Your local council will now be able to fine you if you have not taken care to ensure that your waste is passed on to an authorised person. This could affect you if, for example, you've hired builders, gardeners or scrap metal merchants who take materials away from your house. If these materials get fly-tipped, you could be liable and could even get fined.
What should you do to make sure your waste is disposed of correctly?
If you hire contractors such as builders and allied trades, landscape gardeners, tree fellers and surgeons, house clearers, retail establishments or scrap metal merchants who are removing waste items from your property, these people will normally need a waste carrier registration.
Ask your contractor if they're a registered waste carrier and ask for their waste carrier number.
Contact us on 08708 506 506 and ask for a Waste Carrier Validation Check. You can also do this online by checking the Authorised Waste Carriers register. If your contractor is not registered, you should refuse their services and request that they seek advice from the Environment Agency.
Tackling fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is a serious problem in England and Wales. Dealing with the problem can cost £100-£150 million every year. This cost falls on taxpayers and private landowners. Fly-tipping adversely affects local environments, threatening the health of rivers and recreation areas and even reducing property prices in the area.
Protect yourself by downloading a leaflet (PDF, 2.01MB) and find out how to dispose of your waste correctly, avoid rogue traders and help stop fly-tipping.
Or view our cautionary tale, “Dump It and Leg It” which shows fly-tipping treated how it should be…in court.
If you see some rubbish that has been fly-tipped, contact your local council.
