As of January 2014, the law changed regarding how waste is carried. Now, as a waste carrier, broker or dealer, you must register your business with the government, even if it is only in small quantities.
This includes transporting waste, as well as buying, selling and disposing of waste, whether that is yourself or arranging it on behalf of someone else.
You can be fined up to £5,000 if you do not register, so click here to start the application process.
Registration is normally free if you transport waste that you have produced yourself; otherwise, it will cost you £154.
What do I need to register for a waste carriers licence?
In order to register, you will need:
- Names and dates of births of the organisation’s owners, executives, partners and/or directors
- Any environmental offences they have committed
- An appropriate payment method (debit or credit card)
Once registered, you will appear on the official list of registered waste carriers, brokers and dealers. Your customers can then check that you have the correct licences in place.
Renewing your waste carrier licence
As part of the registration process, you will be told whether your application is upper tier or lower tier.
Your application will be considered lower tier if you:
- Carry waste that you have produced unless it is construction or demolition waste
- Carry, arrange or deal in animal by-products, waste from mines and quarries or agricultural processes
- Are a charity or volunteer organisation
Lower tier organisations may also refer to a waste collection, disposal or regulation authority.
If you do not meet any of the above criteria, then the chances are, your application will be considered an upper tier one.
This will also include examples, such as:
- Transporting other people’s waste (e.g. a skip company)
- Carrying construction and/or demolition waste
- Acting as a broker (i.e. arranging for waste for other businesses to be recovered, transported and/or disposed of)
- Working as a dealer (i.e. buying and selling waste, either yourself or through an agency)
If you or your business is upper tier, then you will need to renew your application every three years, at a cost of £105.
If you or your business is lower tier, there is no requirement to renew your registration.
How much does it cost to change your details on a waste carrier licence?
If any of the following details change, then you must inform the Environment Agency within 28 days of the changes:
- Contact details (i.e. phone number(s), postal and email address(es))
- Management
- Someone in your organisation is convicted of an environmental offence
- Your organisation changes the type of work they do (i.e. you are a registered carrier, but then you become a broker and/or a dealer).
It will cost you £40 to make any changes to your registration.
Can I be required to make a new registration?
You are legally required to make a new registration application if any of the following occur:
- Your business type legally changes (e.g. from a sole trader to a limited company)
- You change tier (i.e. from upper to lower or visa versa)
It will cost you £154 to make a new application.
If you are unsure of what to do or have any questions, you should contact the Environment Agency. You will need to quote your registration number, which you can find on your registration letter or email, and will start with ‘CB’.
Hire a professional company
If this sounds like a lot of hassle and additional stress, we have the solution for you.
Here at RecycleZone, we are one of the largest rubbish removal companies in the UK and have a full waste carrier certified licence. Our fully vetted and trusted teams of professionals up and down the country are on hand to remove all kinds of junk, from heavy, unwanted appliances, to garden and domestic waste.
No matter how big or small the job is, our team of experts are available at times to suit your convenience and budget at a time that suits you. We are available seven days a week for one-off rubbish collections as well as recurring waste collection services.
To find out more about the services we can offer you, get in touch. We’ll be able to offer you a free no-obligation quote.
Feature image photo by Jilbert Ebrahimi on Unsplash.