The law requires anyone dealing with waste to keep it safe. They also need to make sure it’s dealt with in a responsible way. We call this the waste duty of care. For example, you have the duty of care to put waste in bins and not dumped on a public street.
If you pay a company to collect and dispose of your waste and they are not licenced, you may be fined £300.00. We call this fine a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).
Waste collectors need to have the right licence. This ensures that they promise to dispose of the waste in a safe and responsible way. Unfortunately, some waste collectors fly-tip. They do this to avoid paying fees.
This may cause pollution and environmental damage. Fly-tipping is costly and removals are paid for by Council Tax payers in Harrow.
Breaking any part of the duty of care carries an unlimited fine. This applies in the magistrates’ court or the Crown Court.
What you do to make sure waste collectors are licenced
There are steps you can take to make sure your waste removal is responsible:
- ask them to provide you with their full address and telephone number
- ask to see their waste carrier licence. It will be issued by the Environment Agency (EA)
- visit the EA website for a free Waste Carrier Validation Check
- take a note of their vehicle's registration number
- ask for a full invoice and receipt
- ask what is going to happen to your waste. You could ask if it is going to be disposed of in a responsible way.