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Every business must make sure that the waste it produces or handles is stored, transported, treated, reprocessed and disposed of safely. Businesses who use a third party to collect and dispose of their waste must make sure that they are authorised to do so.
Businesses will be asked to show proof that they have commercial waste collections. Any business unable to produce evidence on the day will be issued a notice giving them a further seven days to produce the evidence. If they fail to do this, they will then be issued a £300 fixed penalty notice.
Businesses should follow these simple steps to make sure waste is disposed of legally:
- S – Suspect all waste carriers. Don't let them take your waste until they have proven themselves to be legitimate. A professional waste carrier should happily answer reasonable questions.
- C – Check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency's website.
- R – Refuse any unexpected offers to have your rubbish taken away.
- A – Ask what will happen to your rubbish and seek evidence that it is going to be disposed of appropriately.
- P – Paperwork must be obtained - a proper invoice, waste transfer note or receipt, including a description of the waste being removed and the waste carrier’s contact details.
Councillor Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council’s executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, said: “We’re grateful to the majority of businesses for being responsible by dealing with their waste legally and in the proper manner. Those that do not and break the law will face severe penalties. We are determined to do all we can to keep unsightly litter off our streets and reduce fly-tipping to make North Somerset a greener place to be.
“Laws governing trade waste were introduced over 30 years ago, so businesses should be aware of their responsibilities. We hope that the duty of care spot check visits will serve as a helpful reminder of these important rules.
“This activity is also intended to help reduce the higher levels of litter seen along our coastline and waterways, which we know has had an impact on our water quality.”
Businesses are also being reminded that commercial waste cannot be presented and disposed of using the Council’s household waste collection service or at its recycling centres.
Advice about trade waste is available on the council’s website www.n-somerset.gov.uk/businesswaste
ENDS
- North Somerset Council has contracted specialist environmental enforcement company Local Authority Support to carry out the business waste spot checks on their behalf. This is in addition to the delivery of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) which includes issuing fines for littering and dog fouling.
- Businesses who do not correctly deal with their waste can be given a fixed penalty of up to £300 for offences under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. For offences under section 47, businesses can also be given a fixed penalty of £110.
- Failure to make sure that a third party is properly registered to dispose of waste can result in a fine of up to £5,000 if convicted.
- A conviction for fly-tipping can result in an unlimited fine and/or imprisonment.
- Any business or contractor who carries waste must register with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier. They must keep records for a minimum of two years for all waste they produce, transfer and/or dispose of.