PPP is warning of bogus waste collector scams
As part of the Government measures taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) or tips have been closed until further notice.
Residents are being asked to store any waste they would normally take to a recycling centre until the HWRCs reopen.
As always, the advice from Trading Standards is not to buy goods or services from a doorstep caller or people advertising waste clearance on-line, unless they are sure that the waste will be disposed of properly.
Legally, householders have a duty of care to ensure that their waste is only removed from their property by a registered waste carrier and can be held liable if their waste is not disposed of properly.
You can check if someone is a registered waste carrier by searching the Environment Agency's public register of waste carriers at https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-all or by calling 03708 506 506.
Legally, householders have a duty of care to ensure that their waste is only removed from their property by a registered waste carrier and can be held liable if their waste is not disposed of properly. Licensed waste carriers will give customers a transfer note, this will show the carriers details and describe the waste collected. If you don’t get a note and your waste is fly tipped then you might be liable for a Fixed Penalty Notice or prosecuted.
Unlicensed carriers will illegally dump, or 'fly-tip', the waste they collect in order to avoid the charges for proper disposal. Fly-tipping causes pollution and environmental damage and leaves councils and landowners with clean-up costs. Also fly tipping is a criminal offence punishable by fines or a prison sentence.
Adverts for unlicensed waste carriers can be reported to tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk
