The law says that householders and commercial businesses are responsible for making sure all their own waste is disposed of properly. If you have waste which is bulky and difficult to move - like a sofa, fridge or too many black bags to fit into your bin - you have a number of options for getting rid of it. It's not worth risking getting caught for illegal dumping!
Bulky or excess household waste should either be removed by the relevant local council, or by a Registered Waste Carrier; or it should be taken to a recycling centre or civic amenity site by the householder.
If you run your own business, however, you should either obtain your own Waste Carriers' License or ensure that whoever removes your waste has one before the waste leaves your premises. The ultimate destination for your waste should be a site covered by a Waste Management License. Please contact the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or visit Netregs for further details.
- Refer to your local council website to find out about the facilities on offer in your area. Even if there is a fee involved, it could cost less than hiring a van to remove the rubbish yourself. Before you visit the site, it may be worth checking if there are any restrictions on the type of vehicle that's allowed access.
- Log on to Waste Aware Scotland's Sort It website to find out where you can get rid of different types of household waste. There are also dedicated sites for recycling business waste and construction waste.
- If someone else is getting rid of waste on your behalf, check first that they are on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's approved list of Registered Waste Carriers. They should also be able to produce a Waste Carriers Registration Certificate on demand. Remember, if you give your waste to someone who is not authorised, and it ends up being dumped, you could be the one that's charged with committing an offence! You can help to prevent illegal waste collection by reporting anyone who doesn't produce an appropriate certificate.
- If your car has reached the end of the road, you can have it disposed of for free, and you may even be able to get some money for it. Due to laws introduced in January 2007, vehicle manufacturers are now responsible for taking back end-of-life vehicles for recycling. Providing you have the paperwork to prove ownership of the vehicle, either cartakeback.com or autogreen can arrange to dispose of it for you. Check out their websites to find out which company deals with your make of car.
