How does this affect my company?

The inclusion of more wastes classified as "hazardous" could mean your company is a hazardous waste producer.

Any business already handling hazardous wastes should already be working with their waste contractor to dispose of them safely. You may have to pay more to dispose of your hazardous waste as your waste management contractor has to travel further to landfill and they may ask you to treat it before they collect it.

There are some differences in the legislation in each of the four countries of the UK. You can get guidance from your regulator; contact details are listed on the help and resources page.

Hazardous wastes need to be collected and disposed of separately. In England and Wales, you probably need to register with the Environment Agency. Your waste contractor may be able to do this for you.

As part of meeting the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC), some wastes will need to be sampled, tested and described for your waste contractor - this is called 'characterisation' and ensures that the waste will be disposed of in the correct way.

Think about how to reduce the amount of waste your business creates - producing less will make life easier and could save you money.

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