How to check a waste carrier licence

Why checking a waste carrier licence matters

Any business that transports other people's waste must be registered as a waste carrier. That applies to a skip firm, a clearance company and a man with a van offering tip runs on social media alike. As the person handing the waste over, you have a duty of care to make sure it goes to someone authorised to take it. Checking a waste carrier licence is how you meet that duty, and it takes a few minutes online.

The check matters because your responsibility does not end when the van drives off. If your rubbish is later found fly-tipped and you cannot show that you took reasonable steps to use a registered carrier, you can be held responsible. Waste handed to unregistered operators can end up dumped in lanes, fields and alleyways, where the council or the landowner has to deal with it, sometimes by paying for a fly tipping clearance. Our guide to fly tipping on private land covers that side of the problem.

How to check a waste carrier licence online

1. Ask the company for its waste carrier registration number and the exact name it is registered under.
2. Go to the public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers on GOV.UK, which the Environment Agency keeps for England.
3. Search using the registration number or the business name.
4. Check that the name and details on the register match the company you are dealing with.
5. Confirm that the registration is current and note which tier it is.
6. Keep a record of the entry, such as a screenshot, along with your quote or receipt.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own registers, run by their environmental regulators, so use the register for the country where the carrier is registered. If you cannot find a company, ask it to send its registration details and try again with the exact spelling. A genuine carrier will give you the number without any fuss. If nothing matches, do not hand over your waste.

What the register entry shows

A register entry is short, and each part of it is worth reading. Finding a result does not prove much if the details belong to a different business with a similar name. Compare the entry with the name on the quote, on the vehicle and on the company's website before you rely on it.

• The registered name of the business or person
• The registration number
• Whether the registration is upper tier or lower tier
• The expiry date, for registrations that have to be renewed

A match on every point is what you are looking for. If the name on the register differs from the name on the advert, ask why. Some firms trade under a different name from the one they registered, and a genuine business will be able to explain the link. Treat an expired entry, or a number that brings up no result, as a reason to look elsewhere.

Upper tier and lower tier registrations

There are two tiers. Broadly, an upper tier registration is the one needed by businesses that collect and transport other people's waste, which includes rubbish removal and clearance companies. Lower tier covers a narrower set of cases, such as some businesses that only carry waste they have produced themselves. Upper tier registrations have to be renewed, so check the entry is still in date. If you are paying someone to take household or business waste away, expect to see an upper tier registration.

The registration number itself gives a clue. Upper tier numbers issued by the Environment Agency begin with the letters CBDU, and lower tier numbers begin with CBDL. Do not rely on the format alone, though, because a number is easy to copy from another firm's website. The register entry, matched to the business in front of you, is what counts.

Other checks before you hand over waste

The register is the main check, but a few other habits lower the risk further. They are especially useful when you have found a carrier through an online advert or a leaflet through the door and know nothing else about the business.

• Get the price in writing, even if that is only a text message.
• Ask where the waste will be taken.
• Request a receipt or waste transfer note that names the company.
• Note the vehicle registration when the waste is collected.
• Be cautious of anyone who avoids giving a business name, an address or a registration number.

Extra duties for businesses

Householders are expected to take reasonable steps, and the checks above cover that. Businesses have a wider duty of care. As well as using a registered carrier, a business must describe its waste accurately, complete a waste transfer note when the waste changes hands and keep those records. Any firm offering commercial waste collection should provide the paperwork as a matter of routine. Our guide to the commercial waste duty of care goes into more detail.

Our waste carrier licence details

Rubbish Removals Ltd holds an upper tier waste carrier licence, number CBDU526130, and you are welcome to look it up before you book. It covers all the work we do, from domestic waste removal to a one-off man and van rubbish clearance. Waste goes to licensed facilities for sorting, and we provide waste transfer notes and invoices as required.