COTSWOLD District Council is giving its full backing to a recent initiative by Gloucestershire’s Joint Waste Team (JWT) to help small businesses comply with the law on waste disposal.

The JWT has become an ambassador for a national ‘right waste, right place’ campaign, which intends to promote more business awareness of waste disposal regulations.

A recent survey showed that nearly all firms in the south-west considered themselves to be up to date with the relevant legislation but the reality is that more than 50 per cent could be at risk of fines because they don’t know the final destination of their waste and don’t keep waste transfer notes.

By not knowing what happens to their waste or employing unregistered waste disposal operators, local companies run the risk of inadvertently allowing their waste to be fly-tipped.

In fact, during 2015/16, over £50,000 was spent in Gloucestershire investigating 2,139 fly tipping incidents.

Cllr Sue Coakley, chair of the Gloucestershire Joint Waste Committee and cabinet member for environment at Cotswold District Council said: “Firms should realise that it is illegal for them to dispose of waste or recycling in normal household bin collections, at recycling banks or household recycling centres.

“We know that the majority of companies want to do the right thing and the new website rightwasterightplace.com offers excellent advice on safe and efficient business waste disposal.

“We don’t want businesses in Gloucestershire to risk fines by not complying with the rules and we want all waste to be disposed of properly.

“We would also recommend that householders check that any traders they employ will dispose of any waste they produce at their property properly.

“Please check that you are using a ‘registered carrier of waste’ and ask where they are taking your waste.”

The website, rightwasterightplace.com, provides practical guidance and information for businesses about how to properly dispose of waste. Advice is also available at recycleforgloucestershire.com/business-waste