5 ways to protect your business from the risks of waste crime
Waste crime is an umbrella term for any illegal activity involving waste such as large-scale dumping of waste, illegal waste sites, illegal burning of waste, mis-description of waste to avoid fees and landfill taxes, and the illegal exports of waste.
Whether it is a smaller scale offence, such as fly tipping, or more complex activity, waste crime affects communities, it damages the environment and undermines legitimate waste processes.
It can also have a significant impact on your business, and Reconomy Connect is here to explain how you can protect your business from waste crime.
Protecting your business from waste crime involves strict adherence to regulations and strong site security to avoid heavy fines and criminal liability. It is your responsibility to ensure that all other third parties you are working with, such as recycling facilities and collectors, are legitimate and complying with the relevant legislation.
Whether you are unaware your waste operator is acting illegally, or your business is a victim of other waste crimes, it can be damaging both financially and reputationally.
To help with this, we have compiled our top five tips to ensure your business doesn’t fall victim to waste crime…
1. Verify your waste carrier
It is important to only work with licensed waste carriers, as this ensures your materials are handled legally and securely. If carriers are licensed, they will follow the correct regulations such as those set by the Environment Agency, maintain records, and only dispose of your waste at authorised facilities.
To check if they are registered waste carriers, you should ask for a copy of their registration documents. You could face a fine of up to £400 for using an unregistered waste carrier to dispose of your waste. Ensuring they are a registered waste carrier is an essential first step.
2. Retain all documents
You must ensure you have all the documents required for your waste. Examples include consignment notes, certificates of destruction (for data-bearing items) and any additional licenses needed to carry certain types of waste such as a hazardous waste consignment note if you have hazardous waste.
For every load of waste that leaves your premises, you must also complete a waste transfer note. If you are using a registered waste carrier, they must provide a waste transfer note (WTN). A WTN provides a written description of the waste itself and is a legal responsibility of the waste producer or holder.
It is a legal requirement for tracking and traceability of waste streams and must be kept for two years as it can be requested by any environmental regulator at any time. It is a criminal offence to fail to produce a WTN and will result in a fine.
It is important to note that digital waste tracking is being introduced and is currently set to be mandated in 2027. It is a single system designed to provide a comprehensive digital method for monitoring the vast amounts of waste generated annually, eliminating the need for paper slips. To find out more about digital waste tracking, check out our blog here.
3. Secure your bins and premises
Protecting your business physically is one of the best ways to minimise waste crime. If waste is dumped on privately owned land, it is the responsibility of the property or landowner to clean it up at their own expense so preventing it from happening in the first place is your best option.
If you have bins on site, keep them locked away so only those authorised can access them to prevent fly tipping. You can also help prevent unauthorised dumping by installing motion-sensor lighting and CCTV, and keep sites secure to stop rogue operators from trespassing on your property.
4. Report suspicious activity
It is important to remain vigilant at all times, regardless of how secure your site is and how thorough your checks are. If you discover issues on site, take action straight away. These can be reported to Crimestoppers or the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline.
If you have employees, train your staff in the same way. Encourage them to report any unplanned collections immediately, take note of any unusual activity and verify the identity of anyone collecting waste unexpectedly.
Many waste crime incidents are first spotted by members of the public, landowners, and businesses. Reporting waste crime helps authorities build intelligence, target enforcement activity, and take action where it is most needed.
5. Work with Reconomy Connect!
Working with Reconomy Connect is the best way to protect your business from waste crime. As an end-to-end waste and resource management company, we handle the complexities of waste management on your behalf, giving you the confidence that your waste is being managed safely, compliantly, and responsibly. We have a supply chain made up of a network of trusted SMEs, all of which are carefully vetted by us, giving you the peace of mind that you are working with reputable partners.
As a tech-enabled business managing resources across the UK, Reconomy Connect is well placed to help businesses remain compliant in preparation for legislation such as mandatory digital waste tracking and changes to waste exemption permits.
Whether your business needs support with individual waste streams or a total waste management solution, Reconomy Connect offers flexible options designed to meet the needs of your business. Taking the stress out of waste management is our priority and we ensure you have the right processes, documentation, and understanding in place to stay compliant and reduce the risk of falling victim to waste crime.
By collaborating with us, we can protect your business from the risks of waste crime and manage your current materials. To learn more about what we provide and how Reconomy Connect can support your organisation, get in touch with our team today.