GovWire

Your household waste must be disposed of correctly. If youre giving it to someone else, you must make sure that theyre legally allowed to take it.

What counts as household waste

Household waste is any waste that comes from your household. It can include:

• your usual household rubbish

• unwanted or unusable items such as old mattresses, furniture or electrical items

• garden waste

• oils and paints

• scrap metal such as old car parts

• septic tank sludge

• DIY waste such as rubble, timber or bricks

What to do with household waste

Most of your usual household rubbish can go in the bins provided by your local council. Check what your local council collects.

For rubbish that you cannot put in the bins, you can:

• arrange special collection of large waste items (for example, an old sofa or fridge) or garden waste through your local council

• take your waste to the household waste and recycling centre run by your local council

• take your waste to a permitted private waste site

• use a registered private business that provides a waste collection service - for example, a skip company or household clearance service

• give old electrical items to retailers when you buy new electrical items from them with the same function - for example, you can give a shop your old kettle when you buy a new one

• give away or sell reusable items - for example, by giving items to a charity shop

Using a tradesperson

If you hire a tradesperson for construction or renovation work, any waste they produce is classed as business waste. Your tradesperson is responsible for removing the waste and disposing of it correctly.

Checks you need to do if you use a private waste company

What you need to do depends on if youre:

• using someone else to get rid of your waste, for example, a skip company or house clearance service
• getting rid of your waste yourself

If someone is getting rid of your waste for you

If you use a private business that provides a waste collection service, you must check the company is a registered waste carrier. You need to select upper tier.

Theres a different way to check a company is a:

• registered waste carrier in Wales
• registered waste carrier in Northern Ireland
• registered waste carrier in Scotland

If youre giving your waste to a scrap metal collector, you can also check that theyre on the register of scrap metal dealers.

If you arrange for a charity to collect items, you must check the charity is a registered waste carrier. You need to select lower tier.

If youre getting rid of your waste yourself

If youre taking your waste to a private waste site, you must check the site has either:

• an environmental permit for waste operations
• a registered waste exemption

Ask the company that runs the site for their permit number or exemption registration number. Check the number against:

• the Environment Agencys register of environmental permits for waste operations
• the Environment Agencys register of waste exemptions

Alternatively, do a check through your local council or the Environment Agency.

If youre getting rid of car parts, check the site is an authorised treatment facility.

Fixed penalty notices and fines

If you give your waste to someone who cannot legally take it and you did not do the necessary checks on them, you might:

• have to pay a fixed penalty notice to your local council
• be prosecuted and have to pay a higher penalty - for example, if you do not pay your penalty notice on time or if youve previously had a penalty notice for a similar offence

This could happen, for example, if something that has been fly-tipped (dumped illegally) is identified as yours.