Corporate Waste Responsibility Bill [HL]
A Bill to require large companies to appoint a named director responsible for compliance with statutory waste duty of care obligations; to make such companies financially responsible for the clean-up and clearance of waste they have generated or controlled where that waste is mismanaged and the duty of care has not been discharged; and for connected purposes.
- Introduced by
- Baroness Sheehan · Liberal Democrat · Life peer
- Originating house
- Lords
- Introduced
- 4 June 2026
- Last updated
- 28 October 2026
What this bill does
Currently at 1st Reading in the Lords.
Makes big companies answer for waste they cause and clean-up costs if they fail.
This private member’s bill is at the introduction stage and would impose new waste-duty rules on large companies. It would require a named director, stronger records and reporting, and make firms pay for clean-up where their waste is mismanaged and they failed to meet their duty of care. It also creates offences and gives ministers power to set detailed enforcement rules.
- Require every large company to appoint one named director responsible for waste duty of care compliance
- Require the named director to take reasonable steps to ensure effective systems and controls, including risk assessments and due diligence when contracting services
- Require the named director to report annually to the board on compliance with the waste duty of care
- Require companies to notify the regulator of the named director’s identity, material breaches, and reasonable suspicions of criminal activity in the waste supply chain
- Require companies to keep records for at least six years showing compliance, including records of transfer, storage, treatment, disposal, and final destination of waste
- Make companies liable for clean-up and clearance costs where they generated or controlled waste that was mismanaged and where the duty of care was not discharged
- Allow public authorities, landowners, or others to recover those costs as a civil debt
- Create offences for failing to comply with the appointment or notification/record-keeping duties without reasonable excuse, and for knowingly or recklessly giving false or misleading information
- Allow the Secretary of State to set exemptions, evidential requirements, enforcement procedures, and appeals by regulations
The stage line is the same Parliament bill record as the heading. The summary is AI-generated and not independently reviewed. Report an error.
Progress
- 1st reading · Lords
- 2nd reading · Lords