A Guide to Recycling and General Waste Collection for Businesses

Businesses must regularly dispose of general waste to keep the environment clean and risk-free for health and safety purposes. Commercial refuse collection is an important aspect of waste management. This refers to the process of collecting and transporting commercial waste to a facility that can handle its disposal.

If you own a business, you must follow all the regulations for the disposal of the waste generated by your organisation. As a result, it is critical that you completely understand everything related to waste collection in the UK. This guide covers all the relevant information related to recycling and general waste collection for businesses.

waste collection
Photo by Steve Johnson: https://www.pexels.com/photo/focus-photo-of-yellow-paper-near-trash-can-850216/

Types of Commercial Waste

Businesses generate various sorts of refuse. For example, a restaurant generates a lot of food waste but no clinical or dry mixed recyclable waste. The following are some of the different kinds of waste generated by businesses.

General waste

Common, non-recyclable refuse is referred to as “general waste,” “residual waste,” or “trade waste.” There are no harmful chemical contaminants present in this. Below are some of the common types of general waste.

Plastics

There are a lot of different kinds of plastic, and many of them can’t be recycled individually. You can throw these away with general waste. It is not always clear which plastics may be recycled and which cannot.

Metals

General waste includes a lot of metal objects. Anything from a hole punch to a set of pots and pans could fall under this category.

Ceramics

Anything made of ceramic, such as plates, vases, and mugs, is considered general waste.

Packaging supplies

Pieces of bubble wrap, cushioned envelopes, Jiffy bags, and coated wrapping papers are examples of general waste. Packaging made of polystyrene also comes under this category.

Cleaning materials

Wet wipes and other non-hazardous cleaning supplies are part of your general waste collection. Towels and other cleaning supplies also fall into this category.

Wallpaper

Wall coverings and wallpaper waste are a type of general waste.

Vacuum Dust

Vacuum dust that has accumulated while you are cleaning is considered general waste. 

Snack wrappers

Wrappers from snacks like crisps and sweets, as well as aluminium foil, are considered general waste.

Dry mixed recycling

Dry mixed recycling, sometimes called co-mingled recycling, allows businesses to recycle without having to sort their waste into different containers.

Glass

Since glass does not decompose during recycling, it is one of the most commonly recycled commodities in the UK.

Food waste

Waste generated during and after the development, production, and consumption of food is collectively referred to as “food waste.” Larger pieces of food waste, such as the bones left over the following butchering, should be disposed of in a designated “animal-by-product” bin.

Medical waste

What we call “clinical waste” refers to anything discarded in a healthcare setting that could potentially cause infections. Anything that could pose a threat to public health should be disposed of properly, such as used syringes, blades, bandages, needles, swabs, dressings, and so on. Clinical waste is produced by a wide variety of businesses, including those in the healthcare, dental, cosmetic, and tattoo industries.

Hazardous waste

Any refuse that could be harmful to people or the planet is considered hazardous waste. When a substance is deemed dangerous, it exhibits or has been shown to exhibit at least one of the following potentially harmful characteristics:

  • Reactivity
  • Ignitability
  • Toxicity
  • Corrosivity

Toilet waste

Nappies and other sanitary hygiene goods are examples of leftovers found in toilet bins.

Disposal of business waste

Once collected, business waste is taken to a recycling facility or landfill, depending on its composition. Different procedures will be used to deal with different kinds of waste. To dispose of it, it could be recycled, reused, burned for electricity, burnt, or buried in a landfill.

Top Methods for Reducing Waste in the Business

The below steps will help businesses dispose of waste properly:

  • Find out what kind of refuse you’re producing and how much of it there is by doing a waste audit.
  • Get in touch with an authorised commercial waste collection firm to go over your waste management requirements.
  • If you contact that business, they will suggest a service and vehicle size for you.
  • Sort your trash and put it in the right container.
  • On the day of collection, have the bins ready for your commercial waste collection service and move them out of the way, so they don’t bother anyone.
  • Make sure your containers aren’t too heavy from too much trash.
  • Clean out your bins consistently or pay someone to do it.

Conclusion

To maximise recycling opportunities, businesses should segregate their waste wherever possible. It is your duty to dispose of commercial refuse in a secure location and to reduce waste by finding creative ways to reuse materials whenever possible. For each specific load of general waste that leaves your property, you should be able to provide a Waste Transfer Note (WTN).

Sam Jones
Sam Jones
My name's Sam and I'm a writer for Seen in the City. I am a digital nomad that travels the world and enjoy writing while on my travels. Some of my favourite past times are go-karting, visiting breweries and scuba diving!

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