New waste disposal rules criticised

The Environment Agency must do more to publicise new regulations concerning waste disposal, the Federation of Small Businesses has said.

Under new EU rules, liquid waste will now be banned from landfill sites and all landfill waste must be pre-treated before disposal.

The FSB claims this will have a profound effect on the UK’s small business owners as they have ultimate responsibility for ensuring waste is disposed of within the law.

“The Environment Agency must do more to let small businesses know what their obligations are,” said John Holbrow, FSB environment chairman. “Putting information on a website is simply not enough. There must be widespread publicity otherwise small businesses could be punished for breaking laws they knew nothing about.

“We urge small businesses to ensure they are aware of the new rules and to contact their waste contractors,” he added.