Glasgow commercial waste collection
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The City of Glasgow is committed to transforming into one of Europe’s most sustainable cities. Glasgow City Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and is working towards the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
Managing waste produced by businesses across the city is a key consideration in the city’s climate plan.
In this guide, we will explore the options available to Glasgow-based businesses for the responsible collection of commercial waste.
💡 Click if you’re looking for commercial recycling, hazardous waste or council waste services in Glasgow.
WRC Recycling provides trade waste and wheelie bin collections across both Glasgow and Edinburgh. WRC operates its commercial waste services from their state-of-the-art public recycling centre in Inchinnan, near Glasgow Airport, which processes cardboard, plastic, metal, and glass for recycling.
Originally founded in 1965, JM Murdoch is a family-owned waste and haulage business operating from its headquarters in Neilston, on the outskirts of Glasgow. They offer kerbside trade waste collection services, which include general business waste, dry mixed recycling, and commercial glass recycling.
The Dow Group is a family-owned waste management business based in Cumbernauld, on the outskirts of Glasgow. The Dow Group offers a range of sustainable waste solutions, including rental and collection services for both wheelie bins and larger commercial waste bins, catering to businesses in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Veolia, a global water, waste and energy management company, also offers regular commercial waste collections in Glasgow. Veolia provides low-cost business waste collections across the city with separate collections for glass, dry mixed recycling, food and general waste.
Glasgow City Council provides a regular commercial waste collection service in addition to its complimentary domestic waste service. The council’s waste service includes the collection of the following waste types three to four times a week:
Businesses within the city can choose between a regular collection service, for which the council will provide a waste bin and a one-off trade sacks service. Trade sacks are available for purchase here.
💡Please note the council’s commercial waste collection service does not cover the entire city. For precise service boundaries, refer to this map.
Source: Glasgow City Council Commercial Waste and Recycling
The City of Glasgow council does not permit businesses to use household recycling facilities in the city. Instead, if your business intends to use a waste disposal facility, it will be necessary to use a private provider at one of the following locations:
⚠️ Businesses that transport their waste must be registered with a waste carrier licence. Register a carrier licence here.
The waste transfer stations above will provide you with a Waste Transfer Note for any business waste you bring, allowing your company to demonstrate its compliance with commercial waste regulations.
The waste collection firms highlighted above provide regular commercial waste collections across Glasgow, encompassing both recycling and general business waste.
However, local businesses sometimes face specialist or one-off waste management needs. Below, we detail local specialist business waste service providers that cater to companies in Glasgow.
The Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Scotland initiative is an excellent resource, offering expert support to assist local businesses in improving their recycling practices.
In line with Scottish waste regulations, the providers we’ve highlighted in this guide are all obligated to maximise recycling.
As an alternative Change Waste Recycling offers a comprehensive array of commercial recycling solutions across Glasgow, including collections for glass, paper, cardboard, confidential paper, light bulbs, print cartridges and furniture.
The production of electronic waste by businesses is an escalating issue in Scotland. Hazardous components, such as batteries, are often mixed with high-value metals, complicating the recycling process for electronic items.
Specialising in electronic waste, WEEE Scotland, located in central Glasgow, provides expert support to businesses aiming to adopt repair and remanufacturing models for their electrical items. WEEE Scotland has aided major companies, including Costa Coffee, in enhancing their procurement, usage, and disposal practices for electronic waste.
For a comprehensive overview, check out our full guide to commercial electronic waste.
In Scotland, specific devolved legislation mandates that urban food businesses generating more than 5 kg of food waste per week must arrange separate collections for their food waste.
Specialising in this area, Keenan Recycling provides a food waste collection service throughout Glasgow. The food waste collected by Keenan Recycling is then transported to a local anaerobic digestion facility for processing.
For further details, explore our full guide to commercial food waste and waste management guidance for the food and beverage industry.
Beyond the regular disposal of commercial waste, businesses in Glasgow have access to several local options for short-term skip hire. Such services are ideal for businesses undergoing office renovations, building projects, or retail store fit-outs.
Our business waste experts have compiled a list of trusted Glaswegian skip hire providers:
Glasgow has become a significant hub for the life sciences sector in Scotland and the UK, built on a strong foundation of research, innovation, and collaboration among academia, healthcare, and industry.
The research undertaken by the life sciences sector generates a variety of hazardous wastes that require safe disposal. Local specialist firms, known for their expertise in hazardous waste, provide collection services specifically for Glasgow’s businesses. Notably, these firms include:
The Ovo Hydro arena, an events and concert facility in Glasgow, provides a great example of innovative waste management practices.
The Ovo Hydro arena is committed to becoming a Net Zero centre with a focus on water efficiency, green travel, supply chain engagement and waste management practices.
Improvements in their waste management strategy include the introduction of Stack Cups.
Stack Cups are reusable cups designed to replace single-use plastic cups, thereby reducing waste and promoting a circular economy. Customers are encouraged to return their cups at the event’s conclusion for a £1 refund or to support environmental and charitable initiatives. This approach underscores the arena’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and supporting community causes.
The cups are cleaned off-site and reused at subsequent events, with each cup capable of undergoing this cycle more than 300 times. As of the writing of this guide, the scheme has saved 56 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and contributed over £5,000 to the charity Nordoff Robbins.
Sources – Ovo Hydro Sustainability and Stack-cups initiative.