What are the Hazardous Waste Regulations?

• Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 summary
• What do Hazardous Waste Regulations in the UK cover?
• Who needs to follow hazardous waste legislation?

There are 12 parts to the current hazardous waste law in the UK that cover everything from defining the material to how it should be moved and the required documents. For any business that produces hazardous waste the most important parts detail what are hazardous and non-hazardous waste, mixing hazardous waste, moving it, and required producer records.

Here’s a summary of some of the main areas that the Hazardous Waste Regulations in the UK cover:

• List of wastes – this establishes a list of hazardous waste and covers the types of hazardous waste and non-hazardous waste, identifying which should be treated as such under the regulations.
• Transporting hazardous waste – regulating the movement of hazardous waste including required documents and consignment notes, the duty of the producer and carrier, and regulations for multiple collections. It also covers cross-border movement of hazardous waste and procedures for rejected collection consignments.
• Records and returns – the required records for the disposal, storage, and recovery of hazardous waste. This includes producers’, holders’, consignors’, and carriers’ records, as well as consignee and self-disposal quarterly returns and duties to supply information.
• The agency’s functions – inspections of hazardous waste producers, inspections of collection and transport operations, and fees in connection to the hazardous waste regulations.
• Enforcement – it’s the duty of the agency (Defra and the Welsh government) to enforce the hazardous waste management regulations. This section covers offences, defences, liability, and penalties (including fixed penalties).

Every business in England and Wales that produces any amount of hazardous waste must follow the current hazardous waste legislation for safe and legal storage and disposal. This includes whether you run a local shop with just a small battery bin, a garage with barrels of waste oil, or a laboratory producing lots of chemical waste.

Following the guidelines and complying with hazardous waste legislation is vital to protect your business and the environment. Even if you only create one type of hazardous waste in a low volume it must still be stored separately from any other commercial waste and removed by licensed waste carriers who transport it to an appropriate disposal site.

The easiest way to comply with the hazardous waste disposal regulations in the UK is to use a professional waste management company, such as Business Waste. Our expert team can advise on the correct bins and containers to store such waste and the appropriate processes to follow. This ensures your hazardous waste is stored, removed, and disposed of legally.

There’s lots of information in the UK hazardous waste regulations, so we’ve summarised the main things your business must do to comply with them. Follow these steps to comply with current hazardous waste disposal regulations in the UK:

• Notify the Environment Agency if your industrial or commercial premises produce more than 500kg of hazardous waste annually.
• Register as a hazardous waste site if you generate more than 500kg of hazardous waste and annually renew your registration. There’s no need to register if you produce less, such as running a small shop with just a battery bin.
• Use appropriate sizes and types of bins and containers to separate and store hazardous waste on your site. Do not mix hazardous and non-hazardous waste types
• Complete a consignment note every time before any hazardous waste is removed from your site. This should include a description of the waste that covers:
  • The process that created the hazardous waste
  • Its quantity
  • Chemical and/or biological components and their concentrations
  • Hazard codes and List of Wastes (LoW) codes
  • Container type, size, and number
  • Where the waste is going
  • A unique consignment code number
• Only allow licensed waste carriers to collect commercial waste from your business (including hazardous waste types).
• Ensure all hazardous waste removed from your site is transported to a facility with the proper permits and licences for legal and responsible disposal. Ask your waste collector for proof if you’re unsure.

Use our services and we can help arrange hazardous waste disposal near you. This includes collection services that ensure your business abides by the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 to avoid your organisation facing any fines or penalties for improper disposal. Contact us online or call 0800 211 8390 today and speak to one of our expert team.

They can listen to your needs and offer advice about how to manage your hazardous waste legally and safely. This includes providing a free no no-obligation quote for the collection of hazardous waste from your business anywhere in the UK. Simply provide information about the types, amount, collection frequency, and location for a tailored quote.