New laws were brought in on January 26 2006 to ensure that all householders pass their rubbish on to an authorised waste carrier.
” These new regulations mean we are all obliged to dispose of our waste responsibly “
– Carwyn Jones, Welsh minister for environment planning and countryside
If fly-tipped rubbish is found and traced back, the householder will be held responsible and could then face a fine even if it was not them that dumped the waste. Householders will be culpable if it decided that they failed to take all reasonable measures to ensure that the rubbish is disposed of legally.
Carwyn Jones, Welsh minister for environment planning and countryside, said: “At the last count there were 30,000 incidents of fly-tipping a year in Wales, costing over 1.6 million a month. An estimated 55% of fly-tipped rubbish is thought to be household waste.”
Kerbside collections, local authority special collections and dumping of waste at civic amenity sites will not be affected by the law change. But where householders arrange for a private contractor to remove waste from their property, they should check that the company is registered as waste carrier with the Environment Agency.
Examples of contractors that need to register include builders, carpenters, electricians, house clearers, gardeners, kitchen and window fitters, painters and decorators, plumbers, roofers, scrap metal dealers and skip hire companies.
Mr Jones added: “These new regulations mean we are all obliged to dispose of our waste responsibly. All you need to do is ask to see the waste carrier's registration certificate showing that a person or company is authorised to dispose of waste.
“It is a good idea to record the certificate number on any documentation the contractor gives you, such as a receipt. In addition it is good practice to ask your contractor where they intend taking the waste.”
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