Environmental guidance for your business in Northern Ireland & Scotland
Waste carriers transport controlled waste as part of their business. Waste brokers arrange for other businesses' controlled waste to be handled, transported, disposed of or recovered. Waste dealers use an agent to buy waste from other businesses to sell it on.
Controlled waste includes commercial, industrial and household waste, as well as hazardous/special waste.
This guideline covers:
From 8 April 2011, new regulations introduced a two-tier registration system for waste carriers. Waste carriers transport controlled waste as part of their business. Waste brokers arrange for other businesses' controlled waste to be handled, transported, disposed of or recovered. Waste dealers buy waste from other businesses to sell it on. This includes dealers who do not take physical possession of the waste.
If you transport other people's waste, or your own construction or demolition waste, you must register with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) as an upper tier waste carrier, unless you fall into one of the categories for lower tier waste carriers.
If you do not register and you carry waste, you could be prosecuted, unless you are exempt.
Lower tier registration replaces registration as a professional collector or transporter of waste.
You must register as a lower tier waste carrier, broker or dealer if you only deal with:
You must also register in the lower tier if you carry, broker or deal in waste and are:
You will also need to register as a lower tier carrier if you normally and regularly carry controlled waste produced by your own business, other than construction or demolition waste.
If you are a waste broker, ie you make arrangements for others to have waste handled, transported, recovered or disposed of, you must:
If you deal in waste, i.e. you use an agent to buy waste from other businesses to sell on, you must register with the NIEA.
Waste carriers, brokers and dealers
NIEA: Waste carriers and brokers information
Waste carriers transport controlled waste as part of their business. Waste brokers arrange for other businesses' controlled waste to be handled, transported, disposed of or recovered. Waste dealers use an agent to buy waste from other businesses to sell it on.
Controlled waste includes commercial, industrial and household waste, as well as special waste.
You must register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) if you plan to transport other businesses' controlled waste, or arrange for other businesses' controlled waste to be handled, transported, disposed of or recovered. You must also register if you want to transport your own building or demolition waste.
You must register as a professional collector and transporter of waste, rather than a waste carrier, if you only transport:
You must register as a professional collector and transporter of waste, if you carry waste and are a:
It is free to register as a professional collector and transporter of waste, and your registration lasts indefinitely unless it is revoked or withdrawn.
It is a new requirement for businesses that regularly transport their own waste to register. You will soon be able to register online. SEPA recommends you delay your registration until the online system is available. If you need to register sooner, download the application form to register as a professional collector or transporter from the SEPA website.
Online registration
SEPA: Online registration as a professional collector and transporter of waste
SEPA: Online registration as a Waste Carrier, Broker or Dealer
SEPA: Online renewal of a Waste Carriers Registration
SEPA: Online surrender of a Waste Carrier Registration
Paper registration
SEPA: Registration as a professional carrier of waste (PDF, 54K)
To check if you need to register and find out about exemptions, see the pages on Waste carriers - who needs to register? and Waste brokers or dealers - who needs to register? in our guideline:
Waste carriers, brokers and dealers
NIEA: Registration of waste carriers and brokers
NIEA: Registered waste carriers database
SEPA: Waste carriers and brokers information
Types of environmental licence
Pollution prevention and control permits and waste management licences
Authorisations and consents for discharges
Trade effluent consents and agreements
Water abstraction and impoundment authorisations
Waste carrier, broker and dealer registration
Groundwater in Northern Ireland, DAERA have produced a leaflet to raise awareness about this untapped resource
EU Exit, EU Exit useful information
View our latest videos & subscribe to our channel.
Free monthly email newsletter with environmental updates for Northern Ireland and Scotland