INDUSTRY NEWS
Survey proved householders were not aware of waste disposal laws
A YOUGOV survey commissioned by a Manchester-based start-up, Dsposal, found 78% of respondents weren’t aware of which paperwork (i.e. Waste Transfer note) was required from any service off ering domestic rubbish removal. A staggering 49% were completely unaware clearance services were legally bound to possess a waste carrier’s licence. The survey of 501 adults in Greater Manchester, carried out on behalf of Dsposal, a leading waste tech company, was part of a larger research project into the full costs and causes of waste crime in Greater Manchester. The survey found more respondents rated low price (90%), good availability (92%), convenient service (90%) and good customer service (87%) as very or fairly important. This compared to the number who rated having a licence from the Environment Agency as important (81%) with only 54% rating holding a licence as very important. Whilst this result may not be surprising given the scale of fl y-tipping around the country, it starkly illustrated the challenges when it comes to raising awareness of Duty of Care amongst the general public - who are often seen as the fi rst line in the fi ght against waste crime. This lack of understanding certainly benefi ts illegal operators, who can take advantage of the legislative confusion – for example, 55% of respondents were not aware that they are still responsible for how their rubbish is disposed of, even if they have paid someone to take it away. In a separate element of the study, researchers Beasley Associates and RGR, gathered all the rubbish removal adverts in the classifi ed sections of a mix of Greater Manchester local papers, then created plausible scenarios to contact advertisers. Of 34 diff erent adverts, only three had a licence number which when checked
TOM Passmore, CEO of Dsposal
matched the published details. Only one other fi rm was able to provide proof of a licence which matched their advert. A total of 30 adverts for waste removal services could not be verifi ed against a valid licence. Many of them appeared to be ‘sharing’ a licence, with fi ve or six unrelated adverts providing the same licence number and was registered to a sole trader who also appeared unconnected to the advertisers. Other responses included: • CLAIMS that the newspaper validated the advertiser’s licence, so the company didn’t need to disclose it
• GIVING a licence number for an expired licence
• CLAIMING a written receipt is legally enough for the removal of waste
Though many anti fl y-tipping campaigns focus on the need for householders to check waste operators are licensed, the experiment showed that even where an individual is aware of that requirement, it’s not always straightforward to comply. Dr Jane Beasley, Beasley Associates, commented, “As waste industry professionals we know what is legally required and where and how to check the information we were given by the waste
removal service. “In many instances the details given to us were at best confusing and at worst misleading, so it’s not surprising rogue operators are able to win so much business given the public’s lack of awareness.” With so much focus by the Government, regulators and the industry on tackling waste crime, there’s a clear need for measures to be introduced to improve the system. “We set up Dsposal to help everyone fi nd the right place for their waste, from householders to commercial waste producers,” explained Tom Passmore, CEO of Dsposal. “Legitimate companies are losing business to rogue operators. This research helps us understand why people choose illegal waste services and how to intervene to nudge them to make a better, legal choice.
"It’s all about making it easy and cutting out the unlicensed operators. If you’ve got a waste licence, you’re on Dsposal and our mission is to make compliance easy for all.” Have your say by joining the conversation at the Waste Matters Theatre at RWM on 12 & 13 September 2018. ALL fi gures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 501 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 21st - 28th June 2018. The survey was carried out online. The fi gures have been weighted and are representative of all Greater Manchester adults (aged 18+).
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SHWM September, 2018
www.skiphiremagazine.co.uk
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