Dispose of business and commercial waste
Any waste that a business produces is classed as commercial waste.
Business and commercial waste includes waste from premises that are used either wholly or predominantly for trade, business, sport, recreation or entertainment including waste produced by a business in the home. For example:
- waste produced at households by builders and contractors
- waste from rented properties collected by the landlord or property management agents
- waste from business activities conducted at home including childminding, accountancy, salon etc.
- any other commercial or industrial waste as defined by the Controlled Waste Regulations 2012
It does not include household or industrial waste.
Your duty of care
Businesses have legal obligations about storing and disposing of waste from premises, called ‘commercial waste duty of care’. Failure to follow this can result in prosecutions. Read the waste duty of care code of practice on the GOV.UK website.
Business and commercial waste must not be put into household waste and recycling bins or taken to any of our Sort It recycling centres.
Take your waste to a transfer station
You can take business and commercial waste to a transfer station (operated by SUEZ UK) which are located next to the Sort It recycling centres at:
- Yate, Collett Way, Great Western Business Park, Yate, Bristol, BS37 5NL
01454 315508 - Mangotsfield, Carsons Road, Mangotsfield, Bristol, BS16 9LL
01179 562086
Contact the site prior to your visit for details of the type of waste that is accepted and any charges that apply.
On arrival you will have to provide either a waste carrier licence or a duty of care waste transfer note, before unloading any waste. For more information about these licences visit the GOV.UK website.
Neither transfer station will accept any hazardous waste for disposal.
Commercial waste collections
We offer a cost-effective and reliable collection service to help you manage your business waste better through recycling and preventing waste.
Our waste management team will talk through your requirements and give help and advice.
Collection services include:
- weekly collections of non-recyclable waste
- a separate recycling collection service for paper, card, cartons, plastics, cans and food waste.
Contact us at waste.management@southglos.gov.uk or call 01454 863480.
You can also arrange for a waste collection from a commercial contractor. It is your legal duty to ensure that the waste is collected by a licensed waste carrier and that it is disposed of correctly.
Providers of licensed commercial waste collections can be found through an online search or local phone directory.
We can arrange for a commercial waste collection by a registered waste carrier for you, but will make a 20% administration charge. Use the ‘contact’ box on this page to get in touch with us.
Schools waste and recycling collections
We also offer schools a ‘cost price’ collection contract for food waste and non-recyclable waste in addition to our free recycling collections for paper, card, plastics and cans.
Our aim is to help schools manage their waste by recycling more and reducing waste where possible. Further information on this service is available.