Terms and Conditions

Below you will find the terms of use for our website, and the terms related to purchase of our products and services, including membership and our privacy policy. These terms and policies apply regardless of the location from which you are accessing this site. Should you have any queries regarding these terms or policies, please contact governance@ciwm.co.uk. 

Website Terms of Use 

1. Introduction

Welcome to the website of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM). By using any part of this website, including areas for members, learners, customers, and general visitors, you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use the site. 
 
These terms apply to all users and cover all CIWM services provided through this website.

2. Definitions 

  • CIWM: Chartered Institution of Wastes Management.
  • Website: All pages, content, and services under ciwm.co.uk.
  • User: Anyone accessing or using the website, including but not limited to CIWM members, learners, customers, and those seeking information about CIWM. 

3. Acceptable Use 

You agree to: 

  • Use the website lawfully and responsibly.
  • Not upload or transmit harmful, offensive, or unlawful content.
  • Not attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the site or its systems.
  • Not use the site in a way that could damage, disable, or impair its functionality.

4. Intellectual Property

All content on this website, including text, graphics, logos, and resources, is owned or licensed by CIWM. You may view and download content for personal, non-commercial use only. You must not reproduce, distribute, or modify content without prior written consent from CIWM.

5. Privacy and Data Protection

We process personal data in accordance with UK GDPR and our Privacy Policy. By using the site, you agree to this processing. Please review our Privacy Policy for details. 

6. Links to Other Sites 

This website may contain links to third-party sites. CIWM is not responsible for the content or practices of those sites. 

 7. Liability and Disclaimers 

  • CIWM strives to ensure the accuracy of information but does not guarantee it.
  • he website is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind.
  • CIWM is not liable for any loss or damage arising from use of the site, except where required by law.  

8. Changes to These Terms 

We may update these Terms from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page. Continued use of the site after changes means you accept the updated terms. 9. Governing Law 

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. 

Please also refer to our privacy policy and our online purchases terms and conditions.  

Last updated: January 2026 

Privacy Policy 

About us 

The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) is a company incorporated by Royal Charter and registered in England (No RC000777); and a charity registered in England and Wales (No 109096) and in Scotland (No SCO37903). The registered office address is CIWM, Quadra, 500 Pavilion Drive, Northampton Business Park, Northampton, NN4 7YJ.

In addition, CIWM comprises Circular Economy Institute Ltd (registered in England and Wales with company number 15232864), a wholly owned subsidiary of the CIWM, trading only to raise funds for its parent organisation (collectively referred to herein as “the controllers”, “we”, “us”, “our”).

The CIWM and Circular Economy Institute Ltd are the joint data controllers and are regulated as such by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Our commitment 

The CIWM is strongly committed to protecting your privacy and complying with your choices. Both personal and non-personal information collected is protected in accordance with the highest privacy and data protection standards adopted worldwide. We maintain robust and effective data protection protocol which comply with existing law and data protection principles, including those of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). 

  • Your information will not be shared, rented or sold to any third party, unless required by applicable law or to fulfil legitimate service provision, i.e. delivery of membership services, professional training, and/or qualifications. 

  • We use modern security measures to protect your information from unauthorised users. 

  • We limit the data we require from you only to what is necessary for providing our products and services to you and administering your relationship with us. 

  • Where we require consent to process your personal data for specific purposes, we enable you to easily withdraw your consent. 

Principles of the GDPR 

CIWM is committed to processing data in accordance with its responsibilities under the GDPR, Article 5 of which requires personal data to be: 

  1. processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to individuals; 

  1. collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes; further processing for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes shall not be considered to be incompatible with the initial purposes; 

  1. adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed; 

  1. accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date; every reasonable step must be taken to ensure that personal data that are inaccurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed, are erased or rectified without delay; 

  1. kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data are processed; personal data may be stored for longer periods insofar as the personal data will be processed solely for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes subject to implementation of the appropriate technical and organisational measures required by the GDPR in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals; and 

  1. processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures. 

Notice 

  • We will clearly inform you when information that personally identifies you ("personal information") is requested. We only collect personal data that is necessary for the purposes in which we need to process it. For example, we make it optional for you to provide data for: 
     Learner support 

  • To help us improve our services that we provide to you 

  • To help us to improve your experience when accessing our website. Some website functionality or services may be unavailable to users who do not provide their data, or who do not consent to the use of cookies and similar technologies on the CIWM website. 

In some cases, additional information, which may include sensitive personal data relating to health, will also be collected to support requests for access arrangements and reasonable adjustments and/or special consideration. Such personal data will be supplemented by the results of examinations and assessments undertaken by the respective learner. We collect your information:

Directly from you 

  • when you provide it to us directly by completing forms on the CIWM’s website, or when corresponding with us by phone, email or otherwise; 

  • when you register for a new account to become a member, to become an Affiliated Organisation, to purchase our products and services or when you opt-in to receive communications from us (you can unsubscribe from CIWM communications at any time); 

  • when you provide permission to other organisations to share it with us (including social media networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter) or when you use our websites or other applications; and/or

Indirectly from other sources 

  • when you have given it to a third party and given your permission for them to pass your information to us – e.g. through a learning provider or from third party data companies (i.e. ZoomInfo) etc.  

