Householders Duty of Care

Householders now have responsibility under current law to dispose of their waste correctly, by using appropriate bins and boxes at home, using household waste recycling centres or registered waste carriers who are authorised to clear waste.

Points to remember for collections

• All waste should be contained within bins and boxes and lids should be closed.

• Waste should not be left by the side of the bins, as it will not be taken by the refuse and recycling crews

• Bins and recycling boxes should be placed at the kerbside by 06.30 on the collection day

• Bins and boxes should be returned to within the property boundary at the end of the collection day

• Bins and/or boxes should not be contaminated with the wrong waste – this will lead to the waste not being collected and your bin and/or boxes being removed.

 Other disposal options.

As a householder you are able to take any excess waste you are unable to fit in your bins to your local household recycling centre. Details of your local site can be found on the Council website.

Residents who are undertaking a house clearance, no matter how small amount there is or you are intending to pay someone to remove waste from their home should be mindful of their responsibilities as a householder.

Every person who is paid to take away your waste, on your behalf, has to be authorised to do so by the Environment Agency. This means people who carry waste must have a Waste Carriers Licence. As a householder you have to ensure the person taking your waste away for you has a licence.

Details of registered carriers can be found on the Environment Agencies public register at

http://www2.environment-agency.gov.uk/epr/search.asp.

Enforcement

Enforcement action can be taken against anyone who is found not to be following the councils’ guidelines, as detailed above. Failure to comply with the guidelines will generally result in a fixed penalty notice being issued or for more serious cases a prosecution could be taken in line with the Environment Protection Act 1990.

Householders will be given three warnings before a fine is issued for leaving bins on the street but if the instructions are not followed a fixed penalty notice of £100 can be issued to you.

As a householder, you do not ensure the person removing your waste has a licence, and your waste is found flytipped and is tracked back to you, you can be issued with a fixed penalty notice of £100. In serious cases a fine would not be issued but a prosecution case may be taken. People who remove waste for householders who do not have a waste carriers licence can receive a fine of £300. The person who flytipped the waste would also be liable for enforcement action being taken.

If the fine is not paid within the specified time period further enforcement action would be taken.

Further Information

If you don’t have anywhere to keep your bins/boxes, please contact the waste management team in 01327 871100 so a suitable solution can be found for you.

If you don't know how to use the bins and boxes correctly, and would like further information, please contact us on 01327 871100 to arrange a home visit.