What to Do with Disused Metal Corner Brackets
Old disused railway Metal corner brackets that contains sleeper wood are problematic wood waste and must be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner – i.e. in waste incineration plants (KVA), cement works or other suitable waste wood incineration plants.
It is forbidden to burn railway metal corner brackets or other treated wood in wood stoves, fireplaces or outdoors. Railway metal corner brackets should also not be crushed by private individuals. In both cases, pollutants would be released.
If you want to get rid of used railway metal corner brackets, first contact the local authority or the regional waste telephone. If the local or regional information center cannot help, please contact the cantonal environmental protection office.
It is also possible to inquire about the acceptance conditions directly at the nearest waste incineration plant. Not every waste incineration plant has the capacity to incinerate railway sleepers.
Recommendations for renovation
There is no obligation to renovate, as the risk of cancer is very low even after repeated skin contact. For reasons of precaution, those who already have old Railway metal corner brackets should only use them where regular direct skin contact is not to be expected.
For the same reasons, renovation is recommended if used railway metal corner brackets are used that lead to regular direct skin contact, e.g.
- as garden furniture (benches, tables)
- on children’s playgrounds (edging of sandboxes, as toys, borders)
- in interiors (for chimneys; exposed beams, etc.) of apartments, garden houses, sheds.
- Renovations (by covering or replacing the sleepers with untreated or legally treated wood or with another material such as stone) are particularly indicated if tar oil is visibly leaking from the sleepers.
