Trade waste
As a business, you have a legal duty to make sure that any waste you produce is handled safely, within the law and doesn’t cause harm to the environment. This is your ‘duty of care.’
It applies to anybody, from business or industry who:
- produces waste
- imports waste
- transports waste
- stores waste
- treats waste
- disposes of waste.
Your responsibilities to help you keep your duty of care.
Make sure that:
- You do everything reasonably possible to keep waste to a minimum – reduce, reuse, recycle or recover waste when you can.
- You segregate and store waste securely.
- You check the person or organisation that takes your waste is authorised to carry waste.
- Your waste goes to a proper site.
- You give the person or organisation a ‘waste transfer note’ – this documents and describes all the waste you are handing over.
- You recycle any food and dry recyclables such as glass, plastic, metal, paper, and card.
From 31 March 2025 (or 31 March 2027 for businesses with fewer than 10 full-time employees) the Simpler Recycling Legislation comes into effect, meaning that all businesses in England have a legal duty to separate their waste into dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal, glass, paper and card), food waste (including tea bags, coffee grinds and plate scrapings) and residual waste (what would go into a black bin). You will need to do this in accordance with your waste collector requirements.
Food waste collections don’t just apply to businesses that provide food for employees or customers - it also includes any food waste employees bring from home and discard at work.
If you do not adhere to the new legislation, your waste could be being disposed of illegally and you could be held responsible and prosecuted.
You can find out more about the new Simpler Recycling Legislation on the GOV.UK website and Business of Recycling of England website.
For information and advice on commercial waste, please contact us online.
If you are looking for a business waste management company, we work with Nottingham City Council to provide a dependable, professional service to 1600 businesses across Derby. More information is available on our Commercial waste and recycling page.