WRAP Cymru, the Welsh branch of the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), is calling on waste management companies operating in Wales to respond to an online survey about their experiences in getting insurance cover for waste sites.

The survey, which runs until 12 September, has been released after WRAP Cymru said it heard ‘anecdotally’ that rising insurance costs are threatening waste management companies, and in some cases ‘has forced businesses to cease trading or led them to decide it is no longer worth trading’. Part of the issues regarding waste site insurance cover has been attributed to the increasing number of waste site fires in the UK, as well as members of the public making 'bogus insurance claims'.

It also noted that the number of insurers willing to offer insurance cover to waste companies has declined and the lack of competition is driving premiums higher.

As such, the survey is being undertaken to help WRAP Cyrmu ‘improve [its] understanding of the situation, to assess the impact on recycling infrastructure in Wales and to potentially provide evidence for intervention and additional support if needed’.

Questions asked in the survey include:

• details of current insurance costs and business turnover;
• types and quantities of material handled on site;
• whether insurance costs have risen, stayed the same, or dropped in recent times;
• identifying whether there were any ‘opportunities to reduce insurance costs’, and how;
• the number of insurance claims made; and
• whether any conditions were applied to insurance policies.

WRAP Cyrmu has said that responses will be kept in confidence and reported anonymously, unless written permission is provided for WRAP Cymru to attribute comments to an individual/business.

Any action taken on waste insurance in Wales will reportedly depend upon the findings of the survey.

Respond to WRAP Cymru’s waste insurance survey or find out more about insuring the waste sector.