Every commercial concern creates business waste. Whether you are a shop, industrial operator of a restaurant you will produce rubbish from your business.

This refuse may not just be created at your commercial premises but could be the result of work that has been undertaken at your home. For example, if you are building an extension or refurbishing your house. There will no doubt be rubble and earth to be potentially removed, or packaging from all the materials that will arrive on site. If rubbish and waste is created due to commercial reasons, then there is a legal obligation that these materials are disposed of correctly and in accordance with the law. This will in include rubbish created in a rental property that then needs to be disposed of by the landlord or letting agent. Any waste brought to a recycling centre by anyone other than the home owner needs to be disposed of correct and paid for.

What about if you have a home-based business? This would be defined as trade waste and would require proper disposal as set out in the Controlled Waste Regulations 2012.

You as the business owner have the legally responsibility to comply with the Regulations an ensure that waste produced by your business, regardless of whether it is home based or not, is stored, as well as transported and disposed of correctly. Also this needs to be recorded.

If you decide that you will dispose of your waste yourself, then you need to be registered as a waste carrier. If you decide to engage a company to dispose of your commercial and trade waste, then you need to ensure that that they are a licensed carrier.

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