Intro to Waste Management

This one-day course provides a practical introduction to waste management for people who are new to the subject or who have recently taken on responsibility for waste within an organisation.  Participants will gain the knowledge and confidence to manage waste responsibly and in line with UK regulations.

Course Format

Virtual Course – These courses are run using the Zoom platform as a fully interactive course, just as our live courses are. We have had great feedback from delegates on these courses.

Course Description:

The course explains how waste management fits within wider resource efficiency and circular economy principles before examining the practical legal duties that apply to organisations producing, storing, transferring and arranging the treatment or disposal of waste.

Participants will explore the waste hierarchy and the different management options available, including prevention, preparation for reuse, recycling, other recovery and disposal. The course also considers current waste policy developments, including workplace recycling requirements, extended producer responsibility, landfill tax and changes affecting waste collection and reporting. 

The legal part of the course examines Duty of Care, the roles of waste producers, holders, carriers, brokers and dealers, and the responsibilities that continue through the waste management chain. Participants will learn how to check that waste is transferred to authorised persons and permitted or exempt facilities, how waste should be stored safely and securely, and what written information must accompany waste transfers.  

Environmental permits, standard rules permits, bespoke permits, exemptions, regulatory position statements and low-risk waste positions are explained so that participants understand how waste activities are authorised and what they should check when selecting waste destinations.     

The course also introduces waste classification, including the European Waste Catalogue, six-digit waste codes, absolute and mirror entries, hazardous waste classification and the distinction between waste classification and landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria. The final part of the course considers waste contracts, contractor checks, public register searches, segregation arrangements and auditing, helping participants understand what they should expect from waste contractors and what responsibilities remain with their own organisation.

Why this course is important

Waste responsibilities can create legal, financial and operational risks even where waste management is only a small part of someone's role. Organisations that produce or handle waste have continuing duties over how it is stored, described, transferred and ultimately managed.

The course explains why those duties matter in practice. Duty of Care applies throughout the waste chain, including to producers, carriers, holders, brokers and dealers, and requires organisations to prevent unlawful waste activity, prevent the escape of waste, use authorised persons and provide an adequate written description when waste is transferred. 

Correct classification is also important. The waste code and hazardous status can affect permitting, consignment requirements, disposal routes, costs and whether a receiving facility is authorised to accept the waste. The course explains how the European Waste Catalogue works and how hazardous, mirror and non-hazardous entries are identified. 

Waste regulation is also changing. The course covers current developments including workplace recycling requirements, extended producer responsibility and the move towards Digital Waste Tracking, so participants can understand how these changes affect existing arrangements and future reporting duties. 

For organisations using waste contractors, the course also explains why appointing a contractor does not remove the need for checks. Participants consider public register checks, contractor selection, waste segregation and auditing so they can identify weaknesses in waste arrangements before they become a compliance problem.

Who Should Attend:

The course is suitable for:

• newly appointed Waste Managers or Waste Co-ordinators
• Environmental Managers and Environmental Co-ordinators
• Facilities and Estates Managers
• Health, Safety and Environment Managers
• Sustainability Officers
• Operations Managers
• Site Managers
• Compliance personnel
• procurement and contract management staff involved in waste services
• anyone responsible for waste storage, segregation or disposal arrangements
• anyone who needs a practical introduction to waste management and waste law.

No previous specialist knowledge of waste management is required.

Testimonials

Very useful course for me as I’m new to the area of waste and it gave me just the right amount of info I need to introduce me to this.

- Canterbury University

I found the course very useful for my new role.

- Manchester Central

Really good introduction to waste management.

- Haymarket Media Group

What I needed and expected – thank you!

- GSK

I was new to the subject and all bases were covered. The course was interesting and informative.

- Stepan UK

Great course delivered well and good interaction with delegates.

- Scottish Parliament

Very useful course for me as I’m new to the area of waste and it gave me just the right amount of info I need to introduce me to this.

- Canterbury University

I found the course very useful for my new role.

- Manchester Central

Really good introduction to waste management.

- Haymarket Media Group

What I needed and expected – thank you!

- GSK

I was new to the subject and all bases were covered. The course was interesting and informative.

- Stepan UK

Great course delivered well and good interaction with delegates.

- Scottish Parliament