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Waste and recycling
Householders duty of care
Householders must take responsibility for waste or risk fines
New changes which came into effect on 21st November 2005, place a 'Duty of Care' on all householders to ensure that their waste is passed on to authorised carriers only.
Those householders failing to take reasonable measures to do so could face fines of up to £5,000.
Registered waste carriers, other than the local council, can now be found :
- on the 'Waste Carrier Register' section of the Environment Agency website (www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publicregister)
- or by telephoning the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506
When arranging for a contractor or tradesman to remove waste from your home, you should consider the following :
- Consider whether the contractor falls into one of the following categories: all building and allied trades; house clearers; retail establishments; and scrap metal dealers. These are occupations that will normally need a waste carriers registration.
- Ask the contractor whether they are a registered waste carrier and ask for their waste carrier number. If they are not registered, refuse the service and advise them they need to speak with the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506.
- If they claim to be registered, telephone the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506 and request an instant Waste Carrier Validation Check, or online at the 'Waste Carrier Register' section of the Environment Agency website (www.environment-agency.gov.uk/publicregister)
