Cargo and freight disposal facts

UK ports handle around 430 million tonnes of cargo each year. However, not all cargo reaches its intended destination.

Many cargo and freight containers are undeliverable, unclaimed, abandoned, seized, or found to contain illegal and counterfeit goods. This often results in cargo waste that requires fast disposal. This waste comes in many shapes and forms. It can be anything from perishables such as imported fruit, all the way to vehicles. So, what happens to this cargo waste when it’s unclaimed or abandoned?

What happens to unclaimed cargo?

There are many reasons why cargo and freight may be unclaimed. For example:

• Logistical disruptions that result in late arrivals. For things like perishables and seasonal items, this could mean the shipment arrives too late to be useful.
• High costs. If storage, customs charges and demurrage exceed the value of the cargo, it is cheaper for businesses to abandon cargo than to claim it.
• Insolvency. If a buyer or consignee cannot afford the shipment or becomes bankrupt, they’ll often abandon cargo.
• Refusal of shipments. If goods arrived damage or not as described, disputes between buyers and sellers can leave cargo unclaimed.
• Unreachable recipients. Sometimes, the recipient of the cargo isn’t contactable. After a few weeks, cargo is considered unclaimed.

So, who takes responsibility for this unclaimed or abandoned cargo?

Once it is suspected that cargo will need to be stored pending claim, shipping logistics providers will store the cargo for a designated number of days. For shipped goods, this is 45 days; for goods imported by other means, 20 days. Once these days are up, the goods are considered officially unclaimed. From here, many things could happen to that unclaimed cargo and freight:

– The shipping containers may be sold to third parties

– The cargo may be auctioned off

– The containers will be destroyed by a cargo and freight disposal service provider, such as Shred Station

– If the cargo has been seized by Border Forces, HMRC, or the National Crime Agency, it is forfeited to the Crown and kept at HM Warehouses. Once no longer needed for evidence, the cargo and freight containers are destroyed.

It’s not certain how many goods are eventually destroyed. Unfortunately, with many cargo and freight disposal services, goods are destroyed and sent straight to landfill.

How can Shred Station help with abandoned or unclaimed cargo?

Shred Station’s Special Projects team has extensive experience managing abandoned cargo, from rotten fruit containers to electronics. For abandoned cargo, we will handle all waste according to environmental regulations, recycling or reusing everything possible. Where goods are not reusable or recyclable, we will incinerate them under strict controls at Energy from Waste plants. The energy generated in the incineration process is then fed back into the National Grid. Shred Station is proud to be a CarbonNeutral® certified company, and our cargo and freight disposal services are kept as green as possible, too. Our trucks are eco-friendly, ensuring minimal emissions are released during transit. We also optimise our transport routes to ensure maximum fuel efficiency.

If you are looking for a secure, eco-friendly, and safe way of disposing of cargo and freight, we can help. Get in touch today to see how we can help you.