Your legal duty to manage business waste
All businesses have a legal duty to manage their waste responsibly. This means storing, handling, recycling and disposing of waste in a way that does not harm people or the environment.
What the law says
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Section 34) sets out your legal responsibilities. You must:
- store and transport waste securely
- make sure your waste does not cause pollution or harm
- use authorised waste carriers
- complete and keep waste transfer notes for at least 2 years
- separate paper, cardboard, glass, cans and plastic for recycling
If someone else takes your waste away, you must check they are authorised to do so.
What this means for your business
- you are responsible for the waste your business produces
- you must not use domestic bins, litter bins or Household Waste Recycling Centres
- you must pay for your own waste collections - business waste is not covered by Non-Domestic Rates
We check that businesses follow these rules to make sure waste costs are paid by the producer, not the taxpayer.