Waste Drums and Barrels
Business Waste supplies waste drums and barrels for businesses that need secure containers for suitable oils, chemicals, liquids, sludge and hazardous waste before collection.
Tell us what waste you produce, how much there is and whether it is hazardous. We’ll confirm a compatible drum type and size, arrange delivery and set up collection when the containers are ready.
Drums are available in steel and plastic, with capacities from around 30 to 220 litres depending on the waste and collection service.
Get a fast and free quote
Get a quote for waste drum collection
- Free quote within 1 hour
- Steel and plastic drums available
- Containers matched to your waste
- Duty of Care paperwork at no extra charge
How does waste drum disposal work?
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Tell us what waste you produce
Provide the waste type, quantity and whether it is hazardous, liquid or chemically contaminated.
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We confirm a suitable drum
We’ll check the material, capacity and lid type needed for the waste and collection route.
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Store the waste correctly
Fill only with the agreed waste stream, keep the drum closed and labelled, and store it in the agreed location with any required secondary containment.
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We arrange collection
A registered waste carrier collects the filled drums and transfers them to an authorised recycling, recovery, treatment or disposal facility based on the waste classification.
Waste drum disposal
This service covers collection of waste stored in drums and barrels. If you need to dispose of empty drums containing hazardous residues, tell us what they previously held so the correct collection route can be confirmed.
Drum waste disposal arrangements depend on the contents, classification and container used, rather than the drum size alone.
If your site also uses IBCs, hazardous waste bins or other commercial containers, these collections can be managed through the same Business Waste account alongside your drum service. Our in-house team can help review the drum type, collection frequency or container setup if the waste your site produces changes.
One-off, daily, weekly, fortnightly, or ad hoc collection
30 to 220 litre waste drums
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Hazardous Waste
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Liquid Waste
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Oil Waste
Waste drum sizes and types
Waste drums are available in steel and plastic, with different capacities and closures for different waste streams. The correct combination depends on the material’s physical and hazardous properties.
Steel drums can suit many oils, liquids and compatible hazardous materials, subject to the waste specification and drum approval. Plastic drums are commonly used for compatible solids, pastes and sludge, while suitable models can also store particular liquids.
There are three main kinds of lids to suit the waste they contain:
- Bung top drums: closed-head containers commonly used for compatible liquids and oils.
- Open or clip-top drums: useful for compatible solids, pastes, sludge and materials that need a wider loading opening.
Sizes of waste barrels and drums vary greatly to suit businesses of all shapes, sizes, and industries. Choosing the best size for your organisation also affects how often you’ll need deliveries and collection of your barrels. Some popular sizes available in steel or plastic include:
- 30L drum: compact option for businesses producing smaller quantities of a compatible waste stream.
- 60L drum: provides additional capacity where smaller quantities build up between collections.
- 120L drum: suitable for sites producing regular volumes of compatible oil, chemical or liquid waste.
- 220L drum: higher-capacity option for suitable oils, liquids or hazardous materials where the site has enough storage space and safe collection access.
Filled drums can become extremely heavy. Confirm the permitted fill weight and make sure suitable handling and collection access are available. If your company produces a high volume of liquid, oil, or hazardous waste, then you could consider using an IBC container.
When should a business use a waste drum?
Waste drums suit businesses producing smaller or moderate quantities of oils, chemicals, liquids, sludge or hazardous materials that need to remain separate before collection.
They are particularly useful where wheelie bins are unsuitable because the waste is liquid, viscous or requires a sealed specialist container. The correct drum material, closure and storage setup depend on the waste.
Hazardous waste must be correctly classified, packaged and documented before collection. Requirements vary according to the waste and where your business is based.
What can you put in waste barrels and drums?
Waste drums can hold compatible liquids, solids, pastes and sludge where the container has been selected for that specific material. Common waste you can put in a waste drum includes:
- Oil waste
- Hazardous waste
- Chemical waste
- Liquid waste
- Fuel waste
- Suitable sludge and pastes
Arrange waste drum collection and disposal
Tell us what waste you need to store, approximately how much there is, whether it is hazardous and your postcode. We’ll confirm suitable drum options and provide a quote for delivery and collection.
Filled drums may require mechanical handling. Ensure the agreed pickup point is accessible and tell us about any site-access restrictions when requesting a quote.
One-off and scheduled collections are available, and other containers such as IBCs or hazardous waste bins can be managed through the same Business Waste account where required.
Get a fast and free quote
Get a quote for waste drum collection
- Free quote within 1 hour
- Steel and plastic drums available
- Containers matched to your waste
- Duty of Care paperwork at no extra charge
Read Our Customer Reviews
Efficient communication
We have worked alongside Business Waste for quite a few months now, and their efficiency with communication and resolving queries is great. Allie especially is a pleasure to liaise with. Great company from a B2B perspective
Flo Bolton-Smith
The real definition of service
The service received was simply outstanding. Business Waste gave good advice and a demonstration of a willingness to help and get me a solution.
