Recent G&S Clearance news

There is a universal rule that should be considered when undertaking a commercial rip-out or demolition job: if you try to cut corners to save money, it will invariably come back to bite you on the backside.

The British love affair with gardens and nature goes back centuries, from sweeping dales to country estates and tiny back yards, there is nothing quite so satisfying as tending to your own patch of land.

One of the hot topics for the British government is climate change, and how to mitigate the environmental impact of individual households and businesses. You have probably heard the words, “Circular Economy” bandied about and maybe disregarded the concept as yet another buzzword that means very little to your everyday life.

In March 2025, new recycling laws will come into effect in England that will affect the way that business waste is managed. As a business owner, you need to know if the laws will affect your company, and what steps you need to take to make sure you are compliant with all elements of the new legislation concerning commercial waste disposal.

Christmas is a time when family and friends to come together, often congregating in each other homes, enjoying festive food and drinks and exchanging gifts. But it is not such a jolly picture for those who do not have a home or have fallen on hard times and need assistance.

Have you ever opened your garage door and wondered where the devil all of this stuff has come from? We’ve all been there, we start with just a car and a few tools,then as if by magic the garage is packed to bursting, not only with items that you need to store, but all type of long-forgotten detritus that will never be need again.

Britain may have voted to leave the European Union in 2016, but thanks to our previous membership we have some pretty impressive legislation in place pertaining to recycling and sustainable waste management.

The provision of waste management services is essential for both public health and for protecting the planet. There are two different types of providers; local authorities like the Brighton & Hove City Council and private waste management companies, like Brighton based G&S Clearance.

Every day there seems to be a flurry of new legislation pertaining to running a business, in particular outlining the right and wrong ways to dispose of commercial waste. Just as you think you have understood and implemented new measures, there always seems to be a new edict, making it difficult to stay abreast of the latest rules and regulations.

Fly-tipping is a big problem throughout Brighton, Hove and the rest of Sussex, with 267 fines issued between April 2022 and March 2023. Figures from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) show that there were also 2,502 penalty notices issued pertaining to 13,829 cases.

As a specialist in waste management in Brighton working with a growing clientele of commercial clients, it’s crucial that G&S Clearance keeps a finger on the pulse of all legislation related to waste management. This ensures we are following the latest Environmental Agency guidance and processes, and that we are in possession of the required permits for waste removals, disposal and recycling.

Around this time of year, G&S Clearance sees a huge uptick in the number of requests for fridge freezer removals in Brighton. It may seem counter intuitive that a fridge struggles to work in the cold weather and even more bizarre, it is likely to be your freezer that packs up first. So why do fridges account for such a large percentage of bulky waste collections in the winter? Surely, a fridge is designed to keep things cool and that’s it’s only job!

Vaping was first introduced in China around 2003 as the holy grail for nicotine addicts, as a means of getting their nicotine fix without the additional health risks of smoking (tobacco) cigarettes. In 2005, it was launched in the UK, particularly amongst young people to simulate the effect of smoking tobacco by heating flavoured liquids.

On the 20th of September 2023, Defra (the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) announced a new waste management initiative in favour of a more workable scheme. The new system will operate under the title ‘Simpler Recycling’, and will relieve the general public of the prospect of having to deal with seven bins to separate materials, as would have been the case with the previously touted scheme of Consistency Collections.

Over numerous decades, the UK has been swept along on a wave of consumerism and constantly evolving technology. Everyone wants the latest gadgets, from TVs to laptop and smartphones. There is also a national obsession with home DIY, interior design, makeover shows and adverts that invited us to ‘chuck out our chintz’. This leaves us with an enormous amount of discarded furniture and gadgets, in addition to everyday rubbish clearance.

Does your business comply with the latest commercial waste regulations (including battery disposal)? There is only one way to say this…ignorance definitely isn’t bliss nor is it an acceptable excuse for non-compliance when disposing of hazardous waste materials. If your business uses electronic and electrical equipment, the buck stops with you. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations pertaining to the safe disposal of commercial waste (including WEEE).

Even the most green-fingered garden enthusiasts can be forgiven for neglecting our gardens during the winter weather, content to stay warm inside paying just a cursory glance to what is happening outside. Which means when spring time arrives, we are champing at the bit to get outside and get our gardens looking summer-tastic and ready to enjoy. To most of us, this means garden clearance!

It is fair to say that the UK (and the rest of the world) has been experiencing some topsy-turvy weather, with storms one minute and a heatwave the next. These atypical weather patterns serve as a stark reminder of the perilous situation our planet is in. Hopefully this reminder will make it slightly less irritating that we have to use the numerous colour coded bins and to sort our rubbish, as now more than ever we all need to do our bit.

It’s that time of year again, when the clocks spring forward (26th March) and we start to see chinks of blue in the grey skies, taking us one step closer to summer. As the weather clears and flowers start to bloom, thoughts inevitably turn towards the dreaded spring cleaning and the hopefully soon to arrive summer.

A garden shed means many things to different people, it can be a place of refuge, a usual outdoor storage space and also an integral part of the garden landscape. Yet, if your beloved shed has fallen into disrepair, you could also add ‘garden hazard’ to this list.

Are you up to date on the latest waste management legislation covering Persistent Organic Pollutants? The updated compliance requirements signed off by the UK Government in December 2022 will come into effect in March 2023.

Winter arrived in Brighton big-style! When the mercury dips below freezing it not only impacts our heating bills, it is also bad news for our fridges and freezers. Yes, you heard that right, fridges don’t like the cold!

WEEE recycling is a key component of waste removal and rubbish clearance in East, West and mid-Sussex and the surrounding areas, and indeed the country at large. Throughout the UK we generate over 2 million tonnes of WEEE waste every year.

Why is Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment recycling (WEEE) so important? In order to answer this question, we need to understand how electrical and electronic devices are manufactured. The fact is, fridge freezers, mobile phones and also sorts of electronic equipment is made using toxic components such as metals and harmful chemicals.

Every landlord, whether private, corporate or council, knows that void properties cost money. The obvious solution is to arrange for a professional clearance service to go in a do the job as soon as possible.

An Englishman’s home is his castle, a place where we grow up, gain independence or start a family, so it stands to reason that house clearance is going to be a stressful experience. G&S Clearance has sustainability at the heart of the company’s ethos, recycling up to 100% of all the house clearance waste collected.

Waste removal and rubbish clearance, may not be glamorous or a particularly interesting talking point but it’s a crucial part of everyday life, which if not tackled correctly can result in public health issues.

Why risk assessment is crucial when providing commercial waste management services

We recently took on and completed a massive waste management job at Sussex University.

West Sussex County Council has introduced a new booking system scheme, which is being trialled from March 15 at five local recycling centres (tips), in preparation for the predicted ‘spring surge’.

We understand the difficulties that are faced when dealing with the legal and practical protocols after a loved one has passed away. The last thing you will want to have to deal with is their personal affairs. Therefore, we provide a wide range of probate valuation and house clearance services to help organise the estate efficiently.

As we approach the end of January 2021, already a month into the UK’s third national lockdown period, we want to take this opportunity to thank the incredible NHS and key workers, and offer our support and services in any way possible.

Over the last couple of months, we’ve seen a huge increase in reported fly-tipping incidents as it ‘became more acceptable’ during the lockdown period. This is directly due to the lack of access to tips and waste collection facilities