PROHIBITED AND
RESTRICTED ITEMS

Equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), such as transformers, must be depolluted and accompanied by a certificate of analysis proving it does not contain PCBs when brought to an EMR site.

For advice on how to dispose of contaminated PCB’s you can contact The Environment agency via email: pcb-enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk.

No item containing asbestos in any form will be accepted at our yards because of its harm to health. For information on how to dispose of asbestos, please visit ARCA or gov.uk.

Items such as gas cylinders and aerosols pose a serious explosion risk and will not be accepted at any EMR site, unless they have come through an authorised route and have been safely depressurised, cleaned and purged. Purge certificates will need to be provided.

Please ensure that any loads you deliver into our yards have been checked in advance for the presence of any sealed containers or gas cylinders.

If you have sealed containers or gas cylinders to dispose of you can return them to the original supplier free of charge or an authorised approved contractor such as Synergy or Wastecare. Please visit the BCGA website for more information.

We cannot accept material that is radioactive or contaminated with radioactive material because of the harm it could cause to the health of our employees, customers, suppliers, and the environment.

These items can be collected by specialist collection companies. For information on how to dispose of radioactive materials, please visit the gov.uk website.

We do not accept chemicals on site. Containers displaying the hazard symbol or substances with hazardous properties (e.g. toxic, harmful, irritant, corrosive, highly flammable, etc.) will not be accepted on site unless emptied, cleaned, and all labels are removed, so providing no risk of harm to health.

This includes fuels, solvents, paints, thinners and gases etc.

Lithium-Ion batteries found in cordless tools, laptops, mobile phones, and small waste electrical goods etc. can only be accepted on site if they are separately collected because of the risk of combustion.

To safely dispose of them please contact your local council or an authorised approved contractor such as Wastecare.

Medical waste and ‘sharps’ will not be accepted because of the biological risk they pose to our employees, in particular those on the picking lines. To dispose of these items please contact your local authority.

Non- metallic items such as tyres, plasterboard, wood, aggregates, and soil can cause significant damage to EMR’s equipment; causing delays in our service to you.

Please ensure all non-metallic items are removed from your load before coming to site.

‘Live’ explosives of any kind will not be accepted due to their explosive potential and the impact this could have on our site and the local community. Any empty shell casings must be clean and kept separate from any other materials.

If you suspect any item may pose an explosion risk please call 999.

We cannot accept televisions or PC monitors of any type. Your local council recycling facility often take these items, or, if they are in good working condition, consider donating then to a local charity. because of their potential impact to the environment.

Batteries must be kept separate and removed from any other material brought into the yard.

Drums must be clean of all of their previous contents and free from contamination.

Equipment containing refrigerant liquids or gases, such as fridges and freezers, can only be received by authorised facilities due to their environmental impact. These items are therefore only accepted at EMR Darlaston and EMR Willesden

If you do not have access to either of these sites, your local council will collect these items for a small charge.

Tanks must be certified as clean and suitable for processing and can only be accepted with the agreement of the site manager. Find your local site here.