The hidden legal complexity of dealing with business waste

There is increasing awareness of the impact that businesses (and consumers) can have on the environment as a result of the waste they produce. However many businesses will be blissfully unaware of the rules and regulations that surround the collection and management of that waste, this is in many ways down to waste management services such as Hills Waste Solutions, who make it look easy.

However underpinning this logistical operation is a myriad of legislation to control what, how and where we operate, to help protect the environment, public health, and those who work within the waste industry. Details of some of the key legislation that underpins the waste industry can be found here.

Importantly, this legislation also extends to the waste producers, or businesses around the UK. And many may be unaware of their obligations.

For example, each business that produces waste needs to ensure that the relevant permits are obtained, that the paperwork, e.g. waste transfer notes, are obtained and that any testing of materials is carried out by qualified organisations prior to collection. Failure to comply could result in significant penalties being imposed on the business. 

And the regulatory landscape is changing all the time. For example, recently we have had a change with one of the regulatory position statements relating to wood waste being withdrawn, which means that a wider range of wood waste is now required to be tested by the waste producer to identify if any hazardous material is present. This is required before it can be collected to ensure that the material is disposed of in the correct manner.

This change will potentially place an additional burden on a wider range of businesses financially, with many businesses being from the building services industry.

It is hoped that as a result of this change we don’t see an increase in fly tipping, affecting the very environment we are trying to protect with this legislation.

So businesses do need to take care with who they use to collect their waste and its always sensible to use reliable and trustworthy organisations. 

Should you have any question relating to waste management then please contact our Customer Support Team on 0808 145 4533.