Businesses have to conform to a Duty of Care with regard to their waste. However, while most businesses handle their waste correctly, there is still a large number who may be breaching regulations either inadvertently or deliberately.

Now, a project aimed at raising the profile of the ‘Duty of Care’ among waste producing businesses is to be launched this spring.

Phase one of the two-part campaign, titled ‘Right Waste, Right Place’ will roll out in March 2016 and will be offering best practice guidance on managing waste to SMEs, aimed at ensuring that they meet their legal obligations.

Following this, phase two will take off in early June of this year in the form of a series of sector-specific campaigns aiming to promote best practice on waste.

The campaign will be run with the support of the Environment Agency and Defra and will be organised by the Environmental Services Association.

What is the Duty of Care

It states that: “Business who produce, carry, keep, dispose of, treat, import or have control of controlled waste on must fulfil a legal obligation (Duty of Care) to take all reasonable steps to keep it safe, as set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Controlled waste includes waste from households, businesses and industry.”

Commenting on the campaign, Mat Crocker, deputy director of illegals and waste, EA, said: “This campaign will compliment work carried out by the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime, improve waste compliance and increase knowledge of the correct management and handling of waste.”