Commercial Waste and Recycling

Your business and trade waste

If you run a business you have a legal responsibility for the safe disposal of your business waste.

Since October 2007, businesses have been responsible for making sure that at least some of their waste is recycled. There are two main ways your business can meet current recycling regulations:
a) Sort and send your waste for recycling - it could be your paper, cardboard, glass or cans.
b) Get your waste collected by a company that puts the waste through a sorting facility so that some of it can be recycled.

The law

The two main waste and recycling laws which affect businesses are:

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 Section 34 and
The Landfill Regulations

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out your duty of care with regard to disposal of your waste. This duty of care applies to any business which produces, imports, keeps/stores, transports, treats or disposes of waste. The safest way to achieve this is by using a registered waste carrier. For more information on duty of care responsibilities please visit the Right Waste Right Place website.

Businesses must ensure that their commercial waste is:

Removed by a registered carrier of waste. It is the responsibility of a business to check that the person removing their waste is licensed. This could be a private company or NHDC who offer a commercial collection service as the Waste Collection Authority (WCA). Businesses who employ unlicensed waste carriers to dispose of their waste are committing an offence. Unlicensed waste carriers can be responsible for fly-tipping (e.g. dumping waste) which can pose dangers to public health, wildlife and the environment.

Described fully and accurately on a document called a Waste Transfer Note (WTN) - providing details of the waste. The purpose of this is to ensure that anybody who comes into contact with it knows what the waste is and whether it is safe to handle. The WTN must be signed by both the producer and the carrier and copies are required to be kept by both parties for a minimum of two years. The Council can serve a legal Notice to the business requiring them to provide copies of the WTN for a specific period. If you do not dispose of your waste legally you could face fixed penalty fines of up to £300 or fines of up to £5000 if you are prosecuted in a magistrate’s court. Unlimited fines can be imposed if the case goes to Crown Court.

Kept safe. If waste includes substances that may be hazardous, for example chemicals or drugs, the person who removes the waste must be informed of any potential risks and be qualified to remove it.

You may not take your business waste home, put it in street litter bins or dispose of your recycling in public recycling banks. These are illegal disposal routes.

NHDC operates a commercial waste collection service through our contractor, Veolia. This service is available to all large or small companies for the disposal of their commercial waste on a contractual basis.
Please note this service is not available for the removal of hazardous or toxic waste (including asbestos). For information regarding the disposal of these materials please contact WasteAware on 0300 123 4051.

Request a quote

A Commercial Waste Officer is available to visit your premises to discuss your requirements. If you would like a tailored quote please contact us on 0800 328 6023.

Commercial recycling service

We are committed to supporting local businesses in managing their waste and recycling efficiently and cost effectively, which can help businesses comply with the Pre-Treatment Regulations requiring the sorting of waste.

If you are a current NHDC trade waste customer, the costs of the recycling service can be added to your normal trade waste account and invoiced in the same manner.

Due to the low charges being applied, all services will be charged in advance and on an annual basis.