Commercial waste
As a business owner it is your responsibility to keep waste to a minimum. You should be doing everything you can to prevent, reuse or recycle your commercial waste.
Disposal sites
Some commercial waste can be sent to a private recycling centre or landfill site.
All businesses and charitable organisations have a legal responsibility to ensure that all waste is produced, stored, transported and disposed of without harming the environment.
This is your Duty of Care in accordance with Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Commercial or business waste is:
- Anything your business owns, produces or acquires that needs to be removed or thrown away
It also includes:
- Waste produced while working at private households
- Waste produced by contractors working on your business premises
- Home-based working, for example childminding
Arranging disposal of your commercial or business waste
As of 1 April 2025, the Council will no longer be offering a business or commercial waste collection service.
You must therefore pay for your waste to be removed from your premises by a licensed waste carrier. Contractors will collect and dispose of your waste and recycling, but they will vary in terms of costs, what they collect, the area they cover and the recycling and disposal options they can offer.
What business owners should do:
- Check that any waste contractor you use is registered with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier
- Complete waste transfer notes for all waste collected or received by your waste carrier
- Keep your waste transfer note paperwork for two years.
- Store your waste appropriately
What business owners should not do:
- Take waste home and dispose of it with your normal domestic waste
- Take waste to the domestic/household waste facility (Local Tip) and dispose of it with your normal household waste
- Leave it outside your business to be collected along with domestic/ household bin collections
- Allow an unauthorised person to collect it and dispose of it without providing you with a waste transfer note
- Burn the waste
Information about your responsibilities is available on gov.uk - Dispose of business or commercial waste.
We are unable to accept commercial or business waste at or recycling at our household waste recycling centres. Some commercial or business waste can be sent to a private recycling centre or landfill site.
Business or commercial waste collection is not included in your business rates.
Simpler Recycling reforms
Please also be aware that as part of Government’s Simpler Recycling forms, from March 31 2025, businesses, excluding micro firms, have a legal duty to present wastes separate for collection. This includes dry recycling materials, food waste and residual waste (micro firms from 31st March 2027).
Recycling
There are organisations who can help local businesses to become more resource efficient. Reducing the amount of waste produced can help save money.
There are local companies who do offer commercial recycling services. These can deal with items such as office, construction and agricultural waste.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) helps people recycle more and waste less, both at home and at work. It also offers economic as well as environmental benefits.
They work with a wide range of partners. From major UK businesses, trade bodies and local authorities through to individuals looking for practical advice.
Duty of Care
Duty of care ensures you take measures to dispose of your waste properly. Failure to take responsibility for your business waste could lead to prosecution.