PWP licence and registration
As of 1 January 2016, the Reuse Network Product Weight Protocol (PWP), formally known as the FRN Average Weights List, requires the purchase of an annual licence from the Reuse Network.
Friday 05th February 2021

Posted on the 19th February 2019
If you’ve ever donated an item of upholstered furniture, furnishings or other products containing upholstery to a charity, you’ve most likely been asked the question “does it have its fire safety label attached?”
But what exactly is a fire safety label? How can you find it, and more importantly, how do you know if the label is legally compliant?
Permanent fire safety labels are legally required on upholstered items and furnishing such as a sofa, with the intention of letting people know that the item complies with British Fire Safety Regulations. Many upholstered items contain foams, fillings and other materials, that could potentially be flammable and because of this, items must have set levels of fire resistance determined through a series of flammability tests.
The fire regulations state that:
Mattresses, divans and bed base fire regulations are covered under a separate British Standard, more information on it can be found in further information and advice at the end of this guide.
To be able to donate your upholstered item to a charity, the permanent fire safety label must be attached – otherwise they will not be able to take it from you. Please keep your fire safety labels attached to your items of furniture for this reason!
Permanent labels can come in two formats and will typically look like the following examples provided by FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association):
When furniture is sold as a collection of items (such as sofa and two armchairs) the permanent label must be present on each individual item. Permanent labels can also sometimes be incorporated with other labels, such as the care label.
The labels can typically be found sewn in under a cushion, or on the edges of an item. Sometimes the labels can also be found underneath the item too.
The fire labels for mattresses, divans and bed bases are covered by a separate piece of legislation – BS 7177. They typically look like the following label:
The label on mattresses and bed bases are usually sewn in and located at the bottom of the item.
Unfortunately you will not be able to donate your item to charity without the fire label attached. Charities would be breaking the law if they collected it from you and sold the item to another person without the assurance it is safe.
FIRA, Furniture Flammability Advice for Consumers: https://www.fira.co.uk/product/furniture-flammability-advice-for-consumers
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/1324/contents/made
Fire Safety Advice Centre, Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988/1989, 1993 and 2010: https://www.firesafe.org.uk/furniture-and-furnishings-fire-safety-regulations-19881989-and-1993/
As of 1 January 2016, the Reuse Network Product Weight Protocol (PWP), formally known as the FRN Average Weights List, requires the purchase of an annual licence from the Reuse Network.
Friday 05th February 2021
We are looking forward to getting together on 11 October to celebrate the successes of the network and the people working in our sector.
Tuesday 09th August 2022
Early Bird Tickets for our Reuse Network Annual Conference are now live!
Thursday 28th July 2022