Commercial Recycling Guide

• What is commercial recycling?
• How is commercial waste recycled?
• What are the 5 Rs of recycling?
• Why should my business recycle?
• What is a waste recycling company?

Commercial recycling is the process of turning rubbish from businesses into new materials and products. It covers aspects such as storing, collecting, sorting, and recycling trade waste to convert it into recycled materials. The materials that make up the waste are processed so they can be used again and again.

Sometimes commercial recycling is referred to as business recycling or trade recycling, as it only applies to waste from companies. Commercial recycling differs from household recycling for this reason. When we recycle, we protect the planet by reducing the:

• Need to source new raw materials
• Carbon footprint from businesses
• Reliance on landfill sites and incineration for waste disposal

The 5 Rs of recycling are a set of principles that aim to reduce the amount of waste businesses produce and ensure it’s disposed of properly. You should consider each of the 5 Rs of recycling before you dispose of any waste within your organisation. Follow the 5 Rs of recycling in this order:

1. Refuse – The first step of the 5 Rs is to eliminate waste at the source. This could be by no longer purchasing or using products that damage the environment. For example, if you work in the food service industry, you could refuse single-use plastics and opt for more environmentally friendly products instead. This decreases demand for non-recyclable products, allowing better alternatives to replace them.
2. Reduce – As a business, it’s your responsibility to seek eco-friendly alternatives to products that damage the environment and reduce how much waste you generate (even if it’s recyclable). When buying and using products is unavoidable, try to reduce the amount you purchase and use. Only buy what you require when you need it.
3. Reuse – rather than throwing a product away after one use, you should aim to reuse it as much as possible. It also encourages you to buy items you can use many times. For example, switch any single-use plastic cups in your office to reusable glasses.
4. Repurpose – find alternative uses for a product rather than throwing it away. Many landfill sites are full of single-use items that could be repurposed for different uses before disposal. For example, you can clean and use old food containers and use them for storage.
5. Recycle – the final step of the 5 Rs of recycling is to send relevant waste products to a recycling plant for a new lease of life. This should be the case for any paper, plastics, glass, metals, and other recyclable waste that you can’t reuse or repurpose, to turn into new materials and avoid going to landfill.

The advantages of recycling are clear – it has a positive impact on the planet, especially as it reduces the need for landfill sites. Landfill facilities worldwide are becoming increasingly scarce and often overflowing with waste and debris. They may seem like a quick-fix solution for waste disposal, but they cause long-term damage.

The UK produces around 200 million tonnes of waste every year. A large proportion of this finds its way onto landfill sites. However, this waste will take hundreds (if not thousands) of years to decompose naturally. For example, a single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.

The process of decomposition releases a string of harmful gases into the air. These contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer, global warming, and can even cause harm to human life. Business recycling reduces the amount of rubbish that goes to landfill, having a positive environmental impact.

A waste recycling company is a business or organisation that provides commercial recycling services for other organisations. They offer expert advice on how to store and organise commercial waste before collection, deliver recycling bins, and arrange collection and transportation by licensed waste carriers.

Waste recycling companies work with recycling facilities to ensure rubbish is transported to a relevant location and recycled. Your business should receive a duty of care certificate or waste transfer note that confirms the details of when, where, and how the waste removed from your organisation was recycled.

Business Waste is a leading commercial recycling company in the UK. We promote a zero waste to landfill policy and always operate with this goal in mind. Recycling business waste is our focus, and we provide a free duty of care certificate for proof and peace of mind.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, businesses in the UK have a legal responsibility to ensure they produce, store, transport, and dispose of all waste in ways that best protect the environment. This includes having a legal and moral responsibility to do everything possible to prevent, reuse, recycle or recover waste (in this order).

That means recycling should always be a priority when you create any type of waste where possible. Simpler Recycling regulations also place a legal requirement on many businesses in England to recycle certain materials. Read our Simpler Recycling guide for more information.

Recycling waste costs vary per tonne depending on the type of recyclable waste and where it’s taken. To find an accurate price, contact our team online or call 0800 211 8390 for a free bespoke quote. They can provide information about up-to-date costs for recycling waste you need to get rid of per tonne.