New laws came into force in May 2006 that stated farmers had to dispose of their plastic waste through a licensed business. The Waste Management (England and Wales) Regulations were designed to help protect the environment from illegal burying, burning or disposal of plastic products and bring the UK in line with EU directives.

Under the new laws farmers have five options for dealing with their plastic waste. These included;

– Storing it themselves for up to 12 months
– Taking it for recycling or disposal at a licensed, off-farm site
– Hiring an authorised waste contractor to remove and process it
– Registering exemptions to do their own recycling on-farm (this was only viable for the first 12 months after the regulations came into force)
– Applying to the Environment Agency for a waste management license or a landfill permit

There are therefore a number of different ways to deal with the issue and comply with the law. Those people who failed to do so could face huge fines of up to £50,000 plus the legal costs. They could also be left with a bill to clean up any damage they caused to the environment by failing to dispose of plastic in a suitable manner.

Recently the Environment Agency has been taking steps to enforce these laws these more stringently and ensure farmers comply with them. This included handing down a £20,000 fine to a business in Oxfordshire that had been found to be illegally storing, treating and burning waste.

We can offer a flexible service to help people dispose of waste plastic. We have a wide range of skips in a variety of sizes to cater for all needs, including larger scale agricultural ones. If you’re looking for a flexible service you can rely on us to deliver it. Our team operate across Middlesbrough and the wider region, and always strive to offer services that will protect the environment. We can even offer advice if you have items that need specialist disposal rather than being disposed of in skips. Please contact us today for answers to your questions.