Are you a new homeowner or business in Kent County? Make sure you are a model citizen by learning one of the most important rules: proper waste disposal. Get a better idea of how to do it with these FAQs:
1. What Is Waste Regulations 2011?
It is a revised regulation that mandates how businesses should manage waste creation and management. It lists steps according to their order of priority.
For example, the most preferred option is to prevent waste. It means avoiding creating it in the first place. The next option is to find ways to reuse discarded materials. Disposal is the last step since these wastes usually end up in landfills.
2. What Is Duty of Care?
The duty of care is a provision under the Environmental Protection Act promulgated in 1990. It cites how businesses should ensure they dispose of their wastes according to specific laws. These can vary according to the type of waste the company produces.
Take, for example, the management of clinical wastes. These are highly controlled types of rubbish since they may contain infectious agents and pathogens. As much as possible, they should not end up in the landfills, let alone bodies of water.
According to Kent County Council, businesses that produce these should reach out to their local council for waste collection. They must not end up in the recycling centre or the rubbish bin even if the supplies such as needles were for medical consumption. In this situation, businesses should consider working with skip hire companies that have experience in dealing with these wastes.
3. Can I dispose of asbestos personally?
The answer is yes, and you can consider them as household wastes. You can then send them to recycling centres all over Kent except in Sheerness.
But you need to follow strict rules. One, you cannot dump over five sacks of it each month. The asbestos material must be damp, doesn’t stick out from the packaging, and is inside heavy-duty plastic sheeting. You also need to double-bag it.
Asbestos, however, is a dangerous material to deal with, so it may be best to let removal experts do it for you. It saves you the trouble and decreases your health risks.
4. What can’t I bring to the recycling centre?
It can vary according to the site, but they tend to prohibit the following:
- Petrol
- Business or commercial waste
- Clinical waste
- Household chemicals
Hazardous household wastes including mercury can end up in only four tips. These are Ashford, Sandwich, Maidstone and Dartford. When you want to get rid of petrol, you can call the nearest garage. Meanwhile, you can take your pesticides to 10 centres, including that of Sittingbourne, Canterbury, and Folkestone.
5. What other tips should I remember?
When in doubt where to go or what to dispose of, you can visit the rubbish and recycling page of Kent County Council. You can also contact your neighbourhood and the recycling centre for more information.
Collection methods can differ. In some cases, a collection team will visit every home. In other situations, you need to drive your rubbish (you are usually not allowed to bring them on foot) to the recycling centres. You can also hire a skip company to do it for you.