  • In relation to our status as an Ofqual regulated body, if you are a member of centre delivery staff, an apprentice, or learner, we may also receive information about you from your centre, training provider, from the test centre(s) – e.g. Pearson Vue, or employer when they register to receive products and/or services from us. 

  • When you visit our website, through social media etc. 

The information we collect 

We only collect the information that is necessary to carry out our business, provide the service you have requested and keep you informed. The personal information we collect, or you give us, may include (but not be limited to) your prefix (Dr, Miss, Mr, Mrs, Mx, etc.); name; contact information, including address, email address and phone number; date of birth; gender; education history; employment information; information related to your professional qualifications, test results, designations and memberships; payment information, including debit/credit card details; and other information necessary in order to enter into a contract with us and for us to fulfil that contract.  

For security and validation purposes, we also require learners to have a photo taken should they sit a CIWM test.   
 
We may also collect other information about each of your visits to our site and linked third-party websites, including products and services, IP address, and information regarding what pages are accessed and when. 
 
Our website, which has a URL starting https://, is a secure website which is scanned regularly (at least once per calendar quarter) for compliance with the credit card companies' security requirements. We do not store any financial information, including debit/credit card details, on our website. Where you choose to pay online via debit/credit card to purchase any of our services or products, your payment will be processed and managed through our secure website and links automatically to an independent third-party payment solution provider. 

Usage 

We use this information to: 

  • manage your account with us and personalise your use of the website; 

  • determine eligibility for membership and other career development opportunities; 

  • respond to your requests and inquiries; 

  • serve relevant advertisements to you when you visit our sites or other third-party sites; 

  • process your order or request for our products or services (such as membership, training, webinars, events, directory listings, qualifications etc.); 

  • to satisfy CIWM’s security and validation requirements for learners taking tests at test centres (through Pearson Vue). For example, Continuing Competence Tests, Metal Recycling Contractor Competency Scheme Tests; 

  • to issue a CIWM ProFile photo ID card; 

  • process payments, accounting and administration (including, but not limited to, membership subscriptions and renewals, registration fees, or processing the delivery and payments of any products or services that you choose to purchase from us); 

  • evaluate your performance on learning courses and assist you in the tracking of your progress; 

  • carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered by you and us (for example, if you have purchased a product or service from us) or where we are required to do this by law or other regulations; 

  • seek your views or comments on the services we provide; 

  • notify you of changes to our services and policies; 

  • send newsletters and communications about events and other products and services offered by CIWM and its trading subsidiary that we think may be of interest to you; 

  • Sending B2B (business to Business) marketing communications about training, development, and other CIWM products and services.  

  • request your participation in surveys, focus groups, or other initiatives which help us to gather information used to develop and enhance our products and services; and/or 

  • manage reporting and business planning - we produce internal documents to monitor our own activities. 

Lawful Basis for processing personal data 

CIWM’s lawful basis for processing your personal data is your consent and/or any other applicable legal bases, such as our legitimate interest in engaging in commerce and offering products and services that may be of value to you; where such processing is necessary to perform our contract with you or to take steps before entering into our contract with you; and/or where such processing is necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes and enforce our contractual agreements. 
 
When you provide your personal information, we will process it in line with the appropriate lawful basis. Where consent is required for the processing, we will ensure that it is captured in line with the requirements of the GDPR. If you choose not to register or provide personal information, you can still use our website, but you will not be able to receive additional services or access certain areas that require registration. Where we require your consent for specific communications, you will have the opportunity to unsubscribe from further communications in each communication you receive from us; alternatively, you may contact us to express your choices at compliance@ciwm.co.uk. 
 
You can withdraw your consent at any time by emailing compliance@ciwm.co.uk. 

Access To Your Information 

You are entitled to review your personal information at any time to ensure its accuracy, relevance, and/or currency. To review or update this information simply email compliance@ciwm.co.uk to request a copy of the information which we hold about you. 

Security Of Information

CIWM is committed to protecting your information and ensuring that your choices are honoured. We have taken strong security measures to protect your data from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. All sensitive data is stored behind multiple firewalls on secure servers with restricted employee access. 
 
We guarantee that all e-commerce transactions follow the latest security measures and use the best available technologies. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology is employed when you place online orders or transmit sensitive information. SSL is one of the safest methods of passing information over the Internet. 
 
Where you have a username or password (or other identification information) which enables you to access certain services or parts of our website, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share a password with anyone.  

Retention Of Information 

We retain information as long as it is necessary to provide the services requested by you and others, subject to any legal obligations to further retain such information. Information associated with you will generally be kept until it is no longer necessary to provide the services or until you ask us to delete it, or your account is deleted, whichever comes first. Additionally, we may retain information from deleted accounts to comply with the law, prevent fraud, resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, assist with investigations, enforce the Terms of Use, and take other actions permitted by law. The information we retain will be handled in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Finally, your data could also be stored for sales statistical purposes. 

