Frequently Asked Questions

As we detailed in step 1 there are many benefits to businesses and organisations who recycle, including helping reduce your business costs, save energy, conserve natural resources and protect the environment.  

 Many businesses and organisations are already recycling and seeing many benefits of doing so. Commonly collected materials include; paper and cardboard, plastic bottles, food and drinks cans and food waste. 

Food waste is already covered by its own regulations which require food premises who produce 5kg or more per week of food waste to separate it for recycling. 

As we detailed in step 1 there are many benefits to businesses and organisations who recycle, including helping you to reduce costs and fulfilling expectations of your customers.  

 Many businesses and organisations are already recycling. Commonly collected materials include; paper and cardboard, plastic bottles, food and drinks cans and food waste. 

Food waste is already covered by its own regulations which requires food premises who produce 5kg or more per week of food waste to separate it for recycling.

Existing regulations also place what’s known as a  Duty of Care on all businesses who produce waste, regardless of the amount, and require anyone dealing with waste to keep it safe, make sure it’s dealt with responsibly and only given to businesses  authorised to take it.  Ensure you are compliant with these regulations.

This website is the best place to source information and advice on how to implement recycling in the workplace, but you can also find guidance on disposing of commercial waste here. If you have a food-related business, visit Guardians of Grub for specific information and resources. 

As a business, you have a legal responsibility to ensure that you produce, store, transport and dispose of your business waste without harming the environment. This is called your Duty of Care, it's a requirement of law under Article 5 of the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.

If your facilities management company manages your waste for you, they’re responsible for ensuring that you are compliant with existing regulations such as the Food Waste Regulations if you produce 5kg or more of food waste per week or the responsibilities you have under your ‘Duty of Care’.  

Yes, you both do. If your landlord employs a waste company for you, or you have a waste management contractor, this company has a legal obligation to collect recyclables separately from general waste. However, you will still have ultimate responsibility as the waste producer, so you’ll need to present it separated. 

You’ll need to obtain a waste transfer note from the company or companies collecting your waste. Keep this document for two years, as you may be asked to present it if an enforcement officer from your local council or the NI Environment Agency ask to see it. The UK Government is currently working towards moving this process online, so that in future all organisations that produce, collect or treat waste will need to use a new digital waste tracking system.

As a business or organisation you have a Duty of Care to store the waste your organisation produces safely and to dispose of that waste using a registered waste carrier.  

Make sure any waste or recycling service provider you use is registered to dispose of your waste, visit the Public Register of Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers.

The Food Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 prohibit food waste from being deposited in a lateral drain or public sewer.

Food premises producing 5kg or more food waste per week are required to separate food waste from other waste streams, and have arrangements in place to ensure this material is collected for recycling.

Yes, If you sell electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations require you to provide a way for your customers to dispose of their old household electrical and electronic equipment when you sell them a new version of the same item., These regulations apply regardless of how you sell the products – online or in a store.  

Regulations also require you to offer a free collection or ‘take-back’ service for waste or used batteries if you sell or supply 32kg or more of portable batteries per year. This is the equivalent of selling one pack of 4 AA batteries per day over a year. If you sell over the 32kg threshold, you’ll need to have a collection point at your premises. These rules apply whether you run a shop, a chain of shops or sell batteries online, by mail order or telephone. 

Both private and public waste collectors operate all over the UK. Many large private waste companies operate across the UK whilst other smaller companies may only operate in specific local areas. Your local council may also provide suitable services.

The internet is a good place to start looking for options but ensure that any company you approach is a registered waste carrier, visit the Public Register of Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers.

No, waste collection costs aren’t included in business rates, so you’ll need to pay for such services separately. This does mean you can choose who collects your waste and recycling, though.

This depends on the types and amount of waste and recycling your business produces. The costs for recycling are usually much lower than for general waste, as you’ll avoid having to pay waste disposal costs.   There’s likely to be a separate annual admin fee for providing a Duty of Care/Waste Transfer Note – this is a legal document that shows your business is disposing of the waste you’re producing in a responsible manner.  

