Residents warned about illegitimate ‘Man with Van’ operators

Published: 29 January 2021

Derby City Council is reminding local residents about the potential risks of hiring ‘Man with Van’ services through social media that may not be licensed to carry waste (and could be illegally dumping it), leaving residents liable for prosecution.

Late last year, Derby City Council Cabinet approved plans to crack down on businesses using Raynesway HWRC illegitimately and residents also have a part to play in this by doing some simple checks.

Data from the Raynesway HWRC booking system showed that unlicensed ‘man with a van’ operators were creating large numbers of bookings at the site, blocking access for residents with a genuine need to use the site. Raynesway is only for waste and items from your own home – as soon as you pay someone to take those items or waste, it becomes trade waste and can’t be accepted at the site.

Worse still, unlicensed operators could be fly-tipping waste you paid them to take and you would liable for any fines and prosecution. By law, when you pay someone to remove waste from your home, you have to check that they’re licensed to do so and just taking someone’s word for it isn’t enough.

Here’s what residents can do to keep themselves safe:

• When booking a waste collection, ask the company for their carrier registration number and check it on the Environment Agency website. A legitimate business will be happy to provide this.
• Ask where the waste is going – as Raynesway HWRC is not licensed to accept waste which people bring in that Is not from their own property.
• Ask for a waste duty of care transfer note – this document details who you are, what the waste is, who is carrying it and where it is being disposed of.
• Consider other options – If you’re swapping out some furniture for something new, why not sell or donate the old or even try upcycling to make your furniture look like new?
• Could anything be recycled? Ask your retailer if they offer a scheme to take back your old stuff when they deliver the new. Different places offer different services for a range of products from beds and mattresses, to carpets and electricals. Recycling old electricals is usually very easy – large retailers will often accept them back in store for recycling or will remove when they deliver your new items.
• Book a bulky waste collection through Derby City Council. Money from bookings goes back into local services for local people and items are properly disposed of.

Councillor Jonathan Smale, Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetpride commented:

We’re glad that our residents want to do the right thing and dispose of items properly but unfortunately, they could unknowingly contribute to fly tipping by not checking the legitimacy of the person collecting their waste.
Asking for a registration number and checking the Environment agency website takes just a few moments and could protect you in case your waste is illegally dumped.

I’d also strongly encourage our residents, as always, to consider more climate friendly options like donating, selling or recycling before disposal.

Crime, Public safety