I'm looking to set up a small business recycling fire extinguishers

[ashley-hickinbottom]

Hello just wonderd if anyone can help me im looking to start up a small business collecting condemned fire extinguishers. I already work in the business but im looking so start something up myself and I just wonderd what sort of licenses id need any help would be grate thanks.

[nearlythere]

Hello just wonderd if anyone can help me im looking to start up a small business collecting condemned fire extinguishers. I already work in the business but im looking so start something up myself and I just wonderd what sort of licenses id need any help would be grate thanks.

Think you might be better off speaking to your council on this.

[AnthonyB]

You would need to be an upper tier waste carrier for the collection and have an environmental permit for the recycling unless you are very low volume (see https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/298092/LIT_7753_2353c2.pdf)

Whilst a couple of scrap yards do operate extinguisher recycling on a commercial basis the market is pretty sewn up by the two big players Fire Protection Recycling & Chubb who both have massive plants in the West Midlands - FPR also offer a one stop shop as they do batteries, detectors, halon, etc as well.

Also unless you are dealing in scale it's not economic, disposals are around a quid a piece with CO2 actually making you money (or credit) from the CO2 refurbishing companies.

Old extinguishers are sometimes sold 'serviced' by some contractors who want two bites of the cherry, they sell the customer a new extinguisher and their old one ends up on eBay (& I'll eat my hat if it's been extended serviced or overhauled)