SITA Cornwall Championing Household Waste Recycling Centres
31st January 2008
SITA Cornwall is advising businesses in the county to use recycling centres and facilities that are specially set up for them, rather than taking business waste to those set up for householders. From this month people using the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) who:
• Use HWRCs frequently and
• Are using a van or vehicle that looks as if it is used for work or
• Are bringing in a type of waste that appears to be connected to any particular trade
will be asked to complete a disclaimer form.
The form, which is a legal document, will require anyone asked to, to sign to say that the waste that they have brought to the site is domestic waste and that it is not the by-product of any business related activity. If this is false, they may be prosecuted by the Environment Agency The HWRCs have been designed for the convenience and easy use of householders only. If businesses use them, they increase the traffic and reduce the space available at the centres.
Many businesses are being written to and information will be available at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) to explain that they must recycle by having their separated waste collected or taken to one of the many places designated for them. Details on how and where to recycle business waste will be listed on the back of the information sheet. The majority of businesses in Cornwall already use the correct facilities and are recycling large quantities of waste that might otherwise go to landfill.
Phil Rudin, SITA Cornwall’s Operations Manager, said today: “We have to, by law, accept only household waste at HWRCs. These facilities are paid for entirely by the domestic council taxes and they are there for the exclusive use of householders. So if the staff at the centres have reason to believe that somebody might be bringing in trade waste they will have to challenge them.”
Businesses have a legal duty to dispose of their waste safely and responsibly and recycling saves the county from wasting valuable land as well as huge landfill costs.
The SITA Cornwall helpdesk can be contacted on 08456 300 300 or Cornwallhelpdesk@sita.co.uk