Check a waste carrier’s licence

Anyone in England who takes away other people’s waste for money must be registered with the Environment Agency. If you give your rubbish to someone who isn’t, and it ends up dumped, the council can fine you up to £600, even though you didn’t dump it.

Every collector on scrapmarket has already passed this check, and we run it again every night. Hiring someone yourself? Check them here first. It takes ten seconds.

Already checked for you

Book through scrapmarket and you don’t need to do any of this. Every collector passes this check before they can quote, along with checks of their insurance and their photo ID. We check the licence again every night, pay the collector only once we’ve seen proof your waste reached a licensed site, and give you a waste transfer note on every job.

How we check every collector

Get quotes from checked collectors

Hiring someone yourself?

Check the number, and four more things:

  • The name on the register matches the van, the website or the invoice.
  • They tell you where your waste is going.
  • You get a receipt or a waste transfer note.
  • You steer clear of cash-only “we’ll take anything” offers.

Questions

What is a waste carrier licence?
It’s a registration with the Environment Agency. Any business in England that carries other people’s waste needs one. The official name is a waste carrier registration, but most people call it a licence.
What’s the difference between upper and lower tier?
Upper tier is for businesses that carry other people’s waste, such as rubbish removal and house clearance. Lower tier covers narrower cases, like a business that only carries waste it makes itself. Someone taking your rubbish away for money normally needs upper tier.
What do carrier, broker and dealer mean?
A carrier moves waste. A broker arranges for someone else to move it. A dealer buys and sells it. One registration can cover more than one of these. Whoever comes to take your waste away needs a registration that includes carrier.
Where do I find their registration number?
Ask them. A licensed collector will tell you straight away. It’s often on their van, website, adverts or invoices. Numbers usually start with CBDU for upper tier or CBDL for lower tier.
What if I’ve already given my waste to someone without a licence?
Keep everything you have about them: their name, phone number, van registration, messages and any receipt. If your waste is dumped and the council contacts you, give them all of it. You can also report fly-tipping to your council.
Where does this information come from?
From the Environment Agency’s public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers, checked when you ask. We show only part of what the register publishes: the name, tier, type and dates. The register covers England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland keep their own.
What if a result looks wrong?
The register is the Environment Agency’s own record. If something doesn’t look right, search the register yourself or contact the Environment Agency.

Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right.