Retail Waste Management & Collection Services
Business Waste arranges retail waste management for shops, supermarkets, shopping centres, convenience stores and multi-site retailers across the UK.
We can provide bins and collections for packaging, cardboard, food waste, glass, dry recycling, textiles, WEEE and residual waste, with services matched to your store size, available space and collection requirements.
Under Simpler Recycling, retailers with 10 or more full-time staff must separately collect food waste, glass, paper and card, and mixed recyclables. Retailers that supply packaged goods may also have obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging.
Collections last 7 days
Get a quote for retail waste management
Get a fast FREE quote for your retail waste collections
- Free quote within 1 hour
- Bins matched to your retail waste streams
- One-off and scheduled collections
- Waste Transfer Notes at no extra charge
From local businesses to household names
Retail waste collection
Arrange retail waste collections for individual stores, supermarkets, shopping centres and multi-site retail operations across the UK.
Different waste streams can follow different collection schedules. For example, food waste may need removing more frequently than clean cardboard, while seasonal increases can be accommodated around sales periods, deliveries or stock changes.
Free bins are delivered to your retail outlet, and you simply pay for collection. Ensure you have an accessible point and enough space for delivery and storage of the bins you need. Our authorised waste carriers will collect at an agreed time and date.
How does retail waste collection work?
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Tell us about your store
Provide the retail type, postcode, waste streams, approximate volumes and available storage space.
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We confirm suitable containers
We’ll recommend bins or equipment based on the waste produced and collection frequency required.
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Separate the waste
Keep food, dry recyclables, residual waste and any specialist streams in the agreed containers.
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We arrange collections
Registered waste carriers remove each stream according to the agreed schedule.
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Keep the paperwork
Free Waste Transfer Note information is provided for your records.
Case study: Damart
We support leading fashion retailer Damart with waste management across its head office and distribution warehouse in the Bradford area. Our services cover everything from general and confidential waste to cardboard, metal and specialist recycling streams.
By improving segregation, reviewing disposal routes and identifying recycling rebates, we’ve helped Damart reduce waste management costs while supporting its environmental goals.
Retail waste disposal and recycling
The right disposal route depends on what your shop produces. Cardboard, food waste, glass, plastics, textiles, WEEE and general waste all need handling differently.
Different retail waste streams follow the recycling, recovery, treatment or disposal route appropriate to the material. Some of the common disposal and recycling methods for retail waste types include:
Bins for shops and shopping centres
Your shop’s bin needs depend on its space, deliveries, footfall and waste types.
To compress cardboard and paper, supermarkets and shopping centres may also use a compactor or baler (if they have space). High-volume producers of clean cardboard may benefit from a baler and could qualify for a recycling rebate.
For smaller shops and retailers, standard two-wheel bins are common to safely store various waste types. Most retailers will need a residual waste container alongside the relevant recycling streams.
Explore some of the commonly used retail waste bins.
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240L wheelie bin
A standard two-wheel bin that can be used for just food or glass waste, or general waste and recyclables.
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1100L wheelie bin
The largest four-wheel bin available to store general waste, dry mixed recycling, and other waste types.
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Balers
Balers compress suitable cardboard, paper or plastic into dense bales for storage and collection.
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
Retail waste regulations
In 2015, the UK government introduced new waste regulations that asked businesses to separate their recyclable materials from non-recyclable materials. For example, businesses are required to have separate bins for their paper, plastic, and glass waste. These regulations were introduced to help UK retailers to increase their recycling efforts.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Some retailers have obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging depending on the packaging activities they carry out, annual turnover and the amount of packaging they supply or import. Current thresholds begin at more than 25 tonnes of packaging and annual turnover of at least £1 million, with additional obligations for large producers.
Simpler Recycling for Retail businesses
Retailers in England with 10 or more full-time staff must separate dry recyclables, food waste and general waste under Simpler Recycling. This includes customer and staff waste where bins are provided.
Food waste, glass, paper, cardboard and mixed recyclables cannot be mixed with general waste. Micro-businesses (under 10 FTE) must comply by 31 March 2027.
