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Waste disposal for businesses

If you run a business you are legally responsible for making sure that your waste is handled and disposed of properly. You must comply with the Government’s duty of care legislation which sets out how commercial or business waste should be:

  • stored
  • transported
  • disposed of
  • recorded.

Business and trade waste/recycling is not accepted at the Council’s household waste recycling sites.

Storage of business waste

The duty of care makes it your responsibility to ensure that your waste is stored securely. It must be stored in secure containers that protect it from being blown away or disturbed by animals.

Handling and disposal

Waste must be transported to and disposed of at a licensed commercial waste site. You can deliver it to a commercial waste site yourself or have it collected by:

  • a licensed waste collection company
  • your local council may offer a commercial collection service for a charge

If you pass your waste on to someone else, check that they are authorised to take it. All companies licenced to carry or accept waste are listed on the Environment Agency's public registers. Some are also advertised in telephone directories or on the Internet.

We cannot recommend any companies that can take your business waste. Many are listed on the internet or advertised locally.

Recording information

When you hand over your waste to a third party, you must complete a waste transfer note, describing whether the waste is loose or contained and what it consists of.

This protects the people that handle your waste and allows them to ensure that it is disposed of safely. You must keep records of these notes for at least 2 years.

Hazardous waste

If you need to dispose of hazardous waste – including car batteries and fluorescent tubes – you also need to comply with separate regulations.

The Environment Agency advises businesses who have hazardous waste for disposal as follows:

  • check the classification of waste as hazardous using Environment Agency guidance
  • make sure that you are clear about what is happening to your hazardous waste
  • explore ways to reduce the amount of hazardous waste you produce in the first place
  • budget for rising costs for hazardous waste management
  • keep up to date with further changes to hazardous waste legislation.

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