Your Rights 

If we process your personal data, you have the right to access, rectify, download or erase your information, as well as the right to restrict and object to certain processing of your information. While some of these rights apply generally, certain rights apply only in certain limited circumstances: 

  • The right to be informed: When collecting personal information, the CIWM will provide to the data subject free of charge, a copy of this Privacy Policy. 

  • The right of access: The data subject shall have the right to obtain from us confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning them are being processed, and, where that is the case, access to their personal data and the information detailed in this Privacy Policy. 

  • The right to rectification: The data subject shall have the right to require us, as the controller, without undue delay to rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal data concerning them. 

  • The right to erase (the right to be forgotten): Except where the data are held for purposes of legal obligation or public task (see above) the data subject shall have the right to require us, as the controller, without undue delay to erase any personal data concerning them. 

  • The right to restrict processing: Where there is a dispute between the data subject and the controller about the accuracy, validity or legality of data held by the CIWM the data subject shall have the right to require us, as the controller to cease processing the data for a reasonable period of time to allow the dispute to be resolved. 

  • The right to data portability: Where data are held for purposes of consent or contract the data subject shall have the right to require us, as the controller to provide them with a copy in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format of the data which they have provided to us, as the controller, and have the right to transmit those data to another controller without hindrance. 

  • The right to object: The data subject shall have the right to object, on grounds relating to their situation, at any time to processing of personal data concerning them which is based on Public Task or Legitimate Interest, including profiling based on those provisions. We shall no longer process the personal data unless, as the controller we demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. 

  • Where personal data are processed for direct marketing purposes, the data subject shall have the right to object at any time to processing of personal data concerning them for such marketing, which includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. 

  • Where the data subject objects to processing for direct marketing purposes, the personal data shall no longer be processed for such purposes. 

  • Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling: Except where it is a) based on the data subject’s explicit consent, or b) necessary for entering into, or performance of, a contract between the data subject and a data controller, the data subject shall have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning them or similarly significantly affects them. 

What we do with the information you share 

CIWM is committed to only sharing personal data in line with the purposes that it is processed.  

We will share your data with those who process data for or on our behalf (for example our CRM providers including iFinity plc and Wattle Solutions Ltd, our IT support provider, Dragon Information Systems Limited , and Reference Point (for our ProFile system)), and where we have a legal obligation to do so, or if it is in your vital interest (e.g. in the event of an emergency). We also share information with qualification regulators including Ofqual and with the Environment Agency when you undertake a qualification of certificate related to operator competence. We will never share or sell your data to third party organisations without your permission. 
 
When you join CIWM or subscribe to our communications, you are asked to provide your contact information, including a valid email address. We use this information to send you updates about the CIWM, order confirmations, and information about our services. When you make a purchase from us, we ask for your credit card number and billing address. We use this information only to invoice you for the product or service you order at that time. 

We may on occasion require the help of other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as packaging, shipping and delivery, customer support and processing event registrations. We will only provide such companies with the information required for them to perform these services; these service providers are bound by strict privacy policies and are prohibited from using your information for any other purpose. 

Many CIWM services are provided or supported by CIWM volunteers. This includes but is not limited to, regional events, mentoring and grade assessment. By becoming a member, you consent to your personal details being shared with relevant volunteers for the purpose of fulfilling their volunteering role. These details will be limited to the extent required for the volunteer to carry out their role and will be managed subject to CIWM’s privacy policy. 

In very rare instances the CIWM may disclose your personal information, without notice, if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on the CIWM; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of the CIWM and its family of websites and properties; and (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of members, volunteers, or staff of the CIWM, its websites, or the public. 

Sharing your personal data

Inside CIWM, data is stored behind multiple firewalls on secure servers with restricted user access. 

We take all reasonable steps to ensure our staff and volunteers protect your personal data and are aware of their information security obligations. We limit access to your personal data to those who have a genuine business need to access it. We may also share your personal data with trusted third parties including: 

  • legal and other professional advisers, consultants, and professional experts; 

  • service providers contracted to us in connection with provision of the products and services such as providers of IT services and customer relationship management services; and 

  • analytics and search engine providers that assist us in the improvement and optimisation of our website. 

We will ensure there is a contract in place with the categories of recipients listed above which include obligations in relation to the confidentiality, security, and lawful processing of any personal data shared with them. 

Where a third-party recipient is located outside the European Economic Area, we will ensure that the transfer of personal data will be protected by appropriate safeguards, namely the use of standard data protection clauses adopted or approved by the European Commission where the data protection authority does not believe that the third country has adequate data protection laws.

We will share personal data with law enforcement or other authorities if required by applicable law.

Our website 

We collect a certain amount of data about the people visiting our website. This is anonymous and is used only to make sure that we are providing content that people are using and finding useful. Our webserver and Google Analytics may collect certain information such as: 

  • IP addresses; 

  • host names; 

  • domain name; 

  • the time and date information is requested; and/or 

  • the browser version and platform when information is requested. 

