Karyn Punchard, director of the Dorset Partnership – which manages waste services for seven local authorities in the coastal county – made the call in response to comments from the local government minister Marcus Jones, in a written statement to Parliament this week.
The minister had been quizzed by the Conservative MP for Christchurch, Christopher Chope, who had asked what steps the government is taking to ensure that the Dorset Waste Partnership does not charge householders for waste from DIY projects.
The MP’s comments came due to charges recently introduced at HWRCs in Dorset – where a charge is levied on the disposal of construction waste at its HWRC sites including plasterboard, rubble and asbestos, which the council says ‘do not come from the day-to-day running of a regular household’.
This comes amid wider confusion from local authorities over which materials can be considered ‘non-household’ waste streams – particularly waste from DIY projects – with some councils appearing to be at odds with DCLG over the classification of the material (see letsrecycle.com story).
Legislation
Responding to the question on DIY waste in Dorset, Mr Jones, said: “In 2015 the government introduced legislation to prevent local authorities from charging their residents to dispose of household waste at household waste recycling centres. Recently updated guidance on these centres, prepared by the charity WRAP, classifies DIY waste as household waste if it results from work a householder would normally carry out. The government supports that position.”
The legislation passed by government in March 2015 – Local Authorities (Prohibition of Charging Residents to Deposit Household Waste) Order – prohibits councils from charging residents for the use of household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) either at the point of entry, exit or disposal.
Guidance highlighted by the minister is contained within WRAP’s HWRC Guide, which was updated in January 2016.
On DIY waste, the guide states: “DIY waste is classed as household waste if it results from work a householder would normally carry out. However interpretations differ on the householder’s ability to perform certain home improvement tasks and if a householder employs the services of a trades person to perform domestic tasks consideration must be given the classification of the resultant waste.”
‘National issue’
Responding to the minister’s comments, Ms Punchard said that the issue over waste eligible for charges at HWRCs had become a ‘national issue’ and called for further guidance from government.
She said: “These comments are not likely to impact our policy, as the decision to introduce charges for certain items at our HRCs at the start of September 2016 was taken with full consideration of WRAP guidance and our legal obligations.
“As we have previously stated, waste from construction and demolition (which includes rubble, concrete, bricks and soil from landscaping) that we now charge for is not defined as household waste, as these wastes are not produced by DIY work that a householder would normally carry out.
“However, as these charges have been brought in by local authorities all across the country, we feel this is a national issue and should be addressed as such. We would welcome any further guidance from national organisations that provides additional clarification.”
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