What is Commercial Waste?
Commercial waste (also known as business waste and trade waste) refers to any type of waste produced by a business, such as an office, a construction site or a retail establishment.
Commercial Waste Responsibilities
Business owners have legal responsibilities to dispose of commercial waste properly. The Government states that you must:
- Keep waste to a minimum by doing everything you reasonably can to prevent, reuse, recycle or recover waste (in that order)
- Sort and store waste safely and securely
- Complete a waste transfer note for each load of waste that leaves your premises
- Check if your waste carrier is registered to dispose of waste
- Not allow the waste carrier to dispose of your waste illegally
This also applies to any waste produced from a home-based company as this is classified as commercial waste too.
If your business deals with hazardous waste (like asbestos, chemicals and batteries), you have extra responsibilities to ensure it causes no harm nor damage.
Types of Commercial Waste
Commercial waste is an extremely broad term that encompasses a wide range of waste. From paper documents thrown away by offices to construction debris generated from building companies and food waste from restaurants, any waste produced from any organisation is regarded as commercial waste.
Some of the main types of commercial waste include –
- General waste – everyday rubbish that cannot be easily recycled.
- Dry mixed recycling – clean and uncontaminated recyclable waste, such as magazines and office paper.
- Food waste – edible and inedible food waste created either before or after food processing, production and consumption.
- Glass waste – things like bottles, jars and cosmetic packaging.
- Confidential waste – any waste that contains personal information.
- Clinical waste – waste produced from healthcare that may pose a risk of infection, like syringes and dressings.
Tips for Managing Waste at Your Business
Here are some of our top tips for how businesses can effectively manage and control their waste.
Reduce the Volume of Waste Produced
The easiest way to make your waste management more manageable is to produce less waste. Track how much waste you produce on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and evaluate where most of your waste is generated.
For example, if there’s a lot of paper being discarded, could you introduce a paper recycling scheme or perhaps you could consider transitioning into a paperless company? Another way your business might be able to reduce the volume of waste it produces is to encourage employees to bring their lunch and drinks in reusable containers.
Store Waste Securely
Make sure your business is using suitable containers and bins to store your waste. Dedicated specifically for commercial waste, these bins are available in a variety of sizes and clearly label which type of waste they contain. They’re also designed to withstand adverse weather conditions to ensure all waste is stored securely.
Complete Waste Transfer Notes
You need to complete a waste transfer note for each load of non-hazardous waste you move off your business premises. This is essentially a document that details the transfer of waste from your business to your waste carrier.
You must keep a copy for two years so that you can show it to an enforcement officer from your local council or the Environment Agency if asked.
You can register online to fill in a waste transfer note for a single load of waste or to create a season ticket for a series of loads.
Carefully Choose a Waste Carrier
It is a legal requirement to ensure that the waste your business creates is disposed of responsibly and ethically, so make sure you check that your waste carrier is legally registered to dispose of waste. There are a number of factors that you need to consider when choosing which waste carrier manages your waste, which leads us onto…
How to Choose a Commercial Waste Management Company
It is absolutely essential that you choose the right commercial waste partner to collect and dispose of your business’ waste. Here are some of the main considerations for choosing who you partner with –
- Timeframes – how much waste does your business produce and how often will it need to be collected? Your provider needs to be able to fulfil these requirements.
- Type of waste – if you produce an array of waste, such as food waste, glass and plastic, check that your carrier has the capacity to manage all your different waste streams. If your waste requires specialised treatment, do they have the resources to do so?
- Accreditations – what accreditations does your prospective waste management supplier have? This will prove their dedication to the environment and waste management.
- Reliability – the last thing you want is overflowing, smelly bins as not only is this unpleasant, but it also presents a health and safety risk. Take a look at the company’s reviews and testimonials to see what previous clients have said about their quality of service.
How Much Does Commercial Waste Management Cost?
How frequently you require collection, how many bins you have, the type of waste you produce and more will impact how much commercial waste management will cost your business. So for the best and most accurate prices, we recommend getting in touch with one of our waste management specialists here at Great Western Recycling. We’ll take into consideration your budget and requirements and provide you with a free, no obligation quote as well as our recommendations for helping you to dispose of your business waste.
Commercial Waste Management with Great Western Recycling
At Great Western Recycling we are passionate about helping businesses manage their waste in line with government regulations. We provide industry-leading waste management solutions across the UK, tailoring every service to your specific needs.
We offer solutions for every size of business, from local businesses requiring one bin to be emptied weekly, right up to national multi-site businesses with multiple regular completions.
Contact us today to get started >
See more: Why is Waste Management Important for Business in the UK?
See more: What is Dry Mixed Recycling?