Business Waste
No.1 for trade waste

Trade Waste

Trade waste is unavoidable for businesses of any size, age, and industry. Think about how many things you throw in the bin each day yourself. Now think of how many items your business or trade operations throw out. You’ll soon realise how quickly it all adds up.

With domestic rubbish you can simply put it in your bin at home and your local authority will remove it. However, businesses must have a clear plan in place for trade waste management and arrange removal by licensed waste carriers. Companies must find effective waste disposal and collection methods that minimise their impact on the environment, especially in relation to trade waste.

16,831
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We can collect any type of trade waste from anywhere in the UK. Call 0800 211 8390 or contact us online for a free quote for trade waste collection.

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Get a free quote for trade waste collection

Get a fast FREE quote for trade waste collection

  • Free quote within 1 hr
  • Any type of waste
  • FREE bins and delivery
  • We cover all of the UK

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Trade waste 
collection

Arrange trade waste collection for any type of rubbish your operations create. We provide free bins to store your waste at the point of production – you just cover the costs of collection. This includes everything from wheelie bins and trade waste bags to skips, roll on, roll offs, and more waste containers.

Our team of licensed waste carriers will collect your trade waste at an agreed time and date from an accessible location. We cover all the UK so you can book trade waste collections wherever you’re based. Find a solution whether you’re running a construction site in a city centre, a factory out-of-town, or a rural pub.

Trade waste collection is available on a daily, weekly, or fortnightly schedule. You can tailor removals based on the amount of trade waste you produce and your operations. One-off and ad hoc trade waste collections are also possible, just speak to our friendly team for a free quote.

Store trade waste correctly

Although there are rules and regulations to follow to ensure you properly store waste before collection, it’s relatively straightforward:

  • Store all waste in a secure place.
  • Use appropriate containers for each type of waste. This is particularly important in relation to liquid waste, as you need to ensure nothing leaks or spills.
  • Label all waste. This is useful for both waste collectors and any staff, ensuring that waste is put in the appropriate bin.
  • Ensure waste is covered/use a lid to stop waste accidentally falling out of the bin or blowing away. This also ensures that waste is not damaged by rainfall.

Trade waste bins

We supply free trade waste bins for all businesses. We do not charge a rental or delivery fee for your trade waste bin – you only pay for its collection. The types of trade waste bins available range from two and four-wheel bins to trade waste bags, skips, compactors, and more.

As part of our service, we also include free waste transfer notes and an annual duty of care certificate. Explore some of the common trade waste bins, bags, and containers to store your rubbish safely before collection.

View all trade waste bins

Trade waste 
disposal

Businesses should have trade waste bins or trade waste skips on-site to store commercial rubbish at the point of production. Trade waste bins allow the separation of waste to ensure the materials can be taken to the appropriate recycling facilities by a licensed collector for disposal.

Trade waste disposal depends on the type of rubbish produced. Many examples of trade waste are recycled – such as glass, paper, metal, wood, and some types of plastic. Other trade waste disposal methods harness energy from the refuse, like with food waste. However, with some trade waste disposal it may be incinerated or end up in landfill.

Thankfully, it has never been easier or more cost-effective to ethically dispose of trade waste. You can keep on track of your trade waste disposal costs by organising for a company to collect your waste, ensuring safe disposal as opposed to being sent to a landfill site.

Despite this, a large amount of trade waste ends up in landfill. Disposing of waste in this manner is far from ideal, as landfills harm the environment. This is because the waste takes several years to compose, releasing harmful gases such as methane, which are key players in the destruction of the ozone layer. For example, if a plastic bag ends up at a landfill site, it will take between 500 and 1,000 years to decompose.

Any trade waste you send to landfill incurs a landfill tax. The cost varies depending on how much and the type of waste you need to dispose of. For example, potentially hazardous materials are more costly to dispose of, due to the risks associated with handling it.

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How is trade waste 
collected and recycled?

  1. Select your free bins

    It’s quick and easy to organise commercial waste collection for your business.

    Simply start by telling us the:

    • Type of waste you need removing
    • Size of bins you require
    • Number of bins you want

    We’ll provide you with a free quote.

  2. Arrange delivery

    When you’re happy with the type, number, and size of free bins, tell us when you need your bins delivering.

    Let us know about any access issues where you want the bins delivering – such as locked gates, access codes and times. We’ll get you up and running in no time.

  3. Fill up your bin

    After the free bins arrive at your chosen location, fill them up with the agreed waste type.

    Make sure you remain within any weight limits for the specific waste type and bin size.

  4. Get your business waste collected

    We’ll arrange waste collection at a time and frequency to suit you and the amount of waste you have.

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Who produces
trade waste?

Trade waste refers to any form of industrial waste or materials that are leftover when something is built, manufactured or service is provided. Usually, the materials are considered surplus or useless and therefore are disposed of accordingly. However, trade waste also refers to the general waste produced by the day to day running of your business, such as papers, cups, and plastics.

