How to get rid of business waste

Anyone who produces, carries, keeps, disposes of, treats, imports or has control of waste in England or Wales must make sure waste is:

• kept safely
• dealt with responsibly
• only given to authorised businesses

This is called the waste ‘duty of care’. 

Check the government's waste duty of care code of practice for guidance on how to meet the standards.

Business waste collection

If you run a business, you must use a waste carrier registered with the Environment Agency. 

They should give you the right documents. These include waste transfer notes and a waste contract.

We provide registered commercial waste and recycling collection services for local businesses.

If you have further questions about waste collection and recycling, you can call the Environment Agency on 0800 807 060 (find out about call charges).

Business waste disposal

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out your duty of care with regard to disposal of your waste. This duty of care applies to any business which produces, imports, keeps/stores, transports, treats or disposes of waste.

Your responsibilities

It is the responsibility of a business to check that the person removing their waste is authorised and/or licensed by the Environment Agency.

This could be a private company or a collection service by the Waste Collection Authority (WCA). Businesses who employ unlicensed waste carriers to dispose of their waste are committing an offence. Unlicensed waste carriers can be responsible for fly-tipping (dumping waste) which can pose dangers to public health, wildlife and the environment.

Labelling

Your business waste must be described fully and accurately on a document called a Waste Transfer Note (WTN), receipts or invoices for each waste stream.

The purpose of this is to ensure that anybody who comes into contact with it knows what the waste is and whether it is safe to handle. The WTN must be signed by both the producer and the carrier and copies are required to be kept by both parties for a minimum of two years.

The Council’s enforcement officers patrol the area and can serve a legal Notice to the business requiring them to provide copies of the waste transfer document for a specific period.

Fines

If you do not dispose of your waste legally you could face fixed penalty fines of up to £600, or fines of up to £5000 if you are prosecuted in a magistrate’s court. Unlimited fines can be imposed if the case goes to Crown Court.

If your waste includes substances that may be hazardous, for example chemicals or drugs, the person who removes the waste must be informed of any potential risks and be qualified to remove it.

A Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of up to £600 can be issued if you fail to produce waste transfer documents to an authorised officer. If the FPN isn't paid, the magistrates court can then impose fines up to to £5,000, or unlimited on indictment.

Find out more about your responsibilities on GOV.UK.

Businesses must not:

• take business waste home
• put it in street litter bins
• dispose of their recycling in public recycling banks. as these are illegal disposal routes.

How we check your waste disposal arrangements

As part of our goal to improve the environment Southwark Council, officers will be undertaking trade waste inspections to businesses across the Borough.

Enforcement Officers will be visiting during business hours and will enquire about the waste disposal arrangements.

Business owners will be required to supply the appropriate documentation and may be issued with a notice to provide the documentation within 7 days.

Failure to provide the appropriate documentation could result in a Fixed Penalty Notice been issued.

Arrange for the collection of commercial waste

You can contact Southwark Waste Management Team to arrange a collection:

Email: commercialwaste@southwark.gov.uk

Tel: 0207 525 2779