New requirement for compliance with the Duty of Care regulation

A recent YouGov survey highlighted that a staggering 80% of SMEs are unaware of the Pre-Treatment regulations that became effective at the end of October 2007.

There is now a legal requirement for all waste producers to make changes to the way waste is managed in order to improve our environment.  All non-hazardous solid business-related waste must now be treated before disposal.  What this means in practice is waste stream segregation.

The Government are also currently reviewing the existing Duty of Care Regulations 1991, and it is likely that this review will lead to a new legal framework for all waste producers and carriers sometime in the near future.

What is the new requirement?
Waste producers are required to segregate hazardous from non-hazardous wastes and all wastes must be pre-treated before being disposed to landfill.

Who is affected?
Both the producers of waste and those who accept the waste are affected by these new regulations.

What do I need to do next?

To comply with these regulations, there are some simple things you can do. You can either separate your waste into various streams yourself at source (i.e. collect materials such as paper and cardboard separately) or, the materials can be separated out after collection but before disposal, with one more of materials being recycled. 

Your choice of system will depend on a number of factors, but you will need to employ one or a mix of systems in order to comply with the regulations AND be able to produce verifiable evidence of this pre-treatment to the environment agency if required. 

It is estimated that approximately a third of all SMEs currently take their business waste home for domestic recycling which is actually illegal and companies doing this are strongly advised to review their waste management policies.

Paperchasers can provide a range of bespoke solutions to meet your recycling needs and will also manage all the administration for you to ensure that your business remains legally compliant.   For more information or to arrange a free no obligation consultancy, please contact us today.