How to check a waste carrier is licensed (in about a minute)

It is the single most useful thing you can do before paying anyone to take waste away, and almost nobody does it.

Step one — ask for the number

Every registered carrier has an Environment Agency registration number. A legitimate one will give it without hesitation.

Step two — look it up

Search the Environment Agency public register for that number or the business name. You will see whether they are registered, at what tier, and whether it is current.

Step three — get the paperwork

When the waste is collected, you should get a waste transfer note describing what was taken. Keep it. It is your proof that you did the right thing.

That is the whole check. If a quote seems cheap because the person skips all three, the saving is not a saving — it is a risk with your name on it.