Waste tracking and duty of care: what businesses need to know
Any UK business that produces, carries or handles waste has a legal duty of care to ensure it is dealt with properly. This guide explains the duty of care, the move to digital waste tracking, and what it means for your everyday waste, cigarette butts included.
The duty of care, in short
Under the duty of care, businesses must ensure their waste is stored, transferred and disposed of responsibly, and only handed to authorised carriers. It applies from the moment waste is produced until it is finally treated.
The aim is traceability: knowing where each waste stream goes, who handles it, and how it is treated. Documentation is the proof that the duty has been met.
The move to digital waste tracking
The UK is moving from paper records to a digital waste tracking service, designed to record waste from production to final treatment in one place. It replaces scattered paperwork with a shared, verifiable trail.
Everyday streams matter too, including diffuse waste such as cigarette butts — more on that below.
Transfer notes and consignment notes
When waste changes hands, a waste transfer note records the exchange; hazardous waste requires a consignment note. Each waste is identified by a waste classification code.
What about cigarette butts?
Butts look trivial but are a polluting waste: a single butt can contaminate hundreds of litres of water. They belong neither on the ground nor in general waste, but in a dedicated collection and recycling stream.
Easy to Change installs ashtrays at your smoking areas, handles the collection of cigarette butts and their recycling with our recovery partner MéGO. Our ashtrays are made in our workshop in Picardie/Somme, France.
Frequently asked questions
What is the duty of care for waste?
A legal duty on businesses to ensure their waste is handled responsibly, from production to final treatment, using only authorised carriers.
Is my business concerned?
If you produce, carry or handle waste, generally yes. Listing your waste streams is the way to check.
Do cigarette butts need to be tracked?
Butts are a polluting waste that should be collected separately and recycled. Easy to Change organises this stream with supporting records.
Put your cigarette butts into a proper stream
Regular collection, recovery with MéGO, supporting records. Request your quote.