We use this information to produce aggregate visitor statistics in relation to which pages are being accessed. We may also use it to monitor usage patterns on this website in order to improve navigation and design features to help you get information more easily. This information is collated and provided to us as daily log files. These statistics will not include information that can be used to identify any individual. 

Use of cookies 

Like many other websites, the CIWM website uses cookies. Cookies are small pieces of information sent by an organisation to your computer and stored on your hard drive to allow that website to recognise you when you visit. They collect statistical data about your browsing actions and patterns and do not identify you as an individual. For example, we use cookies to store your country preference. This helps us to improve our website and deliver a better, more personalised service. It is possible to switch off cookies by updating your browser preferences. For more information on how to switch off cookies on your computer, visit our full Cookie Policy. Please be aware that turning cookies off may result in a loss of functionality when using our website. 

IP addresses 

We use IP addresses to analyse trends, administer the website, track users' movements, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information. 
 
Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to websites run by other organisations (e.g. links to Sage Pay for credit card payments and other service providers, including advertisers). These are provided for your convenience. They do not signify that we endorse the website, and we have no responsibility for the content on the linked site(s). This Privacy Policy applies only to the CIWM's website, so when you link to other websites you should read their own privacy policies and their terms and conditions. 

How to opt-out 

We provide users with the opportunity to opt-out from receiving updates on our products and services, newsletters and other communications from us. You can opt-out by clicking on the link provided in our electronic mailings or by emailing compliance@ciwm.co.uk. 

Changes to this policy 

If we update our Privacy Policy, we will post changes here so that you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. If at any point we decide to use your information in a manner different from that stated at the time it was collected, we will notify you by email.

Enforcement of this policy 

If for some reason you believe the CIWM has not adhered to these principles, please notify us and we will do our best to promptly make corrections. Alternatively, if you wish to raise a complaint on how we have handled your personal data, you can contact our Data Controller at compliance@ciwm.co.uk  who will investigate the matter. If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you can make a formal complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk. 

Questions or comments 

If you have questions or comments about this privacy policy, please email us at compliance@ciwm.co.uk or write us at: 
 
Data Controller 
CIWM 
Quadra 
500 Pavilion Drive 
Northampton Business Park 
Northampton 
NN4 7YJ 
 
Last updated: February 2026

Online Purchase Terms 

1. Introduction 

  • These terms and conditions govern all purchases made through the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management's (CIWM) website, including but not limited to membership, revision guides, events, training courses and publications.
  • These terms apply to consumers and business customers; where we sell to consumers, additional statutory rights apply and prevail in case of conflict.
  • Where additional terms apply, these will be clearly stated prior to you submitting your order. 
  • By placing an order, you are agreeing to these terms and, if the order is accepted by CIWM, this will result in a binding contract.  

2. Definitions 

  • "CIWM", "we", "us" and "our" refer to the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management. 
  • "You" or "customer" refers to the individual or organisation making the purchase. 
  • "Products and services" include all items available for purchase through this site including membership, revision guides, events, training courses and publications. 
  • “In writing” refers to both email and hard copy/postal communications.  

3. Ordering and Acceptance 

  • Orders are subject to acceptance by CIWM. 
  • We reserve the right to refuse orders at our discretion. 
  • Confirmation of your order, usually sent by email, constitutes acceptance. 

4. Payment 

  • All payments must be made in UK pounds sterling. 
  • Accepted payment methods include debit/credit card, PayPal, and invoicing where applicable. 
  • Payment must be received in full prior to delivery or access, unless otherwise agreed. 
  • Taking payment does not indicate automatic acceptance of your order. Should the order be refused, your payment will be refunded.  

5. Pricing 

  • Unless specifically stated, prices are exclusive of VAT where applicable. 
  • CIWM reserves the right to correct errors or amend pricing before acceptance of the order. 

6. Product specific clauses including cancellations and refunds 

Membership

  • Your membership renews each year unless cancelled. 
  • Membership can be cancelled at any time but no refund will be given unless cancellation is made within 14 days of initial purchase or within 14 days of the renewal date. If you start to use benefits during that period, for example, to gain a discount from another product or service, we will deduct a pro‑rata amount for services supplied before cancellation. 
  • Full details are provided in the membership terms and conditions.  

Revision guides and other publications

  • Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing within 3 days of your order and prior to the guide being sent. 
  • If a revision guide has already been sent, no refund will be provided.  
  • Digital publications and downloads are non-refundable.  
  • Revision guides are usually dispatched within 5 working days of your order. If you have not received your revision guide within 10 working days of your order, please contact us. 
  • CIWM may cancel your order if the item is out of stock. Where this occurs, we will contact you to inform you of the cancellation and will provide a refund. 

