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Waste - your duty of care

Your waste is your responsibility, this applies if you are a business or a household.

Households

If you produce more rubbish than can go in your green bin or the green sacks we provide, you are responsible for disposing of it through an authorised person only or taking it to the tip (Household Waste Recycling Centre).

Please remember that your rubbish is your responsibility. If you have any extra rubbish or furniture to dispose of you need to make sure that the person who takes it is authorised to do so, to prevent it being dumped or disposed of incorrectly.

Be especially careful if arranging the collection of waste over social media – for tip-runs and ‘man with a van’ services. If you don’t make the necessary checks and the items are found dumped, you could be given a fixed penalty notice of £200 or a much higher penalty in court.

We no longer offer a bulky items collection service but we do work with local firm RB Recycling [01723 582589]. Other providers are available.

REMEMBER if you pay anyone to take your waste away, you must check they’re licensed. A legitimate waste carrier will not object to you asking for proof.

You can do this by:

  • Asking to see a copy of their Environment Agency Waste Carriers Permit
  • Asking for their waste carriers number and then checking the Environment Agency waste carrier register either over the phone or online; www.gov.uk/access-the-public-register-for-environmental-information
  • You should keep a copy of the waste transfer note and/or receipt before your waste is taken away
  • You should keep a copy of the vehicle registration and make etc.

Businesses

All businesses large or small have a duty of care for the waste they produce. This means the waste needs to be kept secure and tidy and passed to authorised persons only for disposal. The authorised person you use will then provide you with a waste transfer note, describing the waste they are collecting. You need to keep these notes for at least two years to prove you are disposing of your waste correctly. If you do not you could be issued with a fixed penalty notice and/or court action. If you do not use an authorised person and they dispose of your waste inappropriately you too could face enforcement action.