Commercial waste disposal

For details of schemes that can help businesses to dispose of their waste, please select the 'business waste' link in the menu bar.

Please note: it is illegal to tip commercial/trade waste at any of Shropshire's household recycling centres.

The Duty of Care
From 1 April 1992, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 imposed a 'duty of care' on all businesses that are involved with the production and handling of waste, to ensure that the waste emanating from their premises is adequately stored, and correctly transported and disposed of. It applies throughout England, Scotland and Wales and to any person who produces, carries, treats, imports or disposes of controlled waste*.

*Controlled waste is household, commercial or industrial waste, such as waste from a house, shop, office, building site, factory or any other business premises.

Note: householders are exempt from the 'duty of care' legislation with respect to their normal household waste.

What businesses must do with their waste
Any business that produces controlled waste must take all reasonable steps to ensure that:

• the waste on their premises is safely contained in appropriate receptacles.
• they clear up spillages and waste being blown away, and steps should be taken to ensure this does not occur.
• the waste that they produce is transferred to a registered carrier or a waste disposal operator licensed to handle the type and quantity of waste involved.
• a transfer note is completed and jointly signed, with the person who is carrying the waste.
• their transfer note must describe the type of waste, how it is contained and how much there is of it.
• the owner of the business states their name on the transfer note as well as the company's name and address and whether they are the producer, carrier or disposer of the waste.
• they state the place of the transfer, the date and the time must also be provided on the transfer note.
• they keep a copy of the transfer note and this must be kept for a minimum of two years.

Repeated transfers of the same kind of waste between the same parties can be covered by one transfer note for up to one year. However if the business changes the details just once, a new transfer note must be prepared. Failure to comply with all of the above duties shall be liable to prosecution under section 34 (5) and (6) of the act.

For further information visit the Environment Agency website by following the link.

Construction and demolition waste
Large amounts of construction/demolition waste cannot be disposed of at the Household Recycling Centres. We advise you to use a skip service or authorised waste contractor to dispose of such waste.