
General Waste FAQs
General waste is one of the most common waste streams. Every business and household use such bins to throw away daily rubbish. Knowing what can go in with general waste is important to reduce the risk of contamination and ensure your business separates and recycles as much rubbish as possible.
Use our general waste collection services to get rid of any non-recyclable and non-hazardous rubbish from your business. If you’ve got a query then discover how to separate materials and find out what happens to general waste after it’s collected from your business with these answers to common questions.
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Contents
What are the different types
of general waste?
General waste should only include non-recyclable rubbish, but some kinds of recyclable waste are sometimes included. There are many different types of general waste, such as:
- Plastics– sadly, you can’t recycle some plastics separately. Instead, you must put the likes of cling film, blister packaging and plastic-coated wrapping paper in your general waste bin.
- Metals– many metal items are classed as general waste. These are things you can’t recycle easily and might include anything from a hole punch to pots, pans, and wire coat hangers.
- Ceramics – cracked, broken and even whole ceramics such as crockery, ornaments, and mugs class as general waste.
- Packaging materials– many packaging materials are hard to recycle such as pieces of bubble wrap, padded envelopes, Jiffy bags, and coated wrapping papers.
- Cleaning materials – used wet wipes, paper towels, cleaning cloths, and other non-hazardous cleaning materials.
- Wallpaper– typically, wallpaper and wall coverings such as lining paper, panels, and tiles, class as general waste.
- Bagged vacuum dust – after cleaning your premises, you should throw collected vacuum dust in your general waste bin in a bag. Don’t leave it loose in one of our wheelie bins, as it can become a health hazard.
- Snack wrappers – crisp packets, sweet bags, chocolate bar wrappers, and foil are regular bits of rubbish that aren’t recyclable.
What happens to general waste?
Sadly, almost a quarter of general waste in the UK ends up in landfill, as it includes items that you can’t recycle. At a landfill site it’s buried underground where it will slowly degrade and produce methane (a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change), depending on the type of material.
Compactors and balers can compress general waste to reduce its size, taking up less landfill space. Depending on the site, your rubbish may go to general waste incinerators that totally destroy the rubbish. This reduces the amount that goes to landfill but burning can release toxic chemicals that damage the environment.
Some general waste incinerators can also turn it into fuel. Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) is produced from domestic and commercial general waste, converted to energy, and used as an alternative to fossil fuels in power plants. This can help reduce your environmental impact.

What are some general waste facts?
It’s estimated that in 2018 the UK generated 43.9 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste – that’s similar to the weight of 12 million hippos. Of all the household municipal waste produced, in 2019 around 6.6 million tonnes of it went to landfill in the UK.
In 2020, local authorities in England collected 399kg of household waste per person – about the same weight as a horse. All this general waste going to landfill rots and decomposes, producing methane that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
What can you not put in
a general waste bin?
Your general waste bin is where you should dispose of non-recyclable and non-hazardous rubbish. There are some items you cannot dispose of in this manner – which you may not know about. You should NOT dispose of the following items in a general waste bin:
Recyclable materials – these should go in a recycling bin:
-
- Paper
- Glass containers
- Glass bottles
- Cardboard
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic containers
Potentially hazardous materials:
-
- Chemicals
- Gas canisters
- Medical waste (leftover medications)
- Batteries
- Paint
Electrical items – WEEE waste:
-
- Phones
- Laptops or computers
- Televisions
- Phone or laptop chargers
- Anything with batteries inside
- Lamps and lightbulbs
Other:
-
- Hot ash
What is general household waste?
Household general waste should include all the domestic rubbish you can’t recycle. Unlike commercial general waste, you normally put this in your domestic bins for collection by your local council’s waste collection services. Common items you may throw in with general household waste are:
- Cooked food waste
- Nappies
- Dog waste
- Bagged vacuum dust
- Non-recyclable packaging
Is general waste biodegradable?
As general waste is made up from a wide range of materials, some of it will biodegrade and decompose in landfill, while other elements will not. Any bits of food or green waste and biodegradable plastics included in general waste will decompose completely. Metals, glass, ceramics, and other materials within general waste may biodegrade but it can take many years.
Can paint tins go in
general waste?
Paint tins should not go in general waste as they’re considered a type of hazardous waste. Any remnants of paint could be hazardous whether a solid or liquid and must be disposed of via hazardous waste routes. Completely clean and empty paint tins can be recycled with other metal recycling.
Can you put electrical
items in general waste?
Electrical items should not go in general waste as they may contain hazardous materials (such as lead and mercury). Electronics also contain valuable metals that can be recovered and recyclable materials like metal and plastic. You should recycle electrical items with other WEEE and never throw away in a general waste bin.
Can you put food in
general waste?
Food should not go in general waste where possible. Businesses can use a separate food waste bin even for small amounts. Under new Simpler Recycling rules all companies in England will require waste food bins and collections (from 31 March 2025 for businesses with more than teen full time employees). This is to avoid food going to landfill.
Can light bulbs go in
general waste?
Light bulbs can go in general waste as most don’t contain any hazardous elements. Check first though, as some do contain small amounts of mercury, which mean they shouldn’t go in with general waste. It’s better to find recycling solutions for light bulbs though, as glass is infinitely recyclable.
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Published 3rd February 2025 by Graham Matthews.