Permits & registration
What is a waste broker?
A waste broker arranges the disposal or recovery of waste on behalf of others without taking possession of it. Brokers must be registered, as must dealers, who buy and sell waste.
The distinction from a carrier is possession. A broker who never touches the waste still needs registration, which is the point most often missed by businesses that arrange collections as a service.
A dealer buys and sells waste, taking legal control without necessarily taking physical control. The two roles are registered together and are frequently held alongside a carrier registration.
The duty of care applies to brokers and dealers as it does to holders, so arranging a movement to somebody unauthorised is a breach even where the broker never saw the waste.
What goes wrong in practice
- Arranging collections for customers without holding broker registration.
- Assuming carrier registration covers broking activity.
- Sub-contracting to a carrier whose registration was never checked.