Waste duty of care, explained
What the duty of care requires of everyone in the waste chain, and how to meet it when disposing of IT.
Duty of care is the legal principle that everyone who produces, handles or disposes of waste must manage it responsibly — and be able to prove they did. For IT disposal, it’s the thread that ties everything together.
Who it applies to
Everyone in the chain: the business disposing of the kit, the carrier moving it, and the site receiving it. You can’t contract out of duty of care — you can only discharge it by using legitimate, evidenced routes.
What it requires
- Store and contain waste safely.
- Only transfer it to authorised persons (registered carriers, permitted sites).
- Keep records — transfer notes / DWTS records — describing the waste and its movement.
- Check where your waste actually ends up.
How to prove it
Registered carriers, permitted receiving sites, downstream evidence, and complete movement records are how you evidence duty of care. Software that captures all of it per device makes the proof automatic.
Frequently asked questions
What is waste duty of care?
The legal duty on everyone in the waste chain to manage waste responsibly and keep records proving they did.
Can I transfer duty of care to my ITAD provider?
No — you discharge it by using authorised carriers and sites and keeping evidence, but the producer’s duty remains.
What records prove duty of care?
Waste transfer notes (now DWTS records), registered carrier details and downstream treatment evidence.
Ready when you are
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