In Hertfordshire there has been a new crackdown on the dumping of commercial waste in Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). The council and their partner contractors have put a restriction on van drivers using the centres in a bid to reduce trade waste being dumped on their household waste sites. This change came into play in January and the scheme works on a permitting basis which requires the drivers of more commercial vehicles, such as vans, pickups and vehicles with trailers, to sign up to a free pass for their waste disposal.
The permit will last 12 months and this allows them to visit any of the HWRCs in the authority area up to 12 times. Any more than this and then the permit will have to be returned to the site operator and then their use of the sites will be checked. There is real hope this will stop the misuse of the HWRCs by trade drivers and business people, who, by all rights should be paying for the disposal of their waste or utilising specialist companies who deal with commercial waste.
Commercial vs Household Waste
It is illegal to dispose of commercial waste, in any form, in household waste centres including household bins and recycling bins. Discovery of illegal dumping can result in company or individual prosecution and businesses are obliged by law to store, transport and dispose of their own business waste without causing any harm to the environment or human health. These guidelines are laid out in the Environmental Protection Act (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991.
As a business owner it is important to appear socially responsible and to be aware of your requirements when it comes to managing your business waste, whether that’s the content of your waste paper bins or your old IT equipment.
With this crackdown in Hertfordshire we wouldn’t be surprised if other councils soon follow suit. Recycling in London differs greatly from local authority to local authority but the legal requirements remain the same and the system now in place in Hertfordshire is worth keeping an eye on to see if it’s a success.
When it comes to your businesses need not worry as Buy IT Back ensure at least this aspect of your recycling is handled with care and responsibility. Using Buy IT Back ensures you not only get some money back on your old equipment, you also get to be safe in the knowledge it has been disposed of responsibly and hasn’t been simply dumped at the side of your local HWRC.
