08/07/2024 - Luton Council checks businesses are legally dealing with their waste

Officers from the council’s Investigations Hub visited 61 business  checking that they were complying with the duty of care requirements for their waste. All businesses are required to store and dispose of their waste properly and are also required to keep records of what was disposed and to whom. 

Of the business premises visited in High Town, around a third were fully compliant. For the remainder, issues included;

• using local residents’ household bins

• taking waste home

• not having a trade waste contract

• using other businesses trade waste bins

Failure to comply with their legal obligations can land businesses with an unlimited fine.

Twelve businesses have already been bought into compliance and now have the correct waste arrangements. The council will be pursuing the remaining cases to ensure that they comply with their legal obligations. In at least one case no explanation of where the waste had been disposed was given by the business. In one case a Fixed Penalty Notice has been served and further enforcement actions follow should the business fail to improve.

Councillor James Taylor, Portfolio Holder responsible for Environmental Enforcement at Luton Council, said: “We want businesses in the town to be aware of their obligations if they produce, carry, keep, dispose of, treat, import or have control of waste. The law requires them to keep it safe, make sure it’s dealt with responsibly and only given to businesses authorised to take it.

“Further similar checks will be carried out across the town over the coming months and we hope this will result in improved compliance from the businesses involved”.

Businesses must register if any of the following apply; transporting waste (a carrier), buying, selling or disposing of waste (a dealer), arranging for someone else to buy, sell or dispose of waste (a broker). Register online.

Business can find out about their waste responsibilities.

People are also reminded that if they used an unlicenced waste carrier or that business doesn’t have the correct licence they too could face prosecution. They can check a business has the correct licence.