Clampdown on misuse of recycling centres

Rochdale’s recycling centre

A clampdown on misuse of recycling centres by traders is under way by Recycling for Greater Manchester (RfGM).

Across Greater Manchester there are 20 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) for residents however traders are misusing the sites to dispose of waste illegally.

To deter traders from disposing of their commercial waste unlawfully RfGM - a partnership between Viridor Laing Limited and the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority - will use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to identify vehicles suspected of misuse at all HWRCs.

Processing commercial waste via the HWRCs puts the cost of handling rubbish on council tax payers and RfGM says it will take action against any businesses found to use centres inappropriately.

Pat Killeen, operations manger for Viridor, said: “Every month, around 340,000 cars pass through the HWRCs, the majority of them are householders who want to recycle their household waste.

“However, a number of traders have been found to be using the sites to dispose of trade waste, this is illegal and something which we are committed to tackling.

“Therefore, we are taking a harder hitting approach to monitor all waste brought to the sites to ensure it is from genuine householders.

“The ANPR system will enable us to monitor traffic across all 20 sites and take action against traders abusing the facilities.

Trade waste includes any waste produced on business premises or from business activities and by law traders should pay for their waste to be collected or dispose of it at an appropriate licensed facility.

Waste from a home or garden as a result of business activity is also accountable as trade waste.

Household waste includes any waste produced at home through normal household activities.