• Natural Resources Wales becomes sponsor of the campaign which raises awareness of Duty of Care waste legislation and provides practical information for SMEs
  • The backing will enable the campaign to organise more events, produce new materials and develop a Welsh-language website
  • Powys County Council signs up as first Welsh campaign ambassador

 

Natural Resources Wales has lent its support to ‘right Waste, right Place’, opening the campaign up to more businesses across the country. The waste awareness campaign will target small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and other organisations throughout Wales with information on their Duty of Care obligations. Furthermore, Powys County Council is the first Welsh council to have joined the ‘right Waste, right Place’ campaign as an ambassador, raising awareness of the Duty of Care in the county, with many more organisations having expressed an interest in supporting the campaign.

 

The campaign has revealed that a large number of businesses across the UK are struggling to do the right thing with their waste, with many unaware of their obligations. Research conducted by ‘right Waste, right Place’ showed that 98% of Welsh businesses thought that they were meeting their obligations, but nearly half admitted to practices that mean they are not complying fully with the law.

 

The national survey commissioned by the right Waste, right Place campaign – mainly focused on small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) – found that in Wales, 43% of businesses didn’t know where all their waste goes when it leaves site.  Over a third also admitted to not being sure whether they completed or kept essential Waste Transfer Notes, a key requirement.  Further, many were unsure on how to correctly classify all the waste materials they handled.

 

Primarily, but not exclusively aimed at SMEs, ‘right Waste, right Place’ raises awareness of Duty of Care legislation and provides practical information to help companies, partnerships, family businesses and sole traders from a broad range of sectors to comply and help keep waste out of the hands of waste criminals. An easy to use interactive website www.rightwasterightplace.com (Welsh website: www.wales.rightwasterightplace.com) has been developed, which offers practical advice on how to manage waste safely and efficiently.

 

Dr Emyr Roberts, Chief Executive of National Resources Wales, commented:

 

“The Duty of Care message helps us protect communities from poor environmental quality and other environmental risks. Providing businesses with the right information in order for them to meet their waste management obligations will ensure they can operate successfully without harming people and the environment.”

 

Sam Corp, Head of Regulation at the ESA, commented:

 

“We are delighted that Natural Resources Wales are joining the campaign as a sponsor, meaning we can extend our message about Duty of Care to Welsh businesses and other organisations. Our research has showed that many small business owners in Wales aren’t aware of their obligations under the law. With the backing of Natural Resources Wales we can get the message to these businesses, helping to tackle waste crime and save businesses and the public money.”

 

Colin Church, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management, commented: 

 

“Ensuring that businesses understand their responsibilities with regard to waste is essential to tackling a range of issues that impact on society, from fly-tipping to more serious illegal waste activities that harm the environment. The right Waste, right Place campaign is focused on helping businesses to do the right thing and we are delighted that Wales is supporting this important initiative.”

 

Local businesses and those interested in joining the campaign as ambassadors, can find simple guides, Need to Know cards, case studies and videos online at www.rightwasterightplace.com (Welsh website: www.wales.rightwasterightplace.com) or by emailing info@rightwasterightplace.com.