Duty of care - managing your business waste

All businesses are required by law to manage and dispose of their waste responsibly.

Please note: It is an offence to put waste or recycling from a business into a domestic bin, or to take it to a recycling centre (tip).

How do I meet this responsibility?

You must comply with your Statutory Duty under Sect 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

You must take all reasonable steps to:

• prevent unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste
• prevent the escape of waste from your control
• ensure that any person you transfer the waste to has the correct authorisation and that the waste is being transferred to an authorised site. For more information visit GOV.UK - Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers
• ensure that an accurate description of the waste has been recorded by your authorised waste carrier by way of a Waste Transfer Note. 
• All waste transfer notes and contracts must be kept for two years
• You comply with simpler recycling legislation and separate out core recyclables and food waste from general waste

Apply for our waste collection service

The easiest way to ensure your waste is managed and disposed of responsibly is to apply for our business waste and recycling collection.

What happens if I don't manage my waste responsibly?

It is a criminal offence if you do not take all reasonable measures available to you to meet your duty of care. You could face prosecution and, on conviction, a fine and criminal record.