Most waste collection companies and councils allow you to make payments for a full contract year, quarterly or spread over the year in instalments via direct debit. 

Most waste companies and councils offer rolling contracts of 12 months and should be flexible on collection frequencies (usually weekly, fortnightly or monthly). A weekly collection is most common, but educational establishments may need this reducing to 42 weeks a year in line with the academic year.  

​​​Your council may accept business waste at its public Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs), but you’ll need to contact them first to make sure. They may have specific requirements for how to bring your waste, such as in bags. Bear in mind that you’ll be charged for its disposal, as HWRCs are only free of charge for householders. For small quantities there’s likely to be a minimum charge.  

If you’re ​​in the building or allied trades, or you’re carrying waste on behalf of a third party, you’re legally required to register with the NI Environment Agency as a waste carrier. Other licensed waste transfer stations may also offer ‘self-tip’ recycling facilities for small businesses, so contact them for details of what materials they accept and for their minimum tonnages and charges.  

Food premises are obligated via the Food Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 which require food premises who produce 5kg or more per week of food waste to separate it from other waste streams for recycling.

The following materials are regularly collected and easily recycled by businesses and other organisations:

• glass bottles and containers such as drinks bottles, condiment bottles, jars etc. and their metal lids

• paper and cardboard including newspapers, cardboard packaging and writing paper etc

• plastic bottles, pots, tubs trays and drinks cartons (such as Tetra Pak®) which are treated as plastics in recycling collections, due to the plastic layer in the laminate

• metal packaging including aluminium cans, foil, aerosol and aluminium tubes such as those used for tomato purée, steel cans/ tins and aerosols.

To comply with the new regulations you will need to provide multiple containers to ensure the various waste streams can be kept separate ready for collection. You will also need to make sure sufficient space is made available for these containers.

If you are a food business who produces 5kg of food waste or more per week, existing regulations already require you to separate this from general waste, meaning you should already have containers at your premises to enable this to occur.

Make sure you consider the practicalities of providing multiple containers for recyclables and waste including providing easy access for employees and waste contractors and ensuring containers do not cause health and safety or fire risks.

Remember you have Duty of Care to store your waste safely and securely.

​​​If you’re struggling to make sure your employees and/or customers are putting rubbish and recyclables in the right bins, it may help to review your communications. Providing clear information about what can and can’t be collected in waste and recycling containers will help staff understand which materials go where, and you could provide training to help ensure they know how to separate waste effectively. We’ve also produced a range of recycling posters, staff training materials and resources to help spread the word. Try to ensure that your bins aren’t accessible to people who shouldn’t be using them; Where this isn’t possible – because your bins are kept in an alley way, for example – ask your waste services contractor to supply you with lockable bins.

Your recycling service provider may prefer to collect some types of recyclables in the same container, such as plastics and metals. Talk to your provider about their range of container options so you can optimise your recycling service and make the most of the space you have available.  

Yes, you’ll need to enlist a specialist waste company to safely collect, transport and dispose of hazardous or clinical waste. Common hazardous waste types that are unsuitable for general disposal or recycling include: 

• Asbestos 

• Batteries 

• Cooking oils, fats and greases

• Electrical appliances 

• Fluorescent light tubes 

• Fridges, freezers and air-conditioning units 

• Gas bottles and canisters 

• Hazardous or toxic waste 

• Liquids 

• Medical waste 

• Mercury 

• Oil, fuel and other automotive fluids 

• Paints (including residues inside paint cans) and solvents 

• Plasterboard 

• Roofing felt containing bitumen 

• Tyres 

Compostable packaging and other compostable products are designed to be broken down in a different way to recyclable packaging, so you should dispose of them through organic waste bins, if possible (check with your service provider), or with your general waste.  

Some specific items, such as food caddy liners, may be industrially compostable materials. These can sometimes be put into food waste bins when they bear the EN 13432/14955 logo, but always check with your waste or recycling service provider first.