Permits for small business owners
re3 is inviting small local businesses to take part in a trade waste disposal and recycling trial at the re3 Recycling Centres. The new trade waste service is available to micro-sized businesses operating in the re3 area of Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham Borough Councils who produce small amounts of waste of a similar nature to householders. Find out more by visiting the re3 website.
Your responsibility as a business
All businesses have a legal 'duty of care' to dispose of any waste safely and within law. Failure to do so can result in big fines or prosecution. Visit the UK Government website for advice about disposing of business or commercial waste.
You can be fined £300 for failure of duty or prosecuted if your waste is found fly-tipped and traced back to you.
If you don't comply, you could be fined £5,000 on conviction in a magistrate’s court, or face an unlimited fine if convicted in a crown court.
- Legal 'duty of care' that any waste produce is handled safely and within law
- Applies to businesses who produce, import, transport, store, treat or dispose of controlled waste
- Commercial and industrial wastes, including hazardous/special wastes, are classified as ‘controlled waste’
- For information on asbestos removal visit the Contractors Association website
Home-based businesses
Waste disposal and collection
Waste collection and disposal is not included in Business Rates.
Waste should only be transferred to someone authorised to receive it, e.g. a licensed / permitted waste contractor or waste management site.
Make sure your waste removal contractor is registered
You must make sure that anyone you use to remove waste from your property is authorised to do so.
Ask any waste carrier to:
- Provide you with their full address and telephone number
- Show you their waste carrier licence - if they don't have one, don't use them
- Tell you where your waste will be taken to - it must be a licensed waste disposal site
Keep a record of you waste collections
You must keep documentary evidence of your waste management (and possibly environmental permits, depending on quantities and types of waste.)
Make sure that you have your copy of the Commercial Waste Contract and Duty of Care Agreement on your premises. Tell your employees where it can be found, in your absence. The fixed penalty for not having valid documentation for your commercial waste is £300.
