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Legislation

Hazardous Waste Regulations

Under the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005, all hazardous waste, which includes items such as bleach bottles, cleaning agents and aerosols, must be separated from non-hazardous materials. The regulations also require hazardous waste producers to register their premises with the EA (Environment Agency). There are some exemptions, including businesses producing less than 200kg of hazardous waste in any 12 month period. This is the equivalent of around ten small televisions, 14 lead acid batteries, 500 fluorescent tubes or five small domestic fridges.

 

Shanks can register you with the EA, and give you full information about the legislation and exemptions

 

Pre-treatment Regulations

Since October 2007, non-hazardous wastes must be pre-treated before businesses can dispose of them. Pre-treatment has to meet the Government's '3 point test' in that:

 

  1. It must be a physical, thermal, chemical or biological process including sorting
  2. It must change the characteristics of the waste
  3. It must do so in order to:
  4. Reduce its volume, or
  5. Reduce its hazardous nature, or
    • Facilitate its handling, or
    • Enhance its recovery

Shanks’Small Volume Recycling (SVR) service can help you to comply with the pre-treatment legislation. For further information, click here (link to SVR).

 

WEEE Regulations

These apply to businesses disposing of electrical items such as televisions, fridges, monitors etc. through general waste. If you bought your EEE (Electrical and Electronic Equipment) before 13 August 2005 and are not replacing it like-for-like, you are responsible for disposing of it safely. Purchases after that date are the responsibility of the producer/distributor who should have a valid disposal scheme.

For Shanks WEEE box and WEEE Trans-IT crate click here.

 

Batteries Directive

Producers must pay for the collection, treatment and recycling of used batteries. But there are exemptions for some small producers.

Shanks offers a Compliance Box service to help you comply with the Batteries Directive. For further details click here (link to Compliance box)

 

Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging waste)

The regulations apply to businesses with an annual turnover of more than £2m and who handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging or packaging materials in a year. Any bu

 

siness that produces packaging must register with the EA and meet targets. There are three ways to meet the packaging targets:

 

  • Compliance Schemes – pay into a scheme who will register your business and meet your obligations on your behalfIndependent – you register your business, calculate the targets and provide evidence to support your obligationsTurnover based – targets are based on an annual turnover of between £2m and £5m.