Events

  • Cancellation requests, including participant substitutions, must be submitted in writing to events@ciwm.co.uk  
  • For all events except the CIWM London & Southern Counties Annual Christmas Luncheon 
    • For cancellations more than 28 days prior to the event, 50% of the fee will be refunded. 
    • For cancellations within 28 days of the event, no refund will be provided; however, a substitution of participant or credit towards a future event may be offered at CIWM’s discretion. 
  • For the CIWM London & Southern Counties Annual Christmas Luncheon no refunds will be provided in any circumstances unless required by statutory provisions. Participant substitutions may be accepted at CIWM’s discretion.  
  • CIWM may postpone or cancel events; registered participants will be offered credit, substitution, or refund.  
  • Participants attending face-to-face events or training programmes are advised not to make confirmed travel/accommodation arrangements more than 7 days prior to an event/course commencing, or until joining instructions have been received in case of cancellation or rescheduling. In the event of CIWM cancelling a product or service no fees related to your attendance or purchase will be refunded or covered by CIWM beyond the fee paid to CIWM.  

Training programmes date specific classroom format (face to face and virtual) 

  • Cancellation requests, including participant substitutions, must be submitted in writing to training@ciwm.co.uk. 
  • For cancellations more than 28 days prior to the event, 50% of the fee will be refunded. 
  • For cancellations within 28 days of the event, no refund will be provided; however, a substitution of participant or credit towards a future event may be offered at CIWM’s discretion. 

Online Learning 

  • Cancellations must be made only by writing to training@ciwm.co.uk 
  • When a refund request is received, CIWM reserves the right to track the usage by a participant (through their username and password) of specific pages viewed, frequency of use and time of use.   
  • For cancellations within fourteen (14) days from the date of purchase, a refund will only be offered on the basis, provided that the user has not viewed or accessed any of the online learning. By submitting your order for the course you accept this term.  
  • No refund will be given if a request for refund is received more than 14 days after the purchase date.  

7. Promotions, Discounts, and Special Offers 

  • CIWM reserves the right to offer promotions, discounts, or special offers. 
  • Offers are subject to specific terms and cannot be combined unless expressly stated. 
  • Any purchases made prior to the Special Offer will not be offeredeligible for the promotion retrospectively, unless specifically agreed by CIWM. 

8. Communication and Notifications 

  • Customers are responsible for ensuring their contact details are accurate and for monitoring communications from CIWM. CIWM will not be held responsible for any impact to your experience with us that is caused by communications that we have sent to your registered contact details but are not received or seen by you. This includes where communications are blocked by email filters.  

9. Testimonials  

  • If you provide testimonials, case studies or positive feedback to CIWM, we may use these for marketing and promotional purposes. We will not use your name or company name without your permission. 

10. Privacy and Data Protection including photography  

  • CIWM will process the information it receives from you or otherwise holds about you in accordance with the CIWM Privacy Policy.  
  • We may take photographs or film at our events, and these images and footage may be used to promote CIWM. We rely on our legitimate interests for this activity, take care to minimise impact, and provide signage on‑site. If you prefer not to be photographed, please tell a member of the team or the photographer and we will take reasonable steps to avoid or remove your image.  

11. Accessibility  

  • If you anticipate requiring any adjustments to access CIWM’s products and services, please contact us in advance of purchase to determine if suitable adjustments can be made.  

12. Intellectual Property  

  • All intellectual property rights in CIWM materials, including text, images, graphics, logos, software, publications, qualifications content, learning and event content and other content provided on the website, are owned by or licensed to CIWM. 
  • Except as permitted by law, reproduction, distribution, modification, or public display of any CIWM content without prior written permission is prohibited. 
  • Where materials are used where the content belongs to another individual or organisation, for example speaker slides at an event, you are prohibited from reproduction, distribution, modification, or public display of these materials unless you have permission from the owner which should be sought directly.  
  • Any breach of these intellectual property or user content terms may result in suspension of access, legal action, and claims for damages. 

13. Liability and Disclaimers 

  • Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability that cannot be limited by law. For all other loss, our total liability to you for each product or service shall not exceed the amount you paid for that product or service. 
  • Our products may contain links to other websites. These are provided for your convenience. They do not signify that we endorse those websites. We do not have any control over those sites and have no responsibility for the content on the linked website(s). 
  • All the information contained in CIWM materials, including but not limited to revision guides, training materials, brochures, courses, and e-learning products, is for use and guidance only. It does not constitute professional advice. You should neither act, nor refrain from action, on the basis of the information provided. You should take, as and where appropriate, relevant professional advice on your particular circumstances. 
  • Whilst we make reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of our materials, including revision guides, we do not represent, warrant or guarantee that the materials will be error- free. For the avoidance of doubt, we will not refund purchases on the basis that materials are not error- free, accurate and/or up to date. Where an error materially affected learning outcomes, we may offer a replacement or access to an updated version.  
  • In the event of CIWM cancelling a product or service no fees related to your attendance or purchase will be refunded or covered by CIWM beyond the fee paid to CIWM.  
  • Event Participants shall be required to keep their personal belongings with them at all times and we accept no liability for damage to, or loss of, personal belongings. 
  • CIWM is not responsible for pictures taken by training or event participants on their personal phone/camera nor for those images or any comments published by them on social media. 

