Hartlepool businesses are being urged to make sure their waste is being disposed of legally or risk a £300 fine.
Hartlepool Borough Council is reminding businesses of their legal “duty of care” to ensure their waste is stored, collected and disposed of correctly.
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, waste produced by businesses must be handled by a carrier registered with the Environment Agency. It must be stored securely, transported safely and disposed of at an authorised facility, with the appropriate documentation kept for at least two years.
Businesses are not permitted to use the Council’s domestic waste collection service or the Household Waste Recycling Centre in Burn Road.
The Council’s Enforcement Team is currently carrying out a rolling programme of visits to businesses across the borough to check that they have suitable trade waste arrangements in place.
Businesses which are unable to provide proof of an agreement with the Council or another registered waste carrier when first visited will be given seven days to produce the necessary information.
Continued failure to provide evidence of appropriate trade waste arrangements could result in a £300 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).
Councillor Amanda Napper, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Neighbourhoods and Regulatory Services Committee, said: “Every business which produces waste has a legal responsibility to make sure it is disposed of properly.
“Our Enforcement Team is visiting businesses across Hartlepool and we would much rather help people get their arrangements in order than have to issue a fine, but businesses must be able to demonstrate that their waste is being dealt with legally.
“By disposing of trade waste responsibly, businesses are not only protecting themselves from enforcement action, they are also helping us tackle fly-tipping and keep Hartlepool clean and tidy.”
The reminder comes during Fight Fly-Tipping Fortnight, which is running until 25 October, a national campaign led by Tidy Britain Group and supported by Hartlepool Borough Council. The campaign aims to highlight the impact of illegally dumped waste and encourage residents and businesses to make sure their rubbish is disposed of responsibly.
Businesses can get more information about Hartlepool Borough Council’s trade waste service by emailing waste.management@hartlepool.gov.uk or calling (01429) 401988.