Commercial waste is any waste that comes from a business activity, whether it's cardboard and packaging from a shop or warehouse, a small amount of waste paper from an office or by-products from a factory.
Businesses have a duty of care to dispose of their commercial waste properly using a licensed carrier and if it isn't disposing of its waste properly we can investigate and take action.
Duty of care for a business means that the business must:
- use a licensed carrier to dispose of their waste (such as a trade waste contract)
- do everything they can to reduce, reuse and recycle
- sort and store their waste safely and securely.
What is the problem?
A business could be committing an offence if they:
- dispose of rubbish in public bins
- leave waste around bins or outside their or someone else's property
- put waste into another business's bins instead of their own
- burn its waste
- take waste home to dispose of in a domestic bin or household wheelie bin.
Reporting a commercial waste problem
If a business isn't disposing of its waste properly, please report it to us.
Report dumped rubbish (fly-tipping)
Other types of illegally dumped waste is known as fly-tipping. Fly-tipping might be household rubbish, garden waste, mattresses, construction materials (like bricks and rubble) or electrical items (fridges and freezers).