Businesses are under a legal obligation to take all reasonable steps to make sure wastes are managed and disposed of in accordance with the law. This duty of care is imposed on waste holders under section 34 Environmental Protection Act 1990. It requires steps to be taken, regardless of who may act as a dealer or broker in waste, to follow the legal obligations imposed on them.
It may be an offence for any person not to comply with the obligations imposed on them under this duty of care.
If you see wastes from business not being managed properly and you consider this is causing a nuisance or is detrimental to the locality, report this using the form below.
Any information we ask you to provide on this form will only be used to help us to take action.
If you have -
- photos
- mobile video
- CCTV footage
on what you are reporting to us, keep this safe. You will be asked to provide this once you have completed this form.
You can use the below form to report businesses causing problems such as -
- disposing of their wastes in household bins
- who do not have a bin
- failing to use the bins provided
- placing excess wastes on, or by bins
- burning wastes
You cannot use this form to report -
- missed collections
- arranging or dealing with missed bulky collections
- bin lids open
- heavy bins
- bins not presented
- bins left on highway following collections
- damaged bins
- presenting excess waste for collection by the side of the bin
- contaminated recycling bins
- requests for replacement or additional bins
- assisted collections
- collections points
If you are reporting more than one property you will need to raise a separate request for each property.
Report business waste collection problems
What happens next
An officer will attempt to contact you in your response to your complaint to -
- confirm your request has been received
- clarify the information provided
- confirm the action that may be taken
If any business is found to be failing to provide appropriate receptacles to ensure wastes do not cause a nuisance, or be being detrimental to the amenities of the locality, a decision may be taken to serve an enforcement notice. If served, this would specify the steps that must be taken by the business to ensure wastes are responsibly managed and securely contained between collections. Failure to comply with any notice served is an offence.
If any business is found to not have lawful arrangements in place with an authorised person, for the disposal or recycling of wastes, there will be further enforcement action.
Penalties
If you have evidence to help us to act to deal with waste collection problems from any business this may result in -
- fixed penalty
- prosecution and a maximum penalty of unlimited fine
- recovery of investigation and clean-up costs