How To Store Commercial Waste For Recycling / Disposal • EnviroCraft Waste Solutions

Energy, Environment, Waste Management

How to Store Commercial Waste for Recycling / Disposal • EnviroCraft Waste Solutions

Unfortunately, for almost any business, it’s impossible to completely prevent waste production altogether. In the majority of cases, waste production is just part and parcel of their operations.

So, although it’s not the responsibility of businesses to eliminate their waste production altogether, there are a number of key legal requirements pertaining to business waste.

It is critical that businesses are familiar with their legal waste requirements, and understand what their waste management responsibilities are.

If waste management isn’t your forte, don’t worry – below, we’ve created a comprehensive guide to commercial waste.

Keep reading to find out more about how businesses need to store commercial waste, the most common types of commercial waste, and the rules and regulations around each waste type.

Here at EnviroCraft, we provide commercial bins and collection services, contact our team for a quote.

What rules do businesses need to follow for storing commercial waste?

The main laws that govern business waste in the UK are:

Environment Act 2021 – after Brexit, introduced new measures for the government to enforce waste management violations.
EPA 1990 – establishes who has the duty of care for waste in a business, and who is responsible for ensuring its safe and conscientious management. It also makes waste transfer notes a mandatory document for businesses to be able to provide (upon request).
Waste Regulations 2011 – made the waste hierarchy (a priority order for preventing, recycling and minimising different types of waste) law.
Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 – outlines how hazardous waste should be produced, stored and disposed.

It is essential that your business adheres to these regulations.

For businesses, the main requirements of these waste management laws are as follows:

Businesses are responsible for keeping their waste to a minimum. On a continuous basis, they need to do all that they can to keep their waste levels as low as possible. They should do this by preventing, reusing, recycling and recovering as much waste as they can (in that order of priority).
Businesses must complete waste transfer notes. This needs to be done every time they dispose of a load of waste.
Businesses are responsible for checking that their waste carriers are legally compliant. This means choosing a registered waste carrier, and confirming that their waste carrier is not disposing of the business waste illegally.
Businesses must safely and securely store their waste. This means storing the waste in a secure location, and using containers that minimise the risk of the waste leaking out. Waste containers must also be labelled clearly, and be suitably covered.
Businesses must safely sort their waste. This means sorting waste into its different types. That way, different waste types cannot contaminate each other, and the waste can be reused or recycled as effectively as possible.

Types of Commercial Waste

‘Business waste’ covers all waste that has come from the following sources:

Commercial waste (including if you run your business from home). This usually consists of confidential waste, food waste, mixed recycling and non-recyclable general waste.
Manufacturers and industrial sectors
Construction and demolition of sites
Agriculture (if applicable)

Each type of commercial waste has its own specific disposal method, which is a requirement for businesses to follow.

We’ve covered these processes in more detail below.

General Waste

This covers any type of standard waste, which is not recyclable (but doesn’t require any specialist storage or treatment).

General waste can be collected on site, then stored in general waste wheelie bins.
This waste will be collected by a commercial waste collector. Then, they will send the waste to a treatment facility (where they will filter out any recyclable material that can be saved) before it goes to landfill.

Dry Mixed Recycling

Typically, dry mixed recycling includes paper, cardboard (such as cartons), plastic and metal.

Dry mixed recycling must be clean and dry (to ensure no residue contaminates the materials)
This waste should be stored in the appropriate wheelie bin.
Dry mixed recycling will then be collected by a commercial waste collector, who will take it directly to a treatment facility.

Glass Waste

Wasted glass includes all types of glass, including different colours of glass.

Glass waste can simply be placed in the appropriate wheelie bin.
Then, the glass waste will be collected by a commercial waste collector. They will take it to a treatment facility. Here, the glass will be recycled into new products.

Food Waste

This covers any food waste that your business is responsible for.

Depending on the nature of your operations, this could either be wasted food that has been consumed by your employees whilst on your site, or byproducts of your products or services (e.g. wasted food that has gone out of date in a Cafe).

The waste should be placed in plastic biodegradable food waste bags.
It can then be stored in the appropriate wheelie bin.
Then, the food waste will be collected by a commercial waste collector. They will take it directly to a ‘food waste to energy’ facility. Here, the food waste can be converted into valuable substances like fertiliser or biofuel.

Confidential Waste

Confidential waste covers waste that includes confidential information on it (as a result, confidential waste is usually made from paper). Common examples include invoices, financial information and personal information.

Confidential waste must be shredded. This is the most simple and effective way to ensure that the information written on the waste cannot be stolen or misappropriated.
You could shred the confidential waste yourself, using a shredding machine. The waste can then be stored in a confidential waste bin (until it is collected by your commercial waste collector).
Or, you could store your waste in a locked, confidential waste container. Then, your commercial waste collector can collect the waste, and shred it on your behalf.

Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste includes any type of commercial waste that poses a hazard. Common examples of hazardous waste include biological waste, electronic waste, or chemical waste.

Due to its dangerous nature, hazardous waste must be stored and treated with extra care.

Hazardous waste must be stored in either sealed bags or locked containers (depending on the specific type of waste).
Your commercial waste collector will take the waste to a treatment centre. Here, the waste will go through one of the following steps (again, depending on the nature of the hazardous waste):
- Treated, so that the waste is no longer hazardous.
- Incinerated or disposed of in landfill.
- Recycled (at least in part. This approach is commonly used for chemical or electronic waste).
- Disposed of in secure containment facilities, where the waste is safely isolated.

Clinical Waste

This can include a range of waste created in medical settings, such as used PPE or needles (for example).

Clinical waste requires more specialist treatment methods, due to the more dangerous nature of the waste.

For infectious waste, the waste is placed in specialist sealed coloured bags. These bags are then collected by your commercial waste collector, and taken for incineration.
For commercial sharps waste (sharp implements, such as needles), the waste is stored in a lockable container. Then when your commercial waste collector collects the waste, it is usually taken through a process of treatment, which ensures any hazardous materials are removed. The implements can then be recycled.

How often should commercial waste be collected?

Businesses are legally responsible for arranging the collection of their commercial waste.

They will also need to ensure that this is done on a routine basis, at a suitable frequency.

However, how often the waste needs to be collected depends both on how much waste you produce, and the types of waste that you need to dispose of.

As a result, the frequency requirements for waste collection vary considerably from business to business.

So, if you’re unsure about how often your waste should be collected, we recommend speaking to a commercial waste collection specialist. They will provide you with specific guidance for your business and context, create a schedule that meets your needs, and ensure that your business is fully compliant with all waste legislation.

Waste Transfer Notes

Waste transfer notes are another key responsibility for businesses and a critical part of waste management processes.

Waste transfer notes detail the name and address of the commercial waste collector that the business has chosen, plus other key details about the waste that they are collecting for the business. The document will outline the type of waste that is being collected, the volume of waste, and details of the next steps taken.

In essence, a waste transfer note serves as evidence that the waste is being managed by the waste collection company and that the business has paid for its proper management.

If requested by the local council, then businesses are legally obliged to provide waste transfer notes to cover the previous two years. So, it’s imperative that businesses carefully maintain their waste transfer notes.

Book a Collection with EnviroCraft

EnviroCraft are registered waste carriers, and specialises in commercial waste collection.

We are trusted by businesses across the country, to provide dependable waste collection schedules, which are precisely tailored to suit all the specific needs of their business.

To learn more about our range of services, or to arrange a commercial waste collection schedule for your business, contact our team toady for a free quote.