How to dispose of business and trade rubbish and recycling
Find out what business waste is. Learn your responsibilities as a business and why you need a Duty of care waste transfer notice.
How to manage your business waste
If you run a business, the recycling and refuse you produce is classified as business waste. This is the case even if you run your business at home. For example, you may run a childminding business or property rental firm from your home.
You also produce business or trade waste if you work as a mobile trader. This includes working as a gardener or running burger vans.
Business waste also includes any waste that comes from:
- construction
- demolition
- industry
- agriculture
Your responsibility
You must:
- keep waste to a minimum by doing everything you reasonably can (in the following order) to:
- prevent
- reuse
- recycle
- recover waste
- sort and store waste safely and securely
- complete a waste transfer note for each load of waste that leaves your premises
- check if your waste carrier is registered to dispose of waste
- not allow the waste carrier to dispose of your waste illegally - and report them to Crimestoppers if they do
You have extra responsibilities if you’re dealing with hazardous waste.
Read more about your responsibilities and the arrangements you need in place.
Find out about T-zones
We have T-zones in some areas of the city. This means some businesses can only place trade waste bins and/or bags at certain times. Find out how this affects you.
Duty of care waste transfer notice
Businesses must hold a duty of care waste transfer notice. This is also known as a duty of care certificate. This shows us that you dispose of waste legally.
If your business is not supplied with a duty of care waste transfer notice from your waste service provider, you might not be registered. If your waste is then dumped or disposed of illegally, you could be held responsible.
Check the company through the Environment Agency's waste carrier's public register.
Our Environmental Enforcement Team perform regular checks across the city to make sure businesses have their duty of care waste transfer notices.
If you do not have a legal way of disposing of your waste you could receive a fine. This could lead to prosecution and a criminal record.
Read more about business waste offences in the Environmental Enforcement Framework.