As a result, trade waste is produced every day by a wide variety of companies across numerous sectors. This includes:

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We can collect any type of trade waste, anywhere in the UK

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Types of 
trade waste

Many different businesses produce refuse that classes as trade waste. Common examples of trade waste include general waste, glass recycling, and industrial waste. Some further trade waste examples include:

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  • Pharmaceutical waste

    Pharmaceutical waste, or medical waste, is the waste produced by healthcare facilities, such as care homes, hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, or pharmacies. They produce high amounts of waste that must be carefully disposed of, particularly as medications are often controlled substances. Pharmaceutical waste can also include used dressings, expired medication, and sanitary waste.

    PHARMACEUTICAL
  • Packaging waste

    Packaging waste is produced by the vast majority of companies. It often includes a variety of materials, including cardboard, paper, and glass. Thankfully, the vast majority of packaging waste can now be recycled, due to government initiatives and increased awareness of the importance of recycling.

    Packaging waste collection
  • Construction waste

    Construction waste is the waste produced by builders and construction workers or those within similar industries. It covers a wide range of materials, including wood, metal, paint, plasterboard, bricks, and tiles. Again, a large amount of waste produced in construction can be recycled.

    CONSTRUCTION _DEMOLITION WASTE
  • Electronic waste 

    Electronic waste refers to any electrical goods or products that are thrown away by companies or individuals. This includes WEEE products, such as IT equipment, electronic tools, lighting equipment, and batteries. These products need to be safely and securely disposed of.

    WEEE
  • Food waste

    Food waste, whether this refers to waste produced by hospitality venues, or the waste that accumulates in your staff room. Food waste makes up a large portion of landfill sites worldwide, therefore it is also important that you find safe ways to dispose of any organic food waste your company produces.

    food waste
  • Industrial waste

    Industrial manufacturing processes create lots of different types of waste. This includes solid, chemical, hazardous, toxic, and secondary waste that requires special storage, removal, and disposal. improper management puts human and environmental health at risk.

Trade waste FAQs

  • Are there any trade waste regulations?

    A waste licence is necessary to transport business waste in any capacity. It doesn’t matter whether you’re simply transferring some rubbish from a job to the skip in your car, or are moving large amounts of company waste, doing so without a licence is illegal. Using a licensed waste carrier is essential to remove your trade waste.

    In addition to a licence, you need to ensure that you follow trade waste disposal regulations. Companies are bound by law, known as ‘duty of care’, to properly dispose of their waste. This includes ensuring waste is safely stored, transported, and taken to the appropriate facility. These actions should be carried forward with the intention of causing minimal impact upon the environment.

    This means you should:

    • Securely store waste, particularly any potentially hazardous or liquid waste.
    • Clearly label all waste.
    • Separate waste appropriately.
    • Ensure your waste is taken to a recycling centre or landfill by a licensed waste carrier.
    • Keep track of all waste, making notes of when it has been collected.
  • How can you reduce trade waste?

    Now more than ever, it’s important to dispose of trade waste safely and recycle when possible. Here are some top tips to reduce your trade waste:

    • Consider composting – UK households produce around 4.5 tonnes of food waste each year, according to a recent study by the government’s waste advisory body. This doesn’t factor in the food waste produced by companies or businesses, meaning the overall figures will be much higher. As a result, you must find ways to effectively reduce food waste. One way you can do this is through composting. If you work in hospitality, you could also consider donating leftover food at the end of the day to local charities or food banks, as opposed to throwing it away.
    • Donate – Plenty of surplus materials can be repurposed or reused in other capacities, and often don’t need throwing away. For example, if your company is manufacturing a product and you have lots of waste wood, contact a local furniture company to see if they need any extra supplies. You can also donate any leftover materials to charities or people in your local area.
    • Go paperless – With technology continuing to advance, many companies have decided to go paperless. Most information can now be shared quickly and easily online without the need for paper. While it may not be possible to go completely paperless within your company, you should try to limit the amount of paper you use and always recycle your paper.
    • Make smart purchases – Another way to handle your waste more effectively is by purchasing no more materials than you need. Pay attention to the kind of materials you often buy too much of, and limit your future purchases accordingly. You can always order more at a later date, should you need it. This can also help save you money in the long run. Make a conscious effort to only purchase products you can reuse multiple times before you need to dispose of them. Though it may be cheaper initially to purchase ‘single-use’ products, you’ll end up spending more money over time and damaging the environment as a result.
    • Encourage your employees to take part – Another effective way to minimise trade waste is to encourage your employees to do the same. For example, introduce an in-house recycling scheme and encourage employees to be more mindful of how they dispose of waste both at work and at home, inciting positive change.

    Proper trade waste disposal is vital to secure a better, brighter future for our planet. It may not be possible to recycle all kinds of trade waste yet, but there are plenty of ways to reduce the amount of waste we produce and ensure safe trade waste disposal. This can minimise the effect your business has on the planet.

Read our reviews

James was very helpful and to be honest since starting with this company the service has been excellent.
Christeen Norfolk
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Get a fast quote for trade waste disposal

Get a fast FREE quote for your trade waste removal

  • Free quote within 1 hr
  • Any type of waste
  • FREE bins and delivery
  • We cover all of the UK