The BBC recently aired the Panorama episode, Rubbish Dump Britain, which focused on the fly-tipping epidemic and how we can tackle it.
The findings were worrying.
Panorama revealed how the UK government’s licensing system for waste carriers is failing to stop fly-tipping. And, although every business that transports and disposes of waste in England must have a license with the Environment Agency, there are few checks on who gets a license.
This means you don’t even have to be a waste management company (WMC) to get one. And even when licensed, many WMCs are dumping the waste they collect rather than disposing of it ethically.
To prove this, Panorama filled a garage with rubbish that would be difficult to dispose of without paying landfill tax. Placed tracking devices inside it and asked a licensed firm to collect and dispose of it.
The result?
It was found in a country lane just off the A1
The waste management firm denied fly-tipping and blamed it on the waste carrier he subcontracted the job to.
So, with that in mind, even if you employ a waste management company, do you honestly know the fate of your business waste?
In 2018/19, English local authorities dealt with over 1-million fly-tipping incidents, which means this isn’t a small-time problem likely to go away anytime soon.
But the biggest concern is: that waste might belong to you and your business.
And regardless of whether you employ a waste management company, the consequences of your waste being fly-tipped could lead to you incurring:
And in extreme but let us stress, rare cases, you could receive a maximum fine of £50,000 and/or imprisonment.
Although you could take care of the waste yourself, this comes with its own problems. Not only will you have to make sure you’re taking it to a licensed waste facility. You’ll also need to apply for a waste carrier’s license from the Environmental Agency.
But there’s an easier way – a Certified Sustainable accreditation.
A Certified Sustainable accreditation gives you complete control over the fate of your waste. And not only is your business audited by one of the leading waste management experts in the industry. The waste management company you employ is audited too – so you’ll always know the fate of your waste.
Make sure your business and WMC don’t become another fly-tipping statistic.
Get a Certified Sustainable accreditation.