14. Force Majeure 

  • CIWM shall assume no liability whatsoever if any of its products or services are unavailable due to an unexpected event, Act of God, unforeseen occurrence or any other event that renders performance of the service impracticable, illegal or impossible.  
  • If an event outside our reasonable control prevents or delays delivery of your product or service, we will take reasonable steps to let you know and to minimise the effect. 

15. Complaints and Feedback 

CIWM welcomes feedback regarding its products and services. This should be sent to the relevant email address below –  

  • events@ciwm.co.uk  
  • membership@ciwm.co.uk 
  • qualifications@ciwm.co.uk  
  • training@ciwm.co.uk    

Should you have a complaint about any aspect of CIWM, please contact us via the relevant email address above or to  governance@ciwm.co.uk. You can also find our complaints policy on our website.  

16. Changes to Terms 

  • CIWM reserves the right to amend these terms at any time. 
  • Where material changes take place and customers are already in contract with us, for example for a membership subscription, customers will be informed of the change and given the option to cancel before they take effect.  
  • You will be subject to the policies and terms and conditions in force at the time that you purchase or place a booking with us, unless any change to those policies or these terms and conditions is required to be made by law or governmental authority (in which case it will apply to bookings previously made by you).  

17. Governing Law and Jurisdiction 

  • Any dispute arising from, or related to, these terms shall be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. If any court or competent authority decides that any of these terms and conditions are invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable to any extent, that term will be deleted, and the remaining terms will not be affected.  

18. Contact Information 

For questions or concerns, please contact CIWM at governance@ciwm.co.uk or by phone 01604 620426.  

Last updated: February 2026 

Membership Terms & Conditions 

Membership of CIWM is subject to the following terms and conditions. These terms detail how the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM, we or us) will deliver membership services to you (the Member). On becoming a Member of CIWM, you agree to these terms and conditions.

You should read these terms and conditions alongside the CIWM Constitution, CIWM privacy policy, the website terms of use and the relevant terms and conditions for any other CIWM products or services you may purchase or use. In the event of any inconsistency between these terms and the CIWM Constitution, the CIWM Constitution shall prevail.

Any reference to Trustee Board in these conditions refers to CIWM’s Trustee Board, also known as General Council.

CIWM (Chartered Institution of Wastes Management) is a Company Incorporated by Royal Charter, registered in England No. RC000777, and a charity registered in England and Wales (1090968) and in Scotland (SCO37903).

Our Registered Office is CIWM, Quadra, 500 Pavilion Drive, Northampton Business Park, Northampton, NN4 7YJ.

1.      Membership Agreement

By applying to be a CIWM Member you are completing a written consent to become a Member, acknowledging that you will abide by the CIWM Constitution and, in particular, CIWM Professional Conduct Regulations and Disciplinary Regulations found in Part 3 and 4 of the Regulations of the CIWM Constitution. The code of conduct is also available here.

When you first apply to join CIWM online, or send an application by email, and we confirm your application is accepted, this creates a legally binding contract known as your Membership Agreement.

For online applications for Affiliate and Student membership grades, your application will usually be accepted immediately by email. For all other membership grades, where an assessment is required, your application will be accepted following the required assessment process. Where you apply for an assessed grade and this is not accepted but you are offered an alternative grade, the Membership Agreement will begin when you accept the alternative grade.

If you become a member as part of a qualification registration, or where your employer has registered you as a member as part of a broader learning programme, you will be asked to agree to this membership agreement as part of your onboarding process

2.      CIWM Professional Conduct Regulations

All members sign up to the CIWM Professional Conduct Regulations and Disciplinary Regulations found in Part 3 and 4 of the Regulations of the CIWM Constitution. The code of conduct is also available here.

By continuing to pay membership fees, members reaffirm this commitment each year.

The purpose of the Professional Conduct Regulations is to maintain the standard of integrity, self-discipline and professional competence required of Members in the interests of CIWM and the community generally.

Members who are at Chartered, Fellow or Life grades (also known as Full Members) also commit to completing continuing professional development (CPD) as required at Clause 9 of the Bye-Laws.

Acceptance of the Professional Conduct Regulations, the Disciplinary Regulations and the commitment to complete CPD is a condition of membership of CIWM.

3.      Register of members

CIWM shall maintain a Register of all CIWM members and may make the whole list or subsets of this list publicly available. For example, CIWM may choose to publish a register of members of particular grades. No contact details of members will be included and members will have the opportunity to opt out of any publicly available list.

Regardless of a public list, anyone can enquire regarding the grade and status of a CIWM member by emailing membership@ciwm.co.uk. Only the grade, date grade was achieved and status of the member will be provided and only after sufficient information is provided by the enquirer to confirm that the member has been correctly identified. Status is limited to whether the member is a current member. Current members are those who have paid their membership fees and have not been suspended or expelled from membership as outlined in the disciplinary regulations.

