Commercial waste collection Wales

Commercial waste collection with local Welsh councils

Companies owning properties in Wales contribute to local services through business rates. Unfortunately, these services do not include business waste collection.

Welsh businesses and other organisations are required to arrange and pay for their own commercial waste collection services.

Most of Wales’s 22 unitary and borough councils provide a commercial waste service for a fee in addition to their complimentary domestic waste collections.

Our experts have compiled and provided links to the services offered by each local council:

💡The commercial waste prices set by local councils are often not competitive. We recommend comparing local council costs to a quick quote for our waste management service.

Commercial waste disposal Wales

Local authorities in Wales operate public recycling centres, but only some accept commercial waste.

💡Here’s our guide to what is classified as commercial waste.

Instead, we recommend relying on the following private waste transfer stations in Wales:

North Wales commercial waste disposal

• Humphrey Waste & Recycling – Refail Newydd, Caergeiliog, Holyhead, Anglesey, LL65 3DX
• Williams Williams – Melin Plas Du, A499, Pwllheli, LL53 6RF
• World Care Wales – Plot 2 Tremarl Industrial Estate, Llandudno Junction, Conwy, LL31 9PN

South Wales commercial waste disposal

• Cardiff & Caerphilly Skips – The Granary, Graddfa Industrial Estate, Llanbradach, Caerphilly CF83 3QS
• Noland Recycling – The Waste Transfer Station, The Old Quarry, Stormy Down CF33 4RS
• Browns Waste Services – Taybrite Yard, Bynea, Llanelli, Dyfed, SA14 9SU
• D.I Evans – Gwrthwynt Transfer Station, Beulah, Newcastle Emlyn, SA38 9QE

Waste regulations for Welsh businesses

On 6 April 2024, the Welsh Government introduced new commercial recycling regulations. These regulations aim to enhance the quality and quantity of non-domestic recycling in Wales.

The regulations address the common issue of cross-contamination in commercial dry mixed recycling, which complicates the recycling process.

Below, we summarise the new requirements of this piece of devolved waste legislation:

Separate Welsh commercial recycling collections

The law mandates that all businesses in Wales producing a mix of recyclable waste must segregate, store, and arrange for separate collections of:

• Food waste (where businesses produce more than 5 Kg per week)
• Paper and Card
• Glass
• Metal, plastics and cartons
• Unsold Textiles
• Unsold small waste electrical and electronic equipment

This means that any commercial property generating any of the above waste streams must use a separate commercial waste bin for its storage and collection.

The legislation advises that staff and contractors are provided with clear instructions on waste segregation and that waste containers are clearly labelled.

Commercial textiles waste in Wales

Welsh waste regulations mandate that unsold new textiles must be recycled separately from other waste.

These items are ideally suited for reuse by charities, such as Collect My Clothes Wales, who offer one-off collections.

Commercial electronic waste disposal in Wales

Welsh waste regulations require that unsold small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) must be recycled separately from other waste.

There are several options for Welsh businesses to dispose of IT equipment securely in one-off collections.

Banned Welsh commercial waste disposals

The new regulations prohibit Welsh businesses from disposing of waste in the following manners:

• Disposing of food waste as trade effluent – Welsh businesses must not dispose of food waste into the sewerage systems managed by Welsh Water or Hafren Dyfrdwy.
• Disposing of recyclable waste going to landfill – No recyclable waste streams (see categories above) can be sent to landfill.
• Disposing of wood in landfill – Welsh businesses must not dispose of wood as part of general business waste sent to landfills.

Who does the commercial waste code of practice apply to?

The new Welsh commercial waste regulations apply to the occupants of non-domestic premises, including:

• Businesses
• Public sector organisations
• Third sector (non-profits, charities etc.)

Welsh commercial waste penalties

The Commercial Waste Code of Practice for Wales, legally embedded within the Waste Separation Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2023, is binding.

Non-compliance with the requirements in this code constitutes an offence, with courts authorised to impose fines of up to an unlimited amount on companies.

The commercial waste providers operating in Wales, highlighted in this guide, are available to assist your business in complying with the new waste regulations.

Source: Separate Collection of Waste Materials for Recycling – A Code of Practice for Wales.