Waste Carriers: Upper Tier and Lower Tier

What is the difference between the two Tiers?

Upper Tier: If you need a company to collect and dispose of waste on your behalf then you require an Upper Tier registered Waste Carrier, Broker or Dealer

People or Businesses registered as Upper Tier:

• Transport other people's waste, like a skip company.
• Carry construction and demolition waste.
• Arrange for waste from other businesses’ to be transported, recovered or disposed of (broker)
• Buy or sell waste, or uses an agent to do so (dealer)

Lower Tier: Only carry waste they produced in the course of carrying out their business, unless it is construction or demolition waste which would need an Upper Tier registrant.

Lower Tier: can only carry (carrier), arrange (broker) or deal (dealer) in:

• animal by-products
• waste from mines and quarries
• waste from agricultural premises
• are a charity or voluntary organisation
• A lower tier carrier may also include a waste collection, disposal or regulation authority.

Business or Commercial Waste vs Household Waste 

The difference between the two types of waste is purely the location it was produced at, and how it was produced.

So if produced at a business premises or through commercial activity, then it is classed as business waste.

Waste produced in your home from a business activity is still classed as business waste i.e. computer or office supplies, or waste from home made craft products for retail.

Often you may get tax relief on the use of an area in your home utilised for business pursuits.

• It is illegal for businesses to dispose of their waste using services designated for household waste disposal i.e local council roadside collections, street bins, local recycling banks or community recycling centres (CRC's)

How to dispose of business waste?

Throughout the UK there are designated Household Waste Recycling Centres, and Commercial Waste transfer stations.

There may be some overlap where CRC's issue trade permits for business disposal.
Householders typically have to have a permit, sometimes associated with their vehicle registration number and regulations tend to be quite stringent in respect of vehicles which may be regarded as "trade".

To dispose of business waste at either of these facilities, businesses must be registered as a waste carrier, broker or dealer and all waste disposed of will be weighed and typically charged for, or use the services of an Upper Tier registered person or business.

Segregation and Recycling of Business Waste

Upper Tier Waste Carrier, Broker and Dealer's often deal in  waste collection types which require specialist vehicles, handling  and storage and processing such as for asbestos, batteries, or refrigeration units to mitigate personal and environmental harm and to maximise the re-absorbtion of all possible materials into the circular economy.

Regardless of whether a business is registered as an Upper Tier or uses a third party Upper Tier company they must observe and assume the Business Waste Legal Framework & Duty of Care which encompasses storage, documented records of waste transfers, and eligible registered waste carriers.