FAQ

ISO ensures products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. Betts Envirometal is very proud to operate to ISO 140001 (environmental management) and ISO 9001:2000 (quality management).

Betts Envirometal focuses on waste that contains precious metal elements. With over 260 years of precious metal expertise, we specialise in maximising the resource value of our customers' waste streams by maximising precious metal recovery.

Yes. In some instances, we can recover valuable material from hazardous waste. As a result, firms that take the time and opportunity to effectively manage their waste are given a financial incentive to do so.

For instance, large quantities of x-ray film can generate silver while printed circuit boards can also generate quantities of silver and gold. Even basic electrical equipment found in the office like telephones, desktops and computer monitors have the potential to generate cash (there will be certain waste types that we may not collect and specific quantities required as minimum collection levels, but we can discuss all this in detail with you).

Because of our long history in the precious metals business, we specialise in viewing waste streams as a potential resource, processing them in house and recovering maximum value for our customers.

The size of the return obviously varies dependent on the amount of precious metals found and other service factors, such as transport etc, however, if a waste stream has some intrinsic value, we will always aim to either provide a rebate or deduct this value from charges incurred in disposal.  For more information on payments for waste, please just get in touch.

There are a number of regulations pertaining to waste management – Environmental Protection Act 1990 Part II, Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005, List of Wastes (England) Regulations 2005 to name but a few – and it is the remit of the Environment Agency to apply and enforce waste management law.

Failing to dispose of hazardous waste correctly can lead to fines or possible imprisonment. There is also a “duty of care”, according to ukela.org, which requires any person in the waste chain from production to disposal to prevent any other person in the chain from committing an offence.

Betts Envirometal are squarely focussed on taking the hassle our of legislative compliance. We will not only handle your waste needs; we will also help to keep you on the right track administratively.

Depending on the type of waste, we can collect, transport, treat, dispose of and recycle your waste. Using state of the art factories, specialist transport fleets and experienced staff, we focus on treating your waste and recovering precious metal contents in-house.

To discuss how a specific waste will be handled, please contact our team.

Yes, although this will be dependant on volume and type of waste. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

As a specialist precious metals refiner, Betts Envirometal can accept and process almost any form of silver bearing material.

The most common silver bearing materials we process are silver flake from electrolytic recovery units, silver rich sludges, silver bearing paints, X-Ray films, nitrate solutions and fixer. However, if you have other silver bearing materials, please contact us.

Yes. Betts Envirometal stock a full range of silver recovery equipment and are able to undertake installations and ongoing servicing for those machines.

Betts Envirometal is able to provide fully trained service engineers to remove flake from cathodes and also offer machine servicing whilst on site. A service and call out charge would apply for the provision of Betts personnel to undertake removal of flake from cathodes although this can be offset of against silver recovery.

Yes. We aim to process the vast majority of wastes collected in-house, ensuring integrity and efficiency is maximised at all times. Unlike many other waste management companies who are essentially brokerage operations, Betts Envirometal uses specialist processing facilities in-house to process waste. With our long history of precious metal expertise, we are unusual in that we process all X-Ray films and other precious metal bearing wastes in-house in the UK.

We are able to pay for film based on assays and the net weight of film received before the film has been fully processed. This means that in most cases a self-billing invoice is raised and paid within thirty days of receiving the film. We aim to be as flexible as possible, so please contact us to discuss your requirements.

No, we will separate these once they arrive at our facility. We will recycle the paper free of charge then pay out for the weight of the x-rays, once they are separated.

We regularly work with organisations disposing of hundreds of tons of x-ray film and have the capacity to deal with any volume of film. We are, however, also happy to process small volumes of film and may still be able to generate a rebate from loads of film as small as 100kgs, dependent on the quality of the film. We assess each job on a case by case basis, so please just get in touch to discuss your requirements.

There are several different types of X Ray film which have widely varying silver contents and which require varying processing methodologies. We always pay for X Ray film based on the market value of the silver contained within that film and can provide a price once we know exactly what type of film it is (either by viewing the material or taking an assay).

It is a legal requirement that you retain copies of the S62 (otherwise known as a hazardous waste transfer note) for a minimum of three years.

Nothing – this is all part of the service and we will complete it for you. All you need to do, is sign the completed forms.

Failure to do this may result in a surcharge being levied upon our customers (see terms and conditions) or the goods simply not being able to be collected. Where goods have been collected but are not as labelled or communicated, they may be returned to the customer at the cost of transportation.

The onus is on the producer of the waste (our customers) to store their wastes correctly and to make sure they are disposed of by a licensed waste carrier and treatment company (us). It is also imperative that the exact volumes and types of wastes that are due to be collected are communicated accurately to our scheduling officer, so that we can ensure the paperwork is compliant with all Haz-chem treatment and transport legislation.

Either print off a form from the certificates & documents section of the site and return to us, or call 01562 740 220 and ask for an account application form.

Hazardous waste is defined as any waste product that can cause harm to humans or the environment either by immediate contact or over a period of time from continued exposure. It is a legal requirement for any company in the UK producing a hazardous waste stream to have it disposed of by a registered and licensed waste disposal company. Characteristic hazardous wastes are materials that are known or tested to exhibit traits such as: Reactive, Corrosive, Toxic or Flammable. With over 250 years in the waste disposal and management industry we are the experts in identifying and disposing of any hazardous waste, so if in doubt give us a call. It’s always better to check than risk prosecution.

Yes, we are fully licensed. Please see the certificates & documents section of the site for further information.

We are always available at the end of a phone. Please see contact us on 01562 740 220for further information or email envirometal@bettsmetals.co.uk