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What is commercial waste?

Commercial waste is any waste produced from business or organisational activities. It is a legal category that determines who is responsible for its collection, transport, and disposal.

Unlike household waste, which councils collect free of charge, commercial waste must be managed and paid for by the business or organisation that produces it. This applies to companies of all sizes, as well as charities, public bodies, and sole traders.

Next, we look at the official commercial waste definition under the Environmental Protection Act.

Commercial waste definition

Under Section 75 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, commercial waste is any waste arising from premises that are used wholly or mainly for trade, business, sport, recreation, entertainment, or education.

Key points:

It covers all waste generated through commercial or non-domestic activities.
It includes items such as packaging, food waste, office materials, old stock, and furniture.
It also applies to waste from home-based businesses if it comes from business activities rather than personal household use.

Commercial waste is classed separately from household, industrial, and agricultural waste; each has its own definition under the Act.

Anyone producing commercial waste has a legal duty of care to store it securely, arrange collection by a licensed waste carrier, and ensure it is disposed of at an authorised site.

How does commercial waste differ from industrial waste?

Under the Environmental Protection Act, both commercial and industrial waste are classified as “Controlled Wastes”.

Producers of both types of waste have a legal duty of care concerning the waste they generate.

The primary distinction with industrial waste is the stricter regulations imposed on its handling, treatment, and disposal, owing to higher environmental and health risks.

Industrial waste includes:

Construction and demolition waste
Factory waste
Transport
Utilities
Telecommunications
Mining
Laboratory waste
Hazardous waste
Agricultural waste

Did you know? Demolition and construction waste can be categorised as both commercial and industrial waste. Small-scale projects like shop renovations are considered commercial waste. In contrast, large-scale construction or demolition projects are classified as industrial waste due to the greater environmental impacts and stricter regulations.

What does commercial waste include?

Commercial waste includes anything discarded as part of business or organisational activities. This can range from everyday rubbish to specialist materials that require licensed handling.

Our experts have listed the most common types of commercial waste below.

Type of commercial waste	Common examples	Typical sources
General waste	Everyday non-recyclable materials such as plastic film, crisp packets, contaminated packaging etc.	Offices, shops, hospitality
Commercial food waste	Leftover food, kitchen prep waste, spoiled stock	Restaurants, cafes, hotels
Commercial glass recycling	Bottles, jars, broken glassware	Bars, pubs, restaurants, offices
Commercial dry mixed recyclables	Paper, cans, plastic bottles, clean plastics	Offices, retail, education
Commercial cardboard recycling	Cardboard boxes, packaging sheets, delivery cartons	Warehouses, shops, offices
Electronic waste recycling	Computers, printers, phones, cables	Offices, schools, tech businesses
Furniture and bulky items	Desks, chairs, shelving, shop fittings	Offices, retail refurbishments
Sanitary waste collection	Used nappies, incontinence pads, feminine hygiene products	Offices, hospitality, healthcare
Hazardous waste collection	Batteries, chemicals, fluorescent tubes	Laboratories, garages, manufacturers
Construction waste	Bricks, timber, plasterboard, metal	Builders, maintenance teams

Any waste generated from your business activities counts as commercial waste, even if it is the same type of waste as everyday household rubbish.

Commercial and household waste explained

Commercial and household waste are treated very differently, so it’s important to understand how they are defined and who is responsible for managing them:

Household waste: Includes everyday rubbish from domestic premises, such as homes, flats, or caravans. It includes food scraps, packaging, and broken household items, and is collected and disposed of by local councils free of charge.
Commercial waste: Includes any waste from trade, business or other non-domestic activities. This includes waste from shops, offices, charities, schools, public bodies, and home-based businesses. It must be collected and paid for by the business or organisation that produces it.

Is there a duty of care the same for domestic and commercial waste?

No, the duty of care is very different for domestic and commercial waste.

Households: The duty of care is limited to placing waste in council-provided bins for collection by an authorised person (the local council or a licensed carrier).
Businesses: The duty of care is much broader and applies to both the business producing the waste and the commercial waste collection provider. They must handle, store, transport, and dispose of all waste safely and legally, keeping full documentation at each stage.

Duty of care for commercial waste

Businesses and their appointed waste carriers both have a legal duty of care under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This duty applies to everyone who produces, stores, transports, treats, or disposes of commercial waste.

Responsibilities for businesses

Businesses must:

Store waste securely to prevent leaks, damage or unauthorised access
Use only licensed commercial waste carriers
Complete and keep waste transfer notes for every collection
Ensure their waste goes to authorised facilities
Prevent their waste from causing harm to human health or the environment

Responsibilities for commercial waste providers

Licensed waste carriers must:

Be registered with the Environment Agency
Transport and dispose of waste safely and legally
Provide correct transfer documentation and consignment notes
Keep accurate records for inspections by regulators
If a business fails in its duty of care, it can be fined or prosecuted, even if the waste has already left the premises.

Read our full commercial waste regulations guide for detailed legal requirements and compliance advice.

If it’s classed as commercial waste, do I need to arrange a collection?

If your waste is classified as commercial waste, you are legally responsible for ensuring it is disposed of correctly, but you have two options for how to do this:

Arrange collections through a licensed commercial waste carrier.
Transport the waste yourself to a licensed disposal site (you must hold a valid waste carrier licence to do this).

Local councils do not provide free collection for commercial waste, including general business waste, commercial recycling, commercial food waste, and commercial glass waste.

Here at Commercial Waste Quotes, we help businesses arrange their commercial waste collection. Use our simple free commercial waste quote service to start today.