Waste brokers arrange for other businesses’ controlled waste to be handled, transported, disposed of or recovered, but do not normally handle, transport, dispose of or recover the waste themselves. Waste dealers accept waste from other businesses to sell it on.
Waste brokers and dealers include:
- Businesses that buy and sell scrap metal and other recoverable materials. They could operate from a yard or act as a trader arranging for materials to be bought and sold.
- Businesses that arrange for waste disposal on behalf of another business or waste producer.
- Waste disposal operators or carriers that arrange the disposal or recovery of waste not covered by their own licence.
A broker shares responsibility with the waste holders for managing the waste properly before and after its transfer. Brokers and dealers are legally responsible for the proper handling and disposal of the waste.
What you must do
If you deal in waste or arrange for someone else's waste to be disposed of or recovered, you must register as a waste broker. However, you do not need to register if:
- you are arranging for your own waste to be disposed of or recovered
- you are arranging for someone else's waste to be disposed of or recovered and you are going to transport it as a registered waste carrier
- you are arranging for someone else's waste to be disposed of or recovered and you are the operator of the authorised site where the waste is going to.
All businesses can register as waste brokers, including self-employed individuals, partnerships, companies or other types of organisation. You will still need to register if brokering or dealing in waste is not your main business activity or if you only do it occasionally.
If you broker or deal in waste but are not registered then you could be prosecuted.
In this guideline:
Waste brokers and dealers - what do you need to do?
Waste broker and dealer exemptions
Waste brokers and dealers charges
Waste brokers and dealers further information
Waste brokers and dealers legislation
