In its latest COVID-19 Regulatory Position Statement (RPS), the Environment Agency has moved to relax rules on waste transfer notes to help the waste sector with social distancing.
Released yesterday (April 20), RPS C8 removes the need to sign and hand over paper copies of waste transfer and consignment notes in person.
The Environment Agency says a transfer note won’t have to be handed over in person
Instead, operators can provide all the information and data normally included in a note can be provided before or at the time of the transfer.
Under UK law, all businesses have a duty of care to ensure they produce, store, transport and dispose of their waste without harming the environment. One of their responsibilities is to complete a transfer note every time waste is passed from one party to another and keep them for at least two years.
This is sometimes done electronically, which can continue to be the case.
Conditions
The Environment Agency set out three conditions under RPS C8 which those using paper waste transfer notes must meet in order to avoid handing them over in person.
They are as follows:
1) You must make sure the appropriate person fills in the relevant sections of the waste transfer note or consignment note for each waste transfer
2) You must give (or receive) all the information and data normally provided in a note. This must be done before the waste transfer or at the time of the transfer – but not later
3) For each waste transfer you must send or receive (as appropriate) the completed paper copy (without the signature) of the waste transfer or consignment note. You must do this as soon as possible and not later than 10 calendar days after the waste transfer has taken place
‘Common sense’
Reacting to the RPS, executive director of the Environmental Services Association Jacob Hayler, said: “This position statement is a common sense approach that will be welcomed by the sector, although, it has perhaps taken a little longer to arrive than was desirable, bearing in mind that strict social-distancing regulations have been in place for a month now.”
Since the coronavirus outbreak, the Environment Agency has issued six COVID-19 position statements, including on storage limits and incineration capacity.
The post Agency relaxes waste transfer note rules appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
