Agricultural waste management

Other people can transport your waste for you. You must ensure that anyone removing your waste is either:

• registered as a carrier of controlled waste
• a professional collector
• from a waste collection authority.

You should ask for proof, such as a waste carrier's certificate, that an individual or business is authorised to handle or transport your waste.

Registered waste carriers

Waste carriers who operate in England, Scotland and Wales must register with either the Environment Agency or Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), depending on their principal place of business. A single registration with either agency will cover waste that is carried throughout Great Britain.

The Environment Agency and SEPA maintain registers of carriers so you can check whether companies are registered waste carriers.

• Environment Agency: Your right to know - public registers
• SEPA: Lists of registered carriers, brokers and professional collectors and transporters

Professional collectors

If waste carriers only carry agricultural waste they do not need to register as waste carriers, but can register as a professional collector of agricultural waste. If they also transport non-agricultural waste they will have to register as a waste carrier.

You can check if someone is a professional collector by calling the Environment Agency on 0845 603 3113.

Your responsibility for your waste does not end when the waste carrier removes it from your site. Your responsibility extends until the waste has either been finally and properly disposed of or fully recovered. You must ensure that the waste is disposed of at a suitably licensed or exempt facility.