Waste disposal duties in Scotland: EPA 1990 s. 53
Section 53 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out duties and powers for Scottish waste disposal authorities regarding collected waste.
It shall be the duty of each waste disposal authority to arrange for the disposal of any waste collected by it, in its capacity as a waste collection authority, under section 45 above; and without prejudice to the authority’s powers apart from the following provisions of this subsection, the powers exercisable by the authority for the purpose of performing that duty shall include power— to provide, within or outside its area, places at which to deposit waste before the authority transfers it to a place or plant or equipment provided under the following paragraph; and to provide, within or outside its area, places at which to dispose of or recycle the waste and plant or equipment for processing, recycling or otherwise disposing of it. Subsections (7) , (10) and (10A) of section 45 above shall have effect in relation to a waste disposal authority as if the reference in paragraph (a) of the said subsection (7) to the collection of waste included the disposal of waste under this section and the disposal of anything produced from waste belonging to the authority. A waste disposal authority may permit another person to use facilities provided by the authority under the preceding provisions of this section and may provide for the use of another person any such facilities as the authority has power to provide under those provisions, and— subject to the following paragraph, it shall be the duty of the authority to make a reasonable charge in respect of the use by another person of the facilities unless the authority considers it appropriate not to make a charge; no charge shall be made under this section in respect of household waste; and anything delivered to the authority by another person in the course of using the facilities shall belong to the authority and may be dealt with accordingly. References to waste in subsection (1) above do not include matter removed from privies under section 45(5)(a) or (6) above, and it shall be the duty of a waste collection authority . . . by which matter is so removed— to deliver the matter, in accordance with any directions of Scottish Water , at a place specified in the directions (which must be in or within a reasonable distance from the waste collection authority’s area), to Scottish Water or another person so specified; to give to Scottish Water from time to time a notice stating the quantity of the matter which the waste collection authority expects to deliver to or as directed by Scottish Water under the preceding paragraph during a period specified in the notice. Any question arising under paragraph (a) of the preceding subsection as to whether a place is within a reasonable distance from a waste collection authority’s area shall, in default of agreement between the waste collection authority and Scottish Water in question, be determined by a single arbiter appointed, in default of agreement between the parties concerned, by the Secretary of State on the application of any of the parties; and anything delivered to Scottish Water under that subsection shall belong to Scottish Water and may be dealt with accordingly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This section applies to Scotland only.
Text in force at .
Source: legislation.gov.uk — The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), reproduced under licence Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it actually says
This section places a duty on Scottish waste disposal authorities to arrange for the disposal of waste collected under section 45. To fulfill this responsibility, authorities hold powers to provide places, plant, and equipment for waste deposit, recycling, or disposal, whether situated inside or outside their administrative area.
An authority may allow other persons to use these waste management facilities. While authorities are required to make a reasonable charge for third-party use, the law strictly prohibits making any charge for the disposal of household waste. Any waste or materials delivered to the authority by another person using these facilities becomes the property of the authority.
Special rules apply to sewage matter removed from privies under section 45. Waste collection authorities must deliver this material to Scottish Water or its designated person at a specified location within a reasonable distance. Any disagreement regarding what constitutes a reasonable distance is decided by an arbiter appointed by the Secretary of State. This section applies exclusively to Scotland.
When it applies
- A local authority in Scotland sets up a waste transfer station outside its boundary to store waste before processing.
- A commercial business pays a fee to use a municipal waste recycling site managed by a Scottish waste disposal authority.
- A householder in Scotland drops off household waste at a council disposal facility without paying a fee.
- A Scottish waste collection authority transfers privy waste to Scottish Water at a directed facility.
What this section does not say
- Waste disposal authority functions and duties within England and Wales.
- Written warnings or civil monetary penalties for failing to follow household waste container rules.
- Statutory requirements for local authorities to produce waste recycling plans.
Related sections
That's the law. Now let's settle your problem.
Say what is happening. A neutral mediator hears your side and the other party's, and walks you both to a written agreement. In the advanced settings you can ask for the decision to be reasoned on the Acts of Parliament that apply in England and Wales.
Or open a session directly and invite the other party.
We copy this text from the official publisher and re-check it against that source on every page load, but we cannot guarantee it is complete, current or free of error, and we accept no liability for any reliance on it. An amendment can take effect before a consolidation catches up. The publisher's own copy is linked below; where the two differ, it is the official one that counts.
This page reproduces the text of EPA 1990 s. 53 in force at the date shown and explains it in general terms. It is not legal advice and takes no account of the circumstances of your case, which can change the answer completely. For a live dispute, for limitation periods, and before taking any step in court, consult a qualified lawyer in England and Wales.