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Frequently asked questions

Answers to some of the more common questions about the Household Recycling Centre, including waste categorization and what materials are collected.

Trade waste

Trade waste is defined as waste arising from any trade or business, industrial or commercial activities. Anyone who produces waste from their work or has received any payment for carrying such waste cannot take this waste to the council householders recycling centre at Dogsthorpe.

What should I do with waste created by tradesperson/s working in my home?

Householders have a duty of care to ensure that any waste created by paid tradespersons/handyman working in their home is disposed of appropriately, safely and legally, either by themselves or by the tradesperson/s as a licensed carrier of waste if you are not sure whether the paid tradesperson/s/handyman has got a waste carrier license to dispose of such waste call the Environment Agency National Customer Contact Centre on 08708 506 506.

Should householders decide to dispose of soil, rubble or DIY waste themselves at the HRC they need to be aware that this waste type is not legally defined as household waste and some Council’s do not accept it at their household sites. However, we recognize that householders can produce small quantities of this type of waste so limited quantities can be deposited at the HRC.

Why is trade waste not accepted at the HRC?

Trade waste is not household waste, therefore the site waste management license/environmental permit does not allow to accept industrial/commercial/trade waste to be accepted on site

What are the benefits of trade waste controls?

Reducing the number of traders entering the sites will makes the service more customer focused and quicker, easier and more pleasant to use, for example, by reducing congestion and queuing times, whilst increasing the amount of household waste recovered for reuse and recycling.

What is the duty of care?

The duty of care is a law which says that you must take all reasonable steps to keep waste safe. If you give waste to someone else, you must be sure they are authorized to take it and can transport, recycle or dispose of it safely. For more information please visit the Waste controls and permits Duty of Care pages on the DEFRA website.

What is domestic hazardous waste?

Examples of hazardous waste from a household are car batteries, engine oil, garden chemicals, bleach, strong cleaners/disinfectants, gas bottles, solvents etc. This list is not definitive, if you think you have a hazardous household waste which does not fall in any of the above categories, then contact 01733 747474 who will put you to someone in the council to give you advice on how and where to dispose it.

What should I do with it?

Peterborough City Council will accept the above materials at its recycling centre in Dogsthorpe, provided they are from households and is not asbestos. When disposing of any of these items at the HRC please take due care and attention; hand the item/ substance to the site operator and follow any relevant instructions. Do not put these or any uncertain items/ substances directly into the skips. Do not put this waste out with your normal kerb-side collection. Refer to your local telephone directory or internet to locate an authorized commercial disposal company.

What about trade hazardous waste?

The HRC does not accept any trade waste. If you have any trade waste, hazardous or non hazardous, then please consult your local telephone directory, or internet, to locate an authorized commercial disposal company.

What green or garden waste can I recycle?

Leaves and flowers, grass and weeds, tree bark and pruned bushes, clippings and twigs, large branches and tree trunks.

What happens to materials collected for recycling on site?

The materials collected are sent for further recycling locally e.g. card and paper collected is sent to Peterborough Materials Recycling Facility, textiles go to Wilcox textiles near Birmingham, wood and chipboard go to AHS recycling in Peterborough, mixed glass bottles and jars go to Viridor glass processing facility at Kings Cliffe, green waste collected is sent for open windrow composting to Organic Recycling Ltd based at Crowland, and residual waste is sent to WRG (Waste Recycling Group) operated landfill site at Dogsthorpe.