Trade waste collection: your legal duty, streams and how to save

If your business produces waste, you have a legal duty of care (Environmental Protection Act 1990) to store it safely, have it collected by a licensed carrier, and keep Waste Transfer Notes to prove it. Commercial waste can't go in household bins.

Simpler Recycling (England). From 31 March 2025, businesses with 10 or more employees must arrange collection of dry recycling (plastic, metal, glass, paper and card) and food waste separately from general (residual) waste. Micro-firms with fewer than 10 employees have until 31 March 2027. In practice most businesses now run at least three streams: general, dry mixed recycling (DMR) and food.

How it's priced. Trade waste is charged per lift — a per-collection fee for each bin — that varies by:

• Stream — general is the dearest (it carries Landfill Tax); recycling and food are usually cheaper per lift because the material has value.
• Bin size — 240L and 360L wheelie bins, 660L and 1100L (Eurobin) containers, up to front-end-loader containers for large sites.
• Collection frequency — lifts per week.
• Plus a monthly bin rental per container (some brokers include bins free).

Ways to cut the cost: separate your recycling and food (cheaper lifts and legally required), right-size bins and frequency so you're not paying to lift half-empty containers, and consolidate streams with one provider. AllSwitched estimates your streams, bin size and frequency from your business type and turnover, then compares collectors on total annual cost.