What are the garage waste collection regulations?
As you will already know, working on vehicles produces a massive amount of waste. Disposing of it can seem daunting with so many regulations, but it’s important to maximise recycling opportunities and avoid falling into bad habits.
This guide explains the rules around disposing of garage waste.
Types of garage waste
Many commercial garages rely on waste collection services for things like:
- Dead batteries
- Used tyres
- Fuel
- Cleaning fluids
- Used parts
- Engine oil
Some types of waste pose an environmental risk, which is why it’s crucial to dispose of them correctly.
Waste collection regulations
Several laws and regulations in the UK determine how garage waste must be disposed of.
The Environmental Protection Act
This Act establishes a duty of care for businesses to ensure proper waste management.
Your responsibilities, as outlined on the government website, are:
- Keep waste to a minimum by doing everything you reasonably can to prevent, reuse, recycle or recover waste (in that order)
- Sort and store waste safely and securely
- Complete a waste transfer note for each load of waste that leaves your premises
- Check if your waste carrier is registered to dispose of waste
- Don’t allow the waste carrier to dispose of your waste illegally (and report them to Crimestoppers if they do)
Hazardous waste regulations
These regulations set out specific requirements for handling, storing and disposing of hazardous waste products, such as:
- Brake fluid
- Batteries
- Engine oil
- Equipment containing ozone depleting substances
You must:
- Separate and store hazardous waste safely
- Use authorised businesses to collect, recycle or dispose of your hazardous waste
- Fill in parts of the consignment note that apply to you (keep one copy and give two copies to the carrier collecting your waste)
- Keep records (known as a ‘register’) for three years at the premises that produced and stored the waste
Keeping records of hazardous waste is crucial. You must keep your copies of:
- Consignment notes
- Consignee returns
- Related documents, such as carrier schedules (a list of carriers when there is more than one) and records of rejected loads
Duty of care regulations
Garage owners have a legal obligation to ensure waste is transferred to an authorised person and correctly disposed of.
Disposing of your own waste
If you want to dispose of your own waste, you must register as a waste carrier. Apply to:
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