We’ll provide compliant separate bins and collection schedules for all Simpler Recycling streams, no matter the size or format of your operation.
What types of waste are generated at retail sites?
Waste in the retail industry varies as retailers handle all sorts of products, most of which include packaging. Retail stores often specialise in particular products such as clothing or food, while some do both. Food waste in retail is a key focus area.
Some of the main types of waste generated at retail sites include:
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Packaging waste
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Food waste
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Plastic waste
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Cardboard waste
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Glass waste
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Metal waste
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Textile waste
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WEEE waste
Retail waste FAQs
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What is a retail site waste management plan?
Every UK business can benefit from a waste management plan. For shops and stores, a retail waste management plan ensures all rubbish is disposed of correctly and that efficient waste management systems are in place. We’ll identify areas where you create excess refuse to reduce the amount of retail waste going to landfill.
Site waste management plans (SWMPs) were introduced to reduce the amount of waste businesses produce. A SWMP contains important information such as what waste needs to be recycled, disposed of, or reused, and how the business will do so. The plan must be regularly updated to ensure it accurately reflects the waste needs and obligations of a business.
There’s no legal requirement for a retail business to have a SWMP. However, introducing and maintaining one has many benefits.
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How can you reduce retail waste?
Reducing retail waste is important to help the environment and save your business money. There are a few ways a retail business can cut the amount of rubbish produced:
- Analysing sales patterns to avoid over-purchasing products
- Reducing packaging and single-use plastics
- Making processes digital and reducing paper use
- Reusing plastic crates instead of cardboard boxes
- Returning used clothes hangers to the supplier for reuse or recycling
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How much waste is produced by the retail industry?
The amount of waste in the retail industry is hard to quantify as it covers a range of different types and encompasses all sorts of businesses. One progress report claims that 280,000 tonnes of retail food waste are produced each year in the UK. However, there are still large amounts of packaging and other waste generated in retail too, which don’t all get recycled.
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Why is it important for retail shops to have green credentials?
Businesses face increasing pressure from the government and consumers to ‘go green’ and create sustainable business models. Today’s consumer is interested in the sustainability of a product and will avoid retail shops that have a reputation for treating the environment poorly.
A retail shop with a positive green reputation is seen as trustworthy by the consumer. Plus, you’ll often reduce the landfill tax you pay in the process.
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Does your shop need a recycling baler?
A recycling baler is a common bin used by many retailers. The benefits of using a recycling baler include streamlining your waste management system, as waste will be compressed into a bale that’s easily stored. This frees up valuable space for storage and transportation.
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Do retail businesses need to separate waste under Simpler Recycling?
Yes. As of 31 March 2025, all UK retail businesses with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees must separately collect food waste, glass, paper and cardboard, and mixed recyclables from general waste. These cannot go in general waste bins.
Retailers under 10 FTE must comply by 31 March 2027. Business Waste provides compliant separate collection bins and schedules for all Simpler Recycling streams.
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Can retailers get a rebate on cardboard recycling?
Yes, in some cases. High-volume retail producers of clean, segregated cardboard may be eligible for a rebate based on the volume and quality of material. Mixed or contaminated cardboard typically has no rebate value.
We assess rebate potential for retail cardboard collections, simply contact us to discuss your volume.
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Does my retail business need to register for EPR?
If your retail business supplies 50 or more tonnes of packaging in a year and has an annual UK turnover of £2 million or more, you must register with an approved EPR compliance scheme. Smaller retailers with lower thresholds may also have obligations.
Plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled content is also subject to Plastic Packaging Tax if you import or manufacture 10 or more tonnes annually.
We provide retailers with the documentation to manage packaging waste collections and support EPR compliance.
Get a quote for retail waste management
Get a fast FREE quote for your retail waste collections
- Free quote within 1 hour
- Bins matched to your retail waste streams
- One-off and scheduled collections
- Waste Transfer Notes at no extra charge
Published 13th April 2022 by Mark Hall. Last modified 30th October 2026