Everyone's Responsibility (from the DEFRA website)

Householder Duty of Care: If you are a householder and you are passing waste onto someone who is not the dustman or the local council, you are now under an obligation to check that the person you are handing your waste to is authorised to take it. If you are not sure whether someone is authorised you can check this with your local Environment Agency office or check online at

http://www2.environment-agency.gov.uk/epr/search.asp

Waste – Duty of Care

The duty of care is a law which says that you must take all reasonable steps to keep waste safe. If you give waste to someone else, you must be sure they are authorised to take it and can transport, recycle or dispose of it safely.

Who has authority to take waste?

Council waste collectors - You don't have to do any checking, but if you are not a householder, you will have to complete some paperwork.

Registered waste carriers - Most carriers of waste have to be registered with the Environment Agency. To be sure that you are giving waste to a registered carrier, look at the carrier's certificate of registration or check with the Environment Agency. Alternatively, you can access a list of registered waste carriers at: http://www2.environment-agency.gov.uk/epr/search.asp .