Members who are providing their membership details to a prospective employer or client should provide their full name as shown on the Register and their membership number to ensure that the correct record can be found.

CIWM will also use the membership Register to confirm the membership grades of all employees of a company to a representative of that company where the member’s employer is listed on their membership record or in the billing address.

Details provided to any enquirer will always be limited to first name, last name, status and grade. No contact details will be provided.

4.      Right to change your mind

If you join as a new member, you have the right to cancel your membership within 14 days from the day after your membership is confirmed (the “initial cooling-off period”). If you cancel within this period:

  • you will receive a full refund of your membership fee; and
  • your membership will end immediately (unless you request otherwise).

To cancel, you must email membership@ciwm.co.uk or write to us at our postal address CIWM, Quadra, 500 Pavilion Drive, Northampton Business Park, Northampton, NN4 7YJ. The date of the email or the postmark of any posted correspondence will be used to determine if the cancellation is within the 14 days.

If you have paid an assessment fee for example to become a Chartered member, and the assessment process has started, we may deduct from your assessment refund an amount that reflects the proportionate work done to provide the assessment.

5.      Subscription and renewals

Your membership is an annual subscription and will automatically renew on 1 January each year unless you cancel. We will provide you with a reminder before your membership renews, setting out:

  • the date of renewal
  • the amount payable
  • how you can cancel your membership.

You have the right to cancel your membership for any reason within 14 days after the date of renewal (the “renewal cooling-off period”) by writing to us by post or email.

If you cancel within this period:

  • your membership will end immediately and
  • you will be entitled to a refund of any renewal payment made, subject only to any permitted deductions described below.

This right applies regardless of whether you have received or read a renewal reminder.

If you choose to use membership benefits during the renewal cooling-off period (for example, accessing services or obtaining member discounts), we may deduct from your refund an amount that reflects the proportionate value of the benefits you have actually used up to the point of cancellation, as permitted by applicable law.

We will not apply any additional cancellation fee or penalty.

6.      Fees

At the end of each year the CIWM Trustee Board (General Council) will set the membership fees for the following year. Where a member feels they are unable to pay the quoted fee CIWM may, in exceptional circumstances, choose to reduce the fee. This will be done on a case-by-case basis and can be requested by emailing membership@ciwm.co.uk. An example of an exceptional circumstance would be a situation where you can no longer work. CIWM may request evidence of the circumstances to consider the request.

7.      Membership services

CIWM members will be able to access a range of services which may include the following and may vary by membership grade –

  • Access to CIWM networks via our online communities and events
  • Support and guidance from CIWM via website, telephone and email
  • CIWM member magazine
  • Online access to the member knowledge centre and online publications
  • Professional development advice and guidance including mentoring
  • Discounts on CIWM products and services and products and services from other providers

Access to some services may incur additional fees and may require acceptance of additional terms and conditions.  

Where products and services are provided through external suppliers, CIWM may vary these suppliers without prior notice.

CIWM may decide to vary the services provided to members at any time without notice.

8.      Administration of your membership agreement

In order to provide your membership service, an active email address is required and will be used to administer your services and contact you regarding your subscription.

9.      CIWM volunteers

Many CIWM services are provided or supported by CIWM volunteers. This includes but is not limited to, regional events, mentoring and grade assessment. By becoming a member, you consent to your personal details being shared with relevant volunteers for the purpose of fulfilling their volunteering role. These details will be limited to the extent required for the volunteer to carry out their role and will be managed subject to CIWM’s privacy policy.

10. Marketing and promotion of CIWM’s products and services

CIWM will contact you to share information about the products and services which are provided as part of your membership subscription in order to fulfil our contract with you. In addition, CIWM may contact you about additional products and services that we feel are relevant to you. You can manage which products and services you hear about in your preference centre via your CIWM account at ciwm.co.uk. Marketing and promotion will be managed subject to CIWM’s privacy policy.

11. Use of and reference to CIWM knowledge and information

CIWM may provide members with knowledge and information through a variety of materials including reports, articles, written guidance, verbal advice, and events.

Unless stated otherwise on the material, you may use any information provided to you by CIWM as part of your membership services as you wish, provided that you 

  • always reference CIWM as the source of the information. This must be clearly stated with a link to the original source, where the source is online, or contact details for CIWM.
  • never move CIWM information which is behind a log in or paywall, for example information only available to CIWM members, to another location which would allow others to access it without the express written permission of CIWM.
  • do not use the information for commercial gain for example by selling a report containing CIWM knowledge and information without the express written permission of CIWM.  

CIWM makes no guarantee as to the accuracy of the materials and members use these at their own risk.

This clause refers to information from CIWM that you receive as part of your membership service. It specifically excludes information you receive from other CIWM products and services, such as training, qualifications, events and publications. This list is not exhaustive and provides examples only. For terms of use for other CIWM products and services see relevant terms and conditions as provided at point of order.

12. CIWM branding and logos

You may not use CIWM branding or logos unless you have been given specific explicit written permission by CIWM.

