Here's an article that recently appeared in a local Cambridge magazine by Adam Clover, MD of Optimum Recycling.
As a business or household, if you need help getting rid of your rubbish, it’s important to use a reputable, compliant waste carrier. The duty of care to make sure it has been managed responsibly is always yours - so confidence and trust in your supplier is vital.
It’s important to understand the processes involved in disposing of junk. A licensed carrier can’t take it to the tip – they have to dispose of it correctly for compliance and recycling purposes. Every drop off costs them (depending on what they are offloading) so it can’t be done cheaply. If you do get a suspiciously cheap quote to remove your rubbish it’s most likely to go one of three ways:
Scenario 1: The person taking your rubbish doesn’t care at all, had no intention of dealing with it properly, and will randomly dump it at the side of the road somewhere. This happens!
Scenario 2: The person taking your junk doesn’t understand that, once they have accepted payment for the service, your household rubbish becomes part of a commercial transaction, regardless of where it has come from. They’ll get turned away at the tip (household waste recycling centre) and then take the decision to simply get rid of it illegally because they don’t know what other options they have.
Scenario 3: The person taking your rubbish intended to go through the proper channels and made it to a licensed commercial waste transfer station, only to find that it costs them more than they’ve charged you to dispose of it. So – guess what, they leave in a hurry and offload it somewhere else. Anyone want a sofa?
Anyone being paid to collect waste shouldn’t dispose of it at a household waste and recycling centre. You don’t see a skip company tipping its waste on the floor at the Council tip!
The last thing you want is for the items to be traced back to you (and they often are) and then to receive a hefty fine for unknowingly and indirectly fly-tipping your belongings.
How can you avoid getting caught out?
1. Does your supplier have a website, trading address and appear to be a genuine business?
2. Ask for a waste carrier license certificate (ours is on our website)
3. Ask for their registration number
4. Check they are fully insured
5. Ask for a Waste Transfer Note (WTN)
On Waste Transfer Notes… these won’t protect you from unscrupulous carriers but they will give you something in writing if your provider fly-tips and you are traced. The WTN will show the local authority that you have entered into the agreement in good faith and the waste carrier has agreed to do the work on your behalf.
Above all, our advice is to always use a reputable and established business who works for both domestic and commercial customers.
Remember:
· A genuine business will never fly-tip
· Check your supplier out online
· There is no such thing as a cheap deal