Funeral directors caught dumping bags of waste outside its business

Ted Peskett – Local democracy reporter

A funeral directors in Cardiff fly-tipped bags of waste on the street and was ordered to pay thousands of pounds for doing it.

Cardiff Council said it noticed White Rose Funerals and Memorials Ltd in Splott Road incorrectly dumping bags of waste during routine inspections by waste enforcement officers.

The company was ordered to pay more than £8,000 for two waste offences linked to the dumping of 15 bags of rubbish outside their premises at a Cardiff Magistrates’ Court Hearing on Thursday, September 11.

The offences took place on January 12, 2024, and November 26, 2024.

Waste 

Cardiff council said the funeral directors did not hold a commercial waste contract with the council at the time of the offences.

The local authority’s cabinet member for waste, street scene, and environmental services, Cllr Norma Mackie, said: “It is essential that all commercial businesses have a waste contract in place with a waste management provider to recycle and dispose of their waste.

“Every business has legal responsibilities regarding how their waste is managed.

“It cannot be put out as part of a domestic waste collection, or brought to our household recycling centres, unless specifically taken to the commercial waste section at Bessemer Close.

“This case also shows that businesses should not ignore formal notices issued as what was originally a £300 penalty has now escalated to a charge of more than £8,000.

“Everyone must take responsibility for their own waste to ensure that it doesn’t end up being ripped open on our streets, creating street litter and causing a nuisance in our communities.”

Penalty

White Rose Funerals and Memorials Ltd was originally issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) of £300 and a request was made to provide a waste transfer note – an official document detailing how and where a business disposes of its waste over the previous two years.

Cardiff council said the FPN was not paid and the waste transfer note was not provided leading to the case being listed for prosecution.

The company was fined £6,000, ordered to pay prosecution costs of £700, and a victim surcharge of £2,000.

The court ordered the full payment must be made within 28 days of the sentencing.