Gregory Harrand
Great company
Great company to deal with, special thanks to Danielle who is always on the ball and sort any issues out instantly with proactive involvement with follow up phone calls and emails. I would recommend her to be the next PM to get things done, oh and as a company to deal with all the waste needs for your business.
Top Deals Online
Excellent service set up process
I was impressed by the speed of setting up the service. I made a single phone call to Business Waste and all the necessary paperwork was done efficiently.
Yahya Saeed
Commercial bins, bags, and containers
Ensure you have the right business waste bins, bags, or containers with a suitable strategy in place for your collections. We offer a free audit that assesses the amount and types of waste you produce and how often. This helps define the most effective and cost-efficient bins, bags, or waste containers you need and the best collection schedule for your business.
From wheelie bins in various sizes to big rear-end and front-end loaders, roll-on/roll-off bins and skips to compactors – we have everything you need to fulfil your duty of care when it comes to waste. We also provide waste bags for clinical waste types to safely store such refuse before collection.
Explore the range of commercial bins, bags, and waste containers available in the UK to store your business waste before collection.
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1100 litre wheelie bins
The 1100 litre bin is the largest wheelie bin available to store up to 18 bags of waste.
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240 litre wheelie bins
The standard size wheelie bin you have at home that holds three to four bags of waste.
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360 litre wheelie bins
This is the largest two-wheel bin available to store five or six waste bags.
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660 litre wheelie bins
A four-wheel bin suitable for larger volumes of general waste and dry mixed recycling.
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Anatomical waste bags
Red clinical waste bags for organs, body parts, materials contaminated with bodily fluids.
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Balers
Static balers compress recyclable waste into solid bales to save space.
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Battery Bins
A battery bin helps improve recycling rates of used batteries and is a legal requirement for many businesses.
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Cardboard Balers
If you produce large amounts of cardboard waste then consider a baler.
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Clinical infectious waste bags
Orange clinical waste bags are for materials contaminated with infectious waste.
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Clinical waste bags
Clinical waste bags to store medical waste safely before collection and disposal.
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Clinical Waste Bins
Clinical waste bins are suitable containers to store all sorts of medical waste safely.
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Commercial Bin Sizes
Read our helpful guide to commercial bin sizes, dimensions, and measurements.
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Commercial waste bags
Commercial waste bags are ideal for various waste types when you can’t use a bin.
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Compactors
Choose from mobile and static compactors for general waste or recyclable rubbish.
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Confidential Waste Bags and Bins
Confidential waste bags provide a secure and flexible way to store sensitive documents before disposal.
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Cytotoxic and cytostatic waste bags
Purple waste bags for waste contaminated with cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines.
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Dental (amalgam) waste bins
White clinical waste bins for dental waste including unwanted and excess amalgam.
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Front end loaders
Large static containers ideal for businesses generating high volumes of waste.
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Highly infectious clinical waste bags
Yellow clinical waste bags for waste contaminated with infectious bodily fluids.
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IBC containers
Store high volumes of liquid waste including chemicals, solvents, and hazardous waste.
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Industrial Waste Bins
Store industrial waste safely on your site before collection and disposal with secure bins and containers.
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Large Commercial Waste Bins
A large bin offers a cost-effective way to store and dispose of commercial waste.
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Metal Balers
Using a metal baler in your business condenses the volume of waste, saving space for efficient storage.
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Non-infectious clinical waste bags
Yellow and black waste bags for non-infectious and non-hazardous waste.
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Office Bins
Different types of general waste and recycling bins for offices in various sizes.
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Paper Balers
Compact paper waste into bales to save space and make regular paper recycling collections easier.
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Plastic Balers
Compact plastic film, packaging, and other suitable plastics into bales for easier storage and recycling collections.
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Rear end loaders
A big commercial waste skip in sizes that can hold up to 160 bags of waste.
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Roll on roll offs
One of the largest containers for business waste that can store up to 440 bags of waste.
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Sanitary Waste Bins
Safely store feminine hygiene products and other sanitary waste with various bin sizes.
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Sharps bins
Use sharps bins with different coloured lids for needles, syringes, scalpels, and knives.
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Skip Hire
Hire a skip for small-scale commercial waste clearance, between 2-12 yard sizes available.
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Skip sizes
Sizes vary from 2 to 12-yard skips that can easily store various waste types and amounts.
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Small wheelie bins
Small two-wheel bins for businesses producing low volumes of waste or with limited space.
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Waste drums
Drums and barrels are ideal to safely store liquid, oil, and hazardous waste for collection.
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Wheelie Bins
Explore a range of two and four-wheel bins for many waste types.
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Wood Bins
A wood bin or skip helps your business segregate and store any type and amount of scrap wood safely.
Published 16th June 2022 by JackBrayshaw. Last modified 2nd October 2026