Since 2004 the rules on disposing Hazardous waste have changed significantly, affecting more and more small businesses. All businesses now have a duty of care under the Landfill Directive to dispose of waste correctly, with the threat of fines up to £5000 if you dispose of waste wrongly.
Under the current regulations, you need to be absolutely certain whether any parts of your waste could be classified as hazardous; as since July 2004 it has been illegal to dispose hazardous waste at the same landfill as non-hazardous waste. These restrictions have led to a huge reduction in the number of landfill sites accepting hazardous waste, and have pushed costs up; especially as more items than ever are now classed as hazardous.
What Waste is Hazardous?
A growing number of wastes are classed as hazardous; varying from immediately damaging to those causing long term health or environmental problems. There are two main categories of hazardous waste, “absolute entries” and “mirror entries”. An absolute entry is automatically classed as hazardous, whereas a mirror entry is classed as hazardous only if present above a certain concentration or amount.
Many common business items now count as hazardous or partially hazardous; these include computer monitors, televisions and fluorescent lighting tubes. This means that almost all small businesses will at some point need to comply with hazardous waste regulations.
Manufacturing businesses are likely to have more hazardous waste than other small businesses, but it is vital that you know where you stand; even if just to confirm that you do not produce hazardous waste.
Since the 16th July 2005, any business that produces or disposes of hazardous waste must make sure that the waste meets the set Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). If you produce or move any waste classed as hazardous you are also now required to notify the Environment Agency of the premises at which this occurs.
The types of waste your business disposes of will affect the action you need to take; we recommend you contact your waste contractor to find out what you need to do.
If you do not currently have a waste contractor we recommend you speak to other local businesses and get recommendations for a reliable contractor. Be wary of cheap unlicensed contractors that do not dispose of waste properly, using these could result in large fines for breaching waste regulations.
Saving Money
As hazardous waste costs more to dispose of than standard waste; you could potentially save money by limiting the amount of hazardous waste you produce, especially if your current levels are high.
If there is an alternative to producing hazardous waste, check whether it could save you money in disposal costs.
Avoid disposing of non-hazardous items with hazardous items. Make sure you know exactly which items are hazardous, and only put those items in the hazardous pile/skip. Putting standard waste in the hazardous pile will cost you more.
Under the new regulations, a large number of small businesses are now required to monitor and register their hazardous waste. It is vital that you know whether waste you produce is hazardous, and if so, what you need to do to dispose of it legally.
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Since 2004 the rules on disposing Hazardous waste have changed significantly, affecting more and more small businesses. All businesses now have a duty of care under the Landfill Directive to dispose of waste correctly, with the threat of fines up to £5000 if you dispose of waste wrongly.
