There are cowboys in every industry. Two firms in Kent were recently fined £44,000 for illegally disposing of waste on a flood plain near the River Medway. So how can you be certain that the skip you hire is from a reputable company that will dispose of your waste responsibly? For a start, you can check that they have the following documentation:
- Waste Management Licence
- Liability Insurance
- Waste Carrier’s Licence
- Continuing Competence Certificate
It is an offence to involve yourself in the disposal of waste materials without a licence. The government defines disposal as the “…keeping, recycling, crushing, baling composting or dismantling…†of waste materials. There is an online searchable register on the Environment Agency’s website.
Ensure your skip comes from a company with the relevant liability insurance. It is not compulsory for a company to be covered, but imagine the damage a poorly driven skip lorry could do to your house and the trouble involved in recovering costs from an uninsured company.
A Waste Carrier’s Licence is essential for anybody transporting waste on the public highway. You can search the Environment Agency’s online register for this, too.
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management issue a continuing competence certificate that must be reapplied for every two years. The CIWM is the body that sets the standard for Waste Management and represents over 7000 businesses in the UK and abroad.
For peace of mind, you can rent one of our skips. We have all the relevant documentation, licences and insurance and we have over 30 years experience in the waste management business. You can call us on 01493 668118 or email info@wtskiphire.co.uk.