Environmental guidance for your business in Northern Ireland & Scotland
You are responsible for storing and transporting your waste safely and legally. You must ensure that your waste does not harm the environment.
You must comply with the requirements of your duty of care.
If your business has a permit, licence or registered exemption you must comply with its conditions, including any conditions about transporting waste.
Does your mining or quarrying business need a permit, licence or exemption?
If you collect or transport waste as part of your business, you must register as a waste carrier with your environmental regulator.
If you transport only mining and quarrying waste, in Northern Ireland you must register as a lower tier waste carrier.
This is a new requirement in Northern Ireland.
In Northern Ireland you will have to register with the NIEA as a lower tier carrier if you normally and regularly carry your own business waste.
NIEA: Registration of carriers and brokers
In Scotland if you normally and regularly transport waste produced by your own business, you must register with SEPA as a professional collector or transporter of waste. This is a new requirement for businesses. If you transport your own construction or demolition waste you must usually register as a waste carrier. You can register using SEPA's online system.
SEPA: Online application forms
Alternatively you can download an application form and return it to SEPA.
SEPA: Application form to register as a professional collector or transporter of waste
See our guidance on waste carriers, brokers and dealers.
You must comply with the duty of care if you transport controlled waste. To find out whether your non-extractive waste is controlled waste, see our guidance on the duty of care.
If the duty of care applies, you must make sure:
You must:
For further information on hazardous/special waste, see our hazardous/special waste guidance.
Transport and store your waste in suitable, covered containers such as drums, skips or cages.
Label your containers correctly with the type of materials stored in them.
Separate different kinds of waste into separate containers.
Make sure that your waste cannot leak into groundwater, surface water or drains.
Build a bund around your loading and storing areas that can hold liquid waste if your containers leak or break.
For further information on bunds and storage, see Pollution Prevention Guideline (PPG) 2.
GPP 2 Above ground oil storage tanks (Adobe PDF - 276KB)
Keep spill kits and have spill response procedures in place that will help you to contain any spills at your mine or quarry.
Do not use water to wash away spills. It will spread the spill, and could cause water pollution.
Keep portable spill kits in all vehicles you use to transport waste. A basic spill kit should contain:
Separate any absorbent materials you use to contain spills because they may need to be treated as hazardous/special waste. Check before you recycle or dispose of them.
Ensure your waste cannot blow away or escape by tying it down, covering it, or protecting it from wind and rain.
Ensure your site is secure. Regularly check your locks, gates and perimeter fences. You can be prosecuted if vandals cause pollution on your site.
Regularly check your vehicle locks and only drop off materials when you are sure the location is secure.
Do not:
For information on storing and transporting waste oil, see our oil storage guidance.
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