Your Legal Responsibilities
Your Waste, Your Responsibility.
Trade Waste is defined as waste arising from any trade, business, industrial or commercial activity and includes waste created from work in someone else’s home.
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 all businesses have a legal ‘Duty of Care’ to take reasonable steps to ensure their waste is stored and disposed of safely.
To comply with your duty of care you must:
store and transport your waste appropriately and securely so it does not escape
check that your waste is transported and handled by people or businesses that are authorised to do so
complete waste transfer notes (WTNs) to document all waste you transfer and keep them as a record for at least two years
For further informtion about business responsibilities regarding waste including 'duty of care', please use the following links:
Link to waste responsibilites section of the Environment Agency,
Net Regs shows infromation your waste responsibilities, and are provided by business type.
Business Links - provides guidence on how to meet your legal requirements
Some key legislation that your business should be aware of are
Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011
Waste Electircal and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations
Where can I dispose of my trade waste?
You CAN dispose of your business waste:
through a licensed waste collection company
at a licensed waste transfer station or disposal site
You CANNOT dispose of your business waste:
in household waste/wheelie bins
at a Council run Recycling & Household Waste Site
at an unlicensed waste site
through an unlicensed waste carrier
You can dispose of your trade waste by taking it to a transfer station (charges apply). Leicestershire County Council operate a licenced transfer station in Whetstone,
Alternatively there is a wide range of private waste disposal and recycling services available to businesses, including transfer stations and collection services, for all types of commercial and trade waste. Many are listed in telephone and online directories. Try looking under headings such as waste disposal, recycling, computer recycling, oil waste disposal, asbestos removal or tyre recycling and disposal.
Your District Council may be able to provide a trade waste collection service. Contact them directly for details of costs and areas covered.
Alternatively visit the NetRegs online directory to search for business recycling and waste disposal services near you.