The government has strict laws regulating how we should deal with waste in UK. However, if someone were to ask you if a particular item was waste, how would you know for sure? We were not sure either until we visited a few forgotten government websites. Stand by if you are curious to know exactly what waste is, and how we deal with it according to the rules.
How Should We Deal with Waste in UK
Before we delve into the mind of government, we should mention this is an evolving story so you need to be patient. That’s because, if you produce or hold waste this could be any substance or object. Although a substance or object is not necessarily waste. We did warn you this is an unfolding story!
STAGE ONE – Decide Whether Our Material is Waste
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs DEFRA says “A material is considered to be waste when the producer or holder discards it, intends to discard it, or is required to discard it”.
However, how we should deal with waste in the UK is not only the act of throwing it away or getting rid of it. Discarding also includes recycling the material, or recovering it to put in back to good use. To cloud the conundrum further DEFRA considers a material is waste if at least one of these is true:
- It is mixed or mingled with another material that is waste.
- Someone deliberately and illegally abandons or dumps it.
- It was accidentally, unknowingly or involuntarily discarded.
- It is legally waste because the law says we must discard it.
But that is not the end of what waste is. A material that is not waste, becomes waste regardless of value if a householder puts in in a waste skip. Hazardous waste is as the law defines. Production waste and construction debris becomes waste when handed to someone else, whether for recycling or not.
STAGE TWO – Decide How We Should Deal With It
UK waste rules generally apply if one of more of the following definitions are relevant, although there are exceptions:
- You have a waste duty of care if if you import, produce, carry, keep, treat or dispose of waste.
- If you handle, store or treat waste you must comply with environmental permitting rules.
- Producers of packaging, electrical / electronics, batteries and end of life vehicles must follow guidelines.
- Finally, there are rules controlling the import and export of waste. See the guidelines for England
However, there are some of exclusions to the above. Certain types of waste do not come under waste rules because the material is, for example, regulated by different legislation.
STAGE THREE – Deal with UK Waste by Redefining It
It may be tempting to decide all material is waste and make it the Council’s problem. However, on sober reflection we may find some of it could be reused in its current state. We could, for example clean up and reuse it ourselves. We could also donate it to a third party for example a charity shop.
STAGE FOUR – Factor in the Re-purposing Rules
Certain rules also apply to re-purposing waste in England, for example when preparing for reuse, recycling, or disposal. The core stages include:
- Recovering waste for a future, useful purpose.
- Preparing recovered waste for re-purposing later.
- Recycling prepared waste for original or other use.
- Disposal where none of the above options apply.
England’s Goals and Overall Waste Policy
England adheres to the UK’s vision of a waste hierarchy. This holds we should only dispose of waste when we have no other choice. We should first consider prevention, preparing for reuse and recycling, and other methods of recovery. Landfill is an undesirable last resort.
It follows we need to redouble our recycling efforts now we understand what waste is. Our government should make this as simple as possible. There is a great deal more to this than reusing our shopping bags. We need better access to more user-friendly recycling depots, that are open when we need them which is not when we are at work.
This would a much easier task for our Councils if we reduced the waste burden imposed by business and industry. In the end it’s the tax payer who bears the cost. We could achieve much as consumers if we sanctioned wasteful enterprises by not doing business with them. Waste is indubitably everybody’s problem to solve together.
A Personal Message from Avery Associates
I am Jeffrey Avery, website owner and professional valuer with special interest in 19th century furniture. We are a small team comprising an art valuer, a postage stamp specialist, an art and painting expert, and a fine art and antique consultant.
I also provide a house clearance service via associates throughout the South of England and Wales. This has grown my understanding of the state of the environment in our lovely country, under constant threat from household waste and fly tipping. I am deeply aware how we should deal with waste in the UK. I post these blogs in the hope of persuading serial offenders there is a better way.
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