country that can legally dispose of them.

You should be very wary of quotes that are significantly cheaper than the industry average for the items listed above, and all waste removal for that matter, as it is impossible for companies to legally dispose of these items without paying certain set processing charges.

4. Licenced Waste Transfer – Last Resort

Anything that is left is taken to a fully licensed waste transfer station and the same process is carried out after the waste has been shredded to allow for more material to be recovered.

What is the Inspiration Behind the ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee?

Junk-It Scotland have been providing professional junk removal services to the people of Scotland since 2006. Over the past two decades, we have built our reputation on fast, friendly, and cost effective waste removal services and an unwavering commitment to responsible disposal that goes above and beyond the industry standard.

We are one of the few junk removal companies in Scotland to be an official partner with ‘Trees for Life’, recycle more than 85% of the waste we collect, and regularly uplift fly-tipped waste from sites across Scotland, doing our bit in the fight against a rise in illegal and unsafe disposal that is putting our countryside, our planet and our public health under serious threat.

Over the past two decades, we have seen some truly disgraceful things when it comes to irresponsible waste disposal and have seen far too many people become unwitting accessories to waste related crimes such as fly-tipping or the dumping of hazardous waste.

This has always been a problem, but with ethical waste processing costs rising and the cost-of-living crisis being felt by us all, ‘too good to be true’ prices are becoming more and more attractive, and more and more of our jobs seem to involve clearing up the mess left by cowboy crews.

We know that the vast vast majority of Scottish residents would NEVER consider using a junk removal service if they knew their waste would be dumped illegally, and a lack of education on what to look for in a responsible company is a serious problem.

That is why we have introduced the ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’ a scheme that sets extremely high standards for the processes a company must follow and allows customers to identify responsible waste disposal contractors at a single glance.

Why Choose a Waste Disposal Company with a ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’?

Clear out in Confidence

Decluttering your property is a great way to reduce stress and start afresh, whether you are renovating your office space, preparing to move, or simply doing some spring cleaning.

If you are unsure what is being done with your items after you have left your home, and aren’t confident they are being handled in an environmentally responsible and legal manner, the whole situation can quickly become far more stressful than it already was.

When you choose a company with our Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee, junk removal really does become a case of ‘out of sight and out of mind’.

Avoid severe legal consequences

If you choose a unauthorised waste disposal company when getting rid of your junk, you are risking serious legal consequences further down the line.

A quick Google search will tell you just how many people have fallen into this trap and found themselves with significant fines because their waste has been found dumped in the countryside by a waste disposal ‘company’ doing things (illegally) on the cheap.

DO NOT assume that once your waste has left the property it is no longer your responsibility. If it is later found fly tipped somewhere or disposed of in a ‘unorthodox’ manner, you are the one who will pay the price.

Do Your Bit in Fight Against Global Warming

Irresponsible waste disposal is one of the biggest contributors to the current climate emergency. Even if your waste is being disposed of legally, if doesn’t mean that it is being disposed of responsibly, and if a company isn’t following the waste disposal hierarchy to the very best of their ability, they are a big part of the problem, with millions of tonnes of recyclable waste and reusable items being send to landfill every single year.

Junk-It Scotland’s ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’ means that you know for certain that every single item you get rid of is being dealt with in the most eco-friendly way possible, keeping carbon emissions to an absolute minimum by recycling or rehoming whenever possible, and using the most appropriate waste processing centre when this is not an option.

It also means that any emissions generated by the trucks used in the pick-up process are offset through the Trees For Life scheme, with a tree planted in the Scottish Highlands every single time we fill the bed of one of our junk removal trucks.

Find Out More About our ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’

If you would like to find out more about exactly what Junk-It Scotland’s ‘Ethical Waste Disposal Guarantee’ means, the waste hierarchy at the heart of everything that we do, or the legal responsibilities that you have when choosing a junk removal company, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

We are incredibly passionate about fulfilling our duties as a modern, forward-thinking waste disposal company and driving forward the industry into a new age of increased environmental responsibilities and always welcome enquiries or discussions from other local companies, local authorities, and public bodies on how we can work together to achieve our shared goals.