Waste handlers and carriers' responsibilities must be policed more stringently

It is somewhat disillusioning, when you can have really good conversations on sites such as LJN about our collective responsibilities towards waste, how it's handled and disposed of, only to find that there does not appear to be a cohesive nor determined regulatory body upholding the responsibility of others.

I've just been reading the case of two men who seem to have flouted regulations over a prolonged period of time, in open breach of waste laws - and in clear view of anyone who wanted to monitor their activities.

In a news item on the Environment agency's website - Skip hire boss jailed after waste offences - it seems that it has taken nearly five years, since the first conviction of the directors, Andrew Benson and Kevin Brough, of Easy Skips (NE) Limited, to send Andrew Benson to prison for failure to a abide by the terms of a further conviction he received in August 2009.

Both men admitted to running an unlicensed waste transfer centre and not have a waste management licence or registered exemption.

Much of the waste recorded at their yard was green waste or soil which means, despite someone else taking their responsibilities seriously by seemingly paying for a legitimate waste removal company to take away their waste, the consequence was tantamount to fly tipping.

Replies

PRO

Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd January 13, 2011 at 8:11pm

I quite agree. There are not enough incentives for Waste Carrier Licences. I have never had mine checked even though I regularly use sites (Council run and private) which require a licence to tip!

-Nick
PRO

Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care January 13, 2011 at 9:00pm

My dad who's retired and definately got too much time on his hands compared the list of gardeners and tree surgeons on the local councils trusted trader list to the EA waste carrier register.

Not surprisingly there were lots of people who were not on the EA list. Of course they could all be not taking the waste away...... ?
Dan Frazer Gardening January 16, 2012 at 5:07pm

Continued evidence and open admission of illegal waste carrying at UK Business Forums
andy @Doughty Garden Maintenance January 16, 2012 at 5:26pm

It is very annoying when we have paid hard earned money for our licences and then tipping fees aswell, and then you see people blatantly flouting the laws.

I think my biggest gripe is with certain members of the "travelling community" who are down my road every day collecting scrap metals. I'm pretty sure you would need a waste carriage license for this and i'm pretty sure none of these folks have one. But what is done about it? Sod all !!!
Andy Thorne January 16, 2012 at 7:12pm

wrt the original story it sounds like the courts were too lenient.

A debt of £102k results in 3yrs prison. Is that a 3yr sentence? If so thats 1.5-1.75yrs in actual time.... Many people would look at this as 'earning' +£50k/pa.

I sincerely hope, but doubt that assets to the value will be seized as well as the time.

fwiw I've had to show my liciense at 2 private WTSs and at a LA one.
Richard Thornton January 16, 2012 at 8:23pm

It's probably because we don't need to register to carry green waste until next year

Paul @ Ashgate Garden Care said:

Not surprisingly there were lots of people who were not on the EA list. Of course they could all be not taking the waste away...... ?
PRO

Gary RK January 16, 2012 at 8:27pm

May not be totally true, there are so many cavets if you are a landscaper etc that really most need to register..
PRO

Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd January 16, 2012 at 9:17pm

I thought that it was so ambigious that I would register to cover my own back! it also means that I don't need to turn down jobs on the basis that I can't get rid of any arising waste (whatever it may be).
Gary RK said:
May not be totally true, there are so many cavets if you are a landscaper etc that really most need to register..
andy @Doughty Garden Maintenance January 18, 2012 at 9:08pm

Just had a look Dan, well argued!!

Dan Frazer Gardening said:

Continued evidence and open admission of illegal waste carrying at UK Business Forums
Classic Gardens January 19, 2012 at 8:40am

We have held a waste licence from day one of starting trading and have been asked to produce it three times in the past eight years.

We went to renew last year and was told by the renewls office that their is no need to renew until 2013 as we never produce hardcore waste only green.

Could this be why alot of companies who produce green waste do not appear to have a licence?