Garden waste

Its always a pain to deal with garden waste. I re-cycle and compost all that will compost and secret away the rest for a winter bonfire, where space allows. There’s also pretty good council garden waste collection schemes around here. Where too much green waste is produced its either a skip or take it to the tip. I’m not a licensed waste carrier (no aspirations down that line).My question is, peoples use of dedicated waste removal firms.There seems to be a small (?) industry of garden waste removal businesses building up. I’ve had a few quotes ranging from £65 to £175+vat for a full load, a small pick up to a five tonner, who knows.Are these firms, in general, getting cheaper than skips?Will they, happily, clear waste from a far flung corner of the garden?Is it worthwhile taking on as winter work, if you are short of maintenance (a way into further contracts)?What are peoples experiences and any reliable firms known of in the Bristol region?I’ve just remembered the clocks have gone back. Thought it was a bit quiet.

So, I fill a few builders grabs with a customers garden waste, which I charge for, take it to another garden where I have an arrangement to burn the green waste do I need to register as a waste carrier (£152) or when I fill a skip with green waste I’ve produced working for someone do I need to be registered as a broker (same price)

...if you want to transport controlled waste in England and Wales as part of your business or with a view to profit, you need to register as a waste carrier. However, you don't need to do this if:

• you are carrying waste that you have produced.....

if you want to deal in waste or arrange for someone else's waste to be disposed of or recovered, you need to register as a waste broker. However, you don't need to do this if:

• you're arranging for your own waste to be disposed of or recovered

Is the waste mine or the customers.?

Thanks for any help with this discussion but I’ve realised that just because I don’t go to the tip and only move small, occasional amounts of garden waste there’s a lot of legislation that may affect me.

Replies

Graeme @ BGS October 25, 2009 at 10:41am

Funny but the whole waste carriers license only cropped up yesterday. I was joking with the council official and he very seriously informed me that there is a big push to loose peoples’ exemption. In Berkshire they will be installing vehicle registration systems in all council tips with some logging software etc. They reckon they will catch 90% of unregistered carriers trying to bypass the weight bridge. Also they will be spot checking on where your waste was created to ensure that the “gardener” wasn’t instructed to perform the particular task – sneaky as this would imply that you would require a licence whereas if you make the decision as to what work is required and when and then carry the waste away you are still exempted.

Personally I think all this will do is drive a larger element of the non professionals to fly tip.

Reading between the lines, I wonder if the rules will be changed to become “waste creator” and hence catch all!

Handling of waste is a very serious issue and responsibility on all of us.
Gareth October 25, 2009 at 10:58am

I should of been clearer that because I’m not licensed, I don’t take trade waste to the tip myself.

I can usually get rid of green waste by re-cycling, composting, burning etc.

Using hedge-cutters to reduce bulk in order to cram it all into a skip (my chainsaw license disappeared in the mists of time) has been the way I’ve always done it. It’s time consuming though – sometimes longer than the initial clearance so I’m considering waste removers to see if they are more cost-effective.

Graeme,

I think that they have that system here in Bristol. If you've a trade van you need a booklet of exemption tickets to let you use the general public tip. Not sure how it works as I steer clear of the place, but the point about encouraging fly tipping has made me stop and think.
PRO

Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd October 25, 2009 at 12:05pm

Just to add a quick point but you need to apply for a Paragraph 30 exemption from the Environment Agency if you are to burn green waste at the site where the waste is created!

There is no charge for this. See http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/permitting/323... and select "Paragraph 30" from the list of exemptions.
Gareth October 25, 2009 at 12:11pm

Blimey! I tend to glaze over when confronted with red-tape. But thanks for that, I didnt know. Used to inform local fire brigade if I was having a big fire in an urban setting - was never sure if that was the law or just sensible?

NMGS said:
Just to add a quick point but you need to apply for a Paragraph 30 exemption from the Environment Agency if you are to burn green waste at the site where the waste is created!

There is no charge for this. See http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/permitting/323... and select "Paragraph 30" from the list of exemptions.
Gareth October 25, 2009 at 2:55pm

So, I fill a few builders grabs with a customers garden waste, which I charge for, take it to another garden where I have an arrangement to burn the green waste do I need to register as a waste carrier (£152) or when I fill a skip with green waste I’ve produced working for someone do I need to be registered as a broker (same price)

...if you want to transport controlled waste in England and Wales as part of your business or with a view to profit, you need to register as a waste carrier. However, you don't need to do this if:

• you are carrying waste that you have produced.....

if you want to deal in waste or arrange for someone else's waste to be disposed of or recovered, you need to register as a waste broker. However, you don't need to do this if:

• you're arranging for your own waste to be disposed of or recovered

Is the waste mine or the customers.?

Thanks for any help with this discussion but I’ve realised that just because I don’t go to the tip and only move small, occasional amounts of garden waste there’s a lot of legislation that may affect me.
Graeme @ BGS October 25, 2009 at 3:42pm

Each area office of the EA have their own ideas as to the rules!

Be very careful about "you are carrying waste that you have produced.." - This isn't as simple as you creating the waste it is the fact that you made the decision that the particular bit of work was required. Different to having a client asking you to cut their hedge then you are not the producer!

To be honest with all the red tape and spot checks going on I would urge anyone who carries green waste in their van / trailer to purchase a licence. It also allows you to charge a client for taking away any green waste that they created themselves else under the exemption rules you can only carry it for free.
Lawncare-4u.co.uk October 25, 2009 at 4:15pm

i would report this if you saw them/or know it was them !!

My missus saw the local lawn mowing company dump bags of grass clippings in our local village dyke. Shall I report him to Trading Standards? I want to. Not very professional or legal is it!
Dan Frazer Gardening October 25, 2009 at 5:05pm

Lucky you to have the space! There are places that are privately-run that can do similar things for us here but it does involve some form of payment to take place!

Ohio Plantsman said:
We recycle everything!...Organic yard waste is ground and placed into a primary pile for 5-8 months, then moved to a final wind row 12' wide and no taller than 6-8' to compost. It then goes into our planting mix for jobs, potting soil in the nursery, or for soil rebuilding in the nursery. Wood products are split and sold, we are now packhaging wood bundles to be sold in stores.