Did you know keeping this in your van could earn you a £300 fine?

Everyone loves a good meal deal. If you see me sauntering around my local supermarket, you better believe that I’m nabbing a breakfast triple sandwich, a packet of Doritos and a Twix. Then again, I go to the supermarket quite often and so those meal deals are going to pile up, and by extension, so will the waste.

Enter Roofer Stewart Gosling, aged 43, from Hertfordshire. Stewart was driving his white van through Chingford, North East London, when he was pulled over by council workers. Unfortunately for him, these members of Waltham Forest Council were conducting spot checks. Almost immediately upon opening his van, they found a commercial refuse bag filled to the brim with sandwich and crisp packets.

They mustn’t have liked the empty crisp packets because they charged Stewart with an on-the-spot fine of £300, for "failure to furnish documentation (waste carriers licence)". According to them, regardless of the contents, carrying a commercial refuse bag in a trader’s van without a valid ‘waste carriers licence’ makes the operator of the vehicle liable. However, Stewart believes that the legal action did not fit the crime.

So, what’s the solution? Do we all need to start using non-commercial carrier bags to haul our rubbish – or could it be as simple as just putting it in the bin? As most of us know, the convenient option is usually the best bet. Investing in a ‘waste carriers licence’ seems to be the sensible choice, if only carrying said waste served an actual professional purpose and not just means of ease.

However, a spokesman from Waltham Forest Council insists the importance of carrying the licence at all times. He said:

‘It is widely recognised as best practice for tradesmen to be licensed to avoid legal repercussions, in the event they are required to transport even small quantities of waste.’

So, the next time you think of constructing a makeshift bin in your van – think of that £300 city break you’ve had your eye on.