13. Designatory letters, post nominals and titles

Professional membership grades provide the following designatory letters (also known as post-nominals) – 

  • Fellow – FCIWM
  • Chartered Member – MCIWM
  • Technical - TechMCIWM
  • Associate Member – AssocMCIWM
  • Honorary Fellow – HonFCIWM

Retired and Life Members who previously held the grades above may use their previously held post-nominals followed by either (Life) or (Ret.)

Fellows and Chartered Members shall also be entitled to call themselves ‘Chartered Resource and Waste Manager’ and use the alternative designatory letters CRWM.

Members who resign or are excluded are not entitled to use any designatory letters or titles. Members found using incorrect designatory letters or titles may be subject to disciplinary action.

14. Grade changes

Where a member changes their membership grade during the year the membership fee will be edited for the remainder of the year to reflect the new grade. If moving to a grade with a higher annual fee, this fee will be added to the cost for the year to reflect the time remaining to the next renewal date. If moving to a grade with a lower annual fee, a refund will be provided to reflect the time remaining to the next renewal date.

15. Resignation

You may resign from CIWM by giving notice in writing, by post or email, to CIWM, Quadra, 500 Pavilion Drive, Northampton Business Park, Northampton, NN4 7YJ or membership@ciwm.co.uk.

Resignations are accepted at any time and, if received within 14 days of your renewal date a refund of any fees paid for that calendar year will be provided. No refund will be provided for resignations made after the cooling off period unless the member has passed away, in which case a pro-rata refund will be provided for the remaining months of the year.

Where a member leaves the company who has previously paid the membership fee, it will be up to the company to gain a refund from the individual member.

On resignation, members lose the right to use designatory letters and can no longer refer to holding any grade of CIWM membership. Where a member is at Chartered or Fellow grade and resigns they must return to CIWM membership, at the same grade, within two years or they will be subject to a reassessment process, including related fees. (Associate and Technical members may be subject to checks related to continuing professional development.)

Members who have linked membership of the Society for the Environment or to ISWA via their CIWM membership will resign this membership when they resign their CIWM membership.  Those with Society for the Environment membership may be able to transfer their membership to another Society for the Environment Licensed Member via a transfer form which can be requested from CIWM or Society for the Environment.

16. Exclusion

Any existing Member whose annual subscription remains unpaid for three months from the due date for payment and who fails to pay such arrears within two months after a written notice warning of expulsion has been sent to them (which notice can be sent to them within the three month period referred to above) may, by resolution of the Trustee Board, be excluded from CIWM, whereupon they shall cease to be a Member and their name shall be removed from the Register.  Such removal shall not relieve them of their liability for the payment of any arrears of subscription due at the time of their name being so removed. The process for removal due to non-payment is managed by CIWM staff on behalf of the Trustee Board.

If any Member shall be adjudicated bankrupt or enters into formal insolvency proceedings or convicted of any serious criminal offence, their name may be removed from the Register by resolution to that effect by the Trustee Board provided that in the case of a conviction the Member concerned shall be afforded an opportunity of explanation before their name is removed from the Register. This process is delegated by the Trustee Board to the Corporate Governance & Professional Ethics Committee who will undertake any investigation and then provide their recommendation to the Trustee Board.

Members may also be removed from the Register by the Corporate Governance & Professional Ethics Committee should they fail to uphold the standards as outlined in the Professional Conduct Regulations, outlined in Part III of the Regulations of the CIWM Constitution. Any investigation into an alleged breach of the Professional Conduct Regulations shall be conducted as outlined in the Disciplinary Regulations, found in Part IV of the Regulations of the CIWM Constitution.

An excluded Member shall forfeit any claim to a return of the monies they have paid to CIWM in relation to their membership.

17. Re-election

The Trustee Board may re-elect to membership in the class to which they formerly belonged any person whose membership has terminated for any cause provided that they satisfy the Trustee Board that they are worthy of re-election and pay such amounts in respect of entrance fees and arrears of subscriptions as the Trustee Board may determine. Members at a professional grade may be required to provide information to show that they have maintained adequate knowledge of the sector through CPD records or other documentation.

The process for this reinstatement is delegated to CIWM staff who can act on behalf of the Trustee Board in reinstating Members except in the case of re-election following exclusion for any reason other than non-payment. Where a Member has been excluded due to insolvency, criminal offence or failure to uphold the standards as outlined in the Professional Conduct Regulations, any reinstatement must be approved by the Trustee Board who may ask for input from the Corporate Governance & Professional Ethics Committee.

18. General

Any dispute arising from, or related to, these terms shall be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. If any court or competent authority decides that any of these terms and conditions are invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable to any extent, that term will be deleted, and the remaining terms will not be affected.

A person who is not party to these terms and conditions shall not have any rights under or in connection with them under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. You may not transfer any of your rights and obligations under these terms and conditions to another person. The rights and privileges of Members of CIWM shall be personal to themselves and shall not be transmissible by their own act or omission or by operation of law.

These terms and conditions constitute the whole agreement between us in relation to your membership and override any previous or inconsistent terms or statements made at any time.