REFUSE
Correct bags
in Ealing
The business of waste
Companies, shops and restaurants all have a legal responsibility to dispose of
the rubbish produced on their premises. Owners, it is down to you. Collection of
commercial waste is not included in your business rates.
T
here are approximately 8,500
businesses in our borough,
all producing various
amounts of waste each week.
They have to pay separately for its
collection and disposal.
All businesses produce some sort of
rubbish on a weekly basis – even if it is
a small shop, there is always something.
Food wrappers, tea bags or even a
few letters all count as commercial
waste: If it is produced in a commercial
premises, then it is the owner’s
responsibility to dispose of it correctly.
By law, this rubbish must be
disposed of either by an officially
registered waste carrier, or taken to
a licenced waste and recycling site
where there is a weighbridge and it is
paid for on the day.
Either way, businesses must have
proof of where all their waste is
disposed of by means of a ‘waste
transfer note’, or receipts, which must
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around ealing
Summer 2014
be kept for a two-year period.
Failure to be able to prove where
the waste is disposed of could end
in prosecution.
WHY IS IT NOT COVERED BY
BUSINESS RATES?
Not every business wants to use Ealing
Council’s services and some may
decide they can find a service that suits
them better with a private registered
collector. Alternatively, sometimes a
specialised collection may be required
which the council cannot provide.
Therefore, it does not make sense
to include waste collection in business
rates, or some companies would be
paying twice.
There are also huge differences
between the amount of waste produced
from the same-sized premises, so it
is only fair that business owners only
pay for what they produce and do not
subsidise other sites, such as restaurants.
DO NOT DUMP IT
No commercial waste should ever be
placed out in black sacks, or loose,
on pavements or in the road, or in
public bins. It is breaking the law. All
registered contractors use different
(often coloured) sacks to show that
waste has been legally paid for.
Inspectors and CCTV cameras
monitor the streets day and night –
and if businesses do put out black
sacks they will be issued with a fine
(a fixed penalty notice) or may be
prosecuted. Every year disposing of
illegal commercial waste costs the
council money which could be spent
on other services.
If you suspect illegal fly-tipping
of commercial waste on pavements
or elsewhere, report it at
www.ealing.gov.uk/report
Visit www.ealing.gov.uk/refuse