Housing

Hiring a «man with a van» to take rubbish? By law, you're responsible

Gave old furniture or building waste to the first «man with a van», and he dumped it on the roadside? By law the fine can land on YOU. It's called duty of care.

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An orange refuse truck on a street with wheelie bins — You may only pass waste to someone with a carrier licence. Photo: ONLYWAY NEWS

Getting rid of household waste, many people call a cheap «man with a van». But the law makes you partly responsible for where that waste ends up.

Your legal duty

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (section 34), a householder has a duty of care: you must take reasonable steps to ensure household waste is passed only to an authorised person — a registered waste carrier, the council, or a licensed operator. If you give waste to someone unlicensed and it is fly-tipped, the responsibility can fall on you, including a fine.

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How to do it properly

Before handing waste to a paid carrier, check they are registered as a waste carrier with the Environment Agency (a free public register). Ask for a receipt/waste transfer note with their details and where the waste is going. Bulky items can also go via the council's bulky waste collection or to an official recycling centre.

Cheap «cash in hand» often means the waste ends up in a wood or on a verge — and it's the person whose waste it is who gets asked about it.

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Published 21 October 2026, 12:15 1 min read Editorial desk of the British newspaper ONLYWAY NEWS - LONDON - UK

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