- Date: 23 June 2023
- Category: Small Business Guidance
Some people can find the definition of general waste difficult to understand. How to split waste into different categories and ensure you’re still complying to legislation is tough, especially when your main job is to make your business successful. But that’s why Direct365 are here to help. Our guide to commercial waste disposal is here to inform you of absolutely everything you need to do to ensure your business waste is disposed of properly.
What Kinds of Business Waste May I Have?
This is the first thing that you should get to know when thinking about commercial waste disposal. This is useful to know, as it helps you understand the rules behind how you must dispose of your waste. You may think that this is all overly complex, especially if you are just a standard office-based company, but these rules are in place for everyone, and that includes medical professionals, beauticians, tattoo parlours and restaurants. And these all have vastly differing waste types.
For greater understanding of the waste types, take a look at our guide below:
- General waste
- Clinical waste
- Recycling
- Hazardous waste
- Confidential
- Sharps waste
General Waste
General waste is probably the most common waste, as it includes anything that isn’t recyclable. That can be non-recyclable food waste, non-recyclable plastic, some different types of packaging and soft plastics. While recycling waste is common, a business’ general waste will be the most used.
Clinical Waste
Clinical waste is most commonly understood as waste from a healthcare environment (or similar). Imagine what different types of potentially hazardous waste you can find in a healthcare setting, and these are almost certainly clinical waste. Think bandages, swabs, pasters, dressings and more. Anything used in a medical environment that can cause illness or infection.
Recycling
Probably the most commonly known type of waste, recycling has become a mainstay in our personal and business routine. Your company will be able to recycle in countless areas of the business, whether that’s paper, cardboard packaging, hard plastics and more.
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste overlaps slightly with clinical waste, but they are two different things. Hazardous waste encompasses any material that is harmful to either humans or the wider environment. These substances need specific handling because there’s a chance they could seriously hurt someone or even kill them. Special, specific bins are needed for safety and legal reasons.
Confidential Waste
Confidential waste is a type of waste collection that enables you to dispose of sensitive documents and work with confidence. This will often be shredding, and is a service popular with offices, headquarters and other more desk-based businesses. Items such as bank documents and other private files.
Sharps Waste
This is probably the most obviously named waste type. Sharps waste, as the name suggests, is for any type of sharp item used where people or the environment can be harmed. These are often in tattoo parlours, medical practices/hospitals or beauticians. These places use sharps and needles which could cause someone both immediate, short- and long-term harm.
Where Does Waste Go When It’s Collected?
There are a few places your waste can end up, and it depends on which carrier you use, yet any legal waste carrier will take it to one of small number of places. These can be either a landfill site, recycling plant or an incineration centre. There is no excuse for your waste company to be fly tipping your waste. The waste company should be able to track the movements of your waste, and waste transfer notices are needed to give ownership of the entire process.
What is a Waste Transfer Notice?
A waste transfer notice is a form that allows authorities to track where the waste has been, where is has come from and who is disposing of it. There is no reason as such that the authorities would want to see the notice, but it’s legally required to have that duty of care for your commercial waste disposal. This is so there is accountability in case of any misplace waste. These are documents that need to be kept so they can be referred to at a later date if needed.
Are you looking for a commercial waste partner? Direct365 works with the best suppliers to ensure your business property is services on time and for great value for money.