Waste management (excluding hazardous waste)

An unqualified (free) trade (field No. 44) covering the collection, transport, purchase, sorting, storage, treatment, recovery and disposal of waste, excluding hazardous waste; it also includes the transport of sewage by cesspit vehicles. It requires no professional qualification; meeting the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act is sufficient.

Examples of activities

• collection and gathering of municipal and other waste
• operation of a waste collection yard and collection point
• sorting and re-sorting of waste on a sorting line
• purchase and collection of metal waste and secondary raw materials
• recycling of plastics, paper, glass and construction materials
• treatment of waste and production of fuel from waste
• operation of facilities for the recovery or disposal of other (non-hazardous) waste
• transport of sewage by cesspit vehicles

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade "Waste management (excluding hazardous waste)" is field No. 44 of the single unqualified trade "Production, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act". It entitles you to do business across the entire chain of managing so-called other (non-hazardous) waste - from its collection and transport, through sorting and recovery, to disposal. The field also includes the transport of sewage by cesspit vehicles.

This is an unqualified (free) trade under Annex No. 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll. (the Trade Licensing Act). That is a key advantage for you: unlike craft, regulated or licensed (concession) trades, here no education or practice is to be proven (Section 25(2) of the Act). It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 (see below).

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Field No. 44 covers in particular:

• collection, purchase, transport and haulage of other waste;
• gathering, storage and sorting of waste (collection yards, sorting lines);
• treatment, recovery (recycling) and disposal of non-hazardous waste;
• operation of facilities for the collection, purchase and processing of secondary raw materials;
• transport of sewage by cesspit vehicles.

Watch the boundary - what does NOT belong here:

• Management of hazardous waste. This is a separate regulated trade "Business in the field of hazardous waste management" (Annex No. 2 to the Act), for which professional qualification must be proven (a university degree and 1 year of practice in the field, or a tertiary professional or secondary technical or natural-science education and 3 years of practice in the field). Unqualified trade No. 44 does not entitle you to handle hazardous waste.
• Purchase of metals from natural persons is subject to special regulation (the Waste Act) - the unqualified trade alone does not replace it.
• Operation of waste water treatment plants and sewerage systems falls under different objects of business (water management).

It is important to distinguish two levels. The trade licence deals with the right to do business. Alongside it, you must also meet the sectoral obligations under Act No. 541/2020 Coll., on waste - for example a permit to operate a facility, notification or keeping of records with the regional authority or the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers. These two things are unrelated; the trade licence does not relieve you of obligations under waste legislation.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Because this is an unqualified trade, it is sufficient to meet the general conditions for operating a trade under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

• full legal capacity (usually reaching 18 years of age, or legal capacity granted earlier) - Section 6(1)(a);
• a clean criminal record - Section 6(1)(b); the office verifies the clean criminal record from the Criminal Records Register itself.

Professional qualification is not required and is not to be proven (Section 25(2) of the Act). You do not have to submit an apprenticeship certificate, a diploma or a confirmation of practice.

If you do not wish or are unable to operate the trade in person (typically a legal person), you may appoint a responsible representative under Section 11. For an unqualified trade the responsible representative too does not prove professional qualification - but must also meet the general conditions under Section 6. One person may act as responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs (Section 11(5) of the Act).

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

An unqualified trade comes into being on the day of notification (Section 10(1)(a) of the Act) - there is no waiting for a decision to be issued.

1. Fill in the Unified Registration Form (JRF). In the object of business you select the unqualified trade and tick field No. 44 (and possibly other fields at the same time - the number of them does not incur an extra charge).
2. Submit the notification. Options: in person at any Trade Licensing Office (central registration point), at a Czech POINT contact point, or electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal.
3. Provide the documents and pay the fee (see the following section).
4. Wait for the entry. The Trade Licensing Office will make the entry in the Trade Register and issue an extract within 5 working days of delivery of the notification.

A detailed universal procedure can be found in the guide How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

• Identity document (identity card or passport).
• Completed JRF with the selected field No. 44.
• Consent to the location of the registered office, if it is not your property.
• Administrative fee for trade notification: CZK 1,000 (for electronic submission via rzp.gov.cz CZK 800).
• Extension by a further field of the unqualified trade later: CZK 0 (free of charge).
• You do not have to prove a clean criminal record or professional qualification - the office verifies it, or it is not required.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need any education or practice for this field?

No. "Waste management (excluding hazardous waste)" is an unqualified trade, so professional qualification is not to be proven. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 - legal capacity and a clean criminal record.

Can I handle hazardous waste under this trade?

No. Hazardous waste falls under the separate regulated trade "Business in the field of hazardous waste management" (Annex No. 2 to the Act), for which professional qualification must be proven (university, tertiary professional or secondary technical education and corresponding practice in the field).

Is a trade licence enough for me to operate a waste collection yard?

The trade licence is necessary but not sufficient on its own. The operation of a waste management facility is also governed by Act No. 541/2020 Coll., on waste - you will need a permit and registration with the relevant authority. Verify the specific conditions with the regional authority or with the municipal authority of a municipality with extended powers.

When can I start doing business?

Immediately, on the day of notification. For an unqualified trade the licence comes into being at the moment of notification, and the office then issues the register extract within 5 working days.

Can I add further fields of the unqualified trade to this field?

Yes, you can add all 80 fields at once within a single notification and a single fee. Adding a further field later is free of charge.

Sources

• Act No. 455/1991 Coll., on trade licensing (the Trade Licensing Act)
• Ministry of Industry and Trade - trade licensing