Every item that leaves a property with Clear It Out is sorted before anything goes to disposal. Our aim is to give as much as possible a second life, and to ensure whatever cannot be reused is recycled through the right channels. We are a licensed waste carrier and a Green Mark certified business, so responsible waste handling is built into how we work, not treated as an afterthought.
Our Reuse and Recycle Scheme
What Gets Reused
When a clearance is complete, items suitable for reuse are brought to our yard in Wallington and sorted. Good-condition furniture goes to local charities and furniture banks. Clothing, books and household goods go to charity shops and community organisations. Non-perishable food items that are in date are donated to food banks. Raw building materials including timber, hardware and fixings are redistributed to tradespeople and DIY enthusiasts.
Items that need a small amount of work before they can be reused are passed to people who specialise in restoration and upcycling. A chest of drawers with a broken handle does not go to landfill. It gets repaired and finds a new home. If an item is in any reasonable condition, we will find a way to give it a second life. You can read more about how we handle items on our FAQs page.
What Gets Recycled
Items that cannot be reused are recycled wherever possible. Furniture is broken down by material, with wood, metal and plastic components going to the relevant streams. Scrap metal, including copper pipes, brass fittings, aluminium and iron, is collected separately. Paperwork is shredded and recycled. Garden waste goes to specialist composting facilities. Fridges and freezers that cannot be reused are sent to licensed WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) facilities, where refrigerants are safely removed before the unit is broken down.
On larger jobs we sort materials into separate waste streams on site. On smaller jobs, sorting happens back at our yard. Items that need specialist machinery to process are taken to a licensed waste transfer station, where they are screened, separated and sent to the correct end destination. Most residual waste in the UK is processed at waste-to-energy facilities rather than landfill.
Green Mark Certification
Clear It Out received Green Mark Level 1 accreditation in 2022. Green Mark is an internationally recognised environmental certification for businesses operating to recognised environmental standards. The process helped us build a framework for monitoring and reducing our emissions and for communicating our environmental approach clearly, both internally and to clients.
Our commitments include continuously improving our environmental performance, measuring and reducing our carbon footprint, and managing waste in line with best practice. Sustainable working also makes good business sense: reducing energy use, cutting waste and working more efficiently saves money as well as carbon.
Find out more at greenmark.co.uk.
Planning a Clearance?
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