Council urged to allow small firms to recycle waste for free

The Federation of Small Businesses says it is “deeply disappointed” that small firms still have to pay to dispose of their waste, which members claim is driving “irresponsible elements” to flytip.

Following a review by Defra, local authorities are being encouraged to sign up to the Government’s new Business Recycling and Waste Services Commitment.

At the moment small businesses aren’t allowed to take waste to household recycling sites in the East Riding and have to pay for it to be disposed of by the council or a commercial operator.

The Federation of Small Businesses’ regional chairman, Gordon Millward, said: “The tipping charges levied by local authorities are just one of the many major barriers to growth in the small business sector.

“The hopes of economic recovery are dependent very much on the ability of the UK’s four million small businesses to create the wealth and jobs which will bring about economic success.

“Councils can do much to support us in that task, but clearly the East Riding Council is refusing to rise to the challenge.

“Is it really too much to ask that they help us by implementing the recommendation of the government?”

Ken Johnston, a director of Tops Garage Doors, in Bridlington, recently inquired about taking some cardboard and wood to his local waste recycling site.

He said: “This is one very practical way the council could reduce costs for local businesses.

“The council’s charges for disposing of trade waste discourage small firms like ours from recycling and sadly drive irresponsible elements within the business community to the appalling practice of fly tipping which, as well as being a social blight, serves to add to the cost burden of local taxpayers.”

Because of the cost of tipping, the business stores the packaging and old wooden doors for the annual Lions’ Bonfire.

Mr Johnston said: “I can understand that you wouldn’t want hazardous waste taken to a household waste recycling site but I would have thought it would make more sense to allow obviously recyclable material like wood and cardboard, after all the council does have a recycling target,”

Bridlington councillor Ray Allerston supports the FSB’s view.

Coun Allerston said quiet country roads round Bridlington were suffering from the blight of flytipping. He said: “There’s flytipping nearly every day on Woldgate.

“It’s costing the council more to go round and pick all this rubbish than what it would be to let them go free.”

One of the problems facing the council, is the size of some of their household waste recycling sites and the narrow roads leading to them.

More commercial traffic would cause problems with residents dropping off their own waste for recycling.

A council spokeswoman said they were keen to speak to businesses: “The Environment Agency licence under which we have currently to operate the sites does not allow for business waste.

“We are working on how to fulfil the Government commitment without it becoming an extra cost to the taxpayer to manage the additional waste, and without it making the sites, difficult to access because of a flow of commercial vehicles.

“The council is open to hearing from our local businesses about any way in which we could improve their kerbside services for them, but our focus with the sites is, and will remain, providing a service for residents.”

She added: “Not all the flytipping in the East Riding is by businesses because most businesses use commercial services.”

Flytipping costs the council around £100,000 a year.