Guide to the Correct Disposal of Non-Hazardous Waste for UK Businesses |
Posted: May 12, 2014 |
Businesses in the UK have a legal obligation to deal responsibly with the waste they generate – this is called the ‘duty of care’. Since Government is getting increasingly stringent about correct waste management, it is more important than ever to ensure you understand the rules when it comes to waste disposal. From effective balers for recycling and sorting waste, to an easy explanation of waste transfer notes, the following guide will help your company to tackle waste legally so that you never face penalties.
In previous guides I have described the importance of correct waste classification, particularly since hazardous waste brings with it a number of added paperwork and legal obligations. For the purpose of this guide however, we will discuss the most common type of waste produced by every UK business, namely non-hazardous waste. The first thing to understand about waste disposal as a UK company is that you will need to fill in a waste transfer note for each load of non-hazardous business and commercial waste that you move off your business premises. Waste transfer notes e part of the process that you’re dealing with your waste according to legal guidelines.
Both your business and the company removing the waste from your premises will need to fill in sections of each waste transfer note, sign them and keep a copy for 2 years. This documentation also needs to be on hand if an enforcement officer from your local council or the Environment Agency asks you to produce it. Whereas traditionally waste transfer notes were a mountain of inconvenient paper that UK businesses had to fill out and store, luckily you can now do it online by registering your company with the national Electronic Duty of Care (EDOC) programme. You will also be able to get a seasonal ticket so that you can complete waste transfer notes for a series of waste loads. Do be aware that businesses based in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have different procedures to follow for waste disposal. In order for the waste disposal company to fill in and sign their part of the waste transfer notes online, they will also need to be registered with the EDOC programme. If they are not, you have two options, namely to invite them to register by select ‘registration invitations’ in the ‘business’ menu of the website, or to download the related waste transfer notes for them to fill out and sign on paper. When filling out waste transfer notes, you will need to have the following details to hand:
Filling out waste transfer notes is crucial for every UK business when it comes to the legal disposal of the waste they generate. A final tip is to to buy or rent balers for recycling and efficient sorting of your waste – these useful machines not only allow you to separate waste correctly, they also effectively compact waste into tidy bales which reduces the fees your company pays for waste disposal.
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