General Waste Collection for Businesses: Everything You Need to Know

Q: What counts as general waste for businesses?

A: General waste includes non-recyclable commercial rubbish such as contaminated packaging, tissues, disposable items and mixed workplace waste.

Q: What size general waste bin do I need?

A: This depends on how much waste your business produces. Smaller businesses often start with one or two 240L bins, while larger businesses may need 660L or 1100L bins. If you're unsure, get in contact with our team.

Q: Can businesses use household bins?

A: Businesses are legally required to arrange proper commercial waste collection rather than using household bins.

Q: How often should businesses have general waste collected?

A: Most businesses choose twice weekly, weekly, or fortnightly collections for general waste. Sometimes monthly collections are acceptable depending on waste volume and storage space.

Q: Is general waste recyclable?

A: General waste itself is typically the waste that cannot be recycled. Recyclable materials should usually be separated into dedicated recycling bins.

Q: What happens if my bin is too small?

A: You may experience overflowing waste, hygiene issues or missed waste capacity. Most suppliers can help businesses move to a larger bin or more frequent collections.

May 20
7 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

Starting a business comes with a long checklist of tasks you need to do. Not only to operate profitably but also to ensure you're legally compliant.

Waste collection is usually not something new business owners consider. But getting it wrong can be costly.

No matter what type of business you run. Whether that's an office, salon, retail shop, warehouse, or pub you’ll produce general waste.

But what actually counts as general waste?

What size bin do you need?

How often should collections happen?

This guide explains everything you need to know about general waste in simple terms every business owner can understand.

So, what Is General Waste?

General waste is the waste your business throws away that cannot be recycled or separated into another waste stream.

Other names you may also hear it called include:

Residual waste
Non-recyclable waste

The easiest way to understand it is that general waste is the everyday rubbish left over after recyclable materials, food waste or specialist waste have been separated.

For most businesses, this is the main waste stream collected and the type of waste pretty much every business deals with day to day.

Examples of General Waste

General waste can include:

✅ Used paper towels and tissues

✅ Non-recyclable packaging

✅ Contaminated cardboard or paper (for instance greasy pizza boxes)

✅ Disposable cups and food containers

✅ Plastic wrappers that cannot be recycled

✅ Broken office supplies

In a business context, for instance:

A beauty salon may throw away disposable gloves, acupuncture needles, and wet wipes.

An office might produce coffee cups, kitchen waste (from staff lunches), tissues and mixed non-recyclables.

A shop might throw away wrappers and damaged stock.

What can go in a General Waste bin?

One of the biggest mistakes new business owners make is assuming everything can go into general waste.

This is not the case.

Waste that can be recycled, should be recycled, and legally is required to be recycled.

Items that can usually go in the General Waste bin

You can typically throw away:

Non-recyclable packaging
Used tissues and paper towels
Disposable cleaning materials
Contaminated paper or cardboard (often from food or chemicals)
Plastic film and wrappers that cannot be recycled
Broken non-electrical items

What should NOT go in the General Waste bin?

You should avoid putting the following items in your general waste bin:

❌ Cardboard suitable for recycling (non-contaminated)

❌ Clean paper suitable for recycling

❌ Food waste

❌ Batteries

❌ Electrical equipment

❌ Chemicals or hazardous materials

❌ Glass suitable for recycling

❌ Large bulky waste items

Do UK businesses legally need a dedicated General Waste collection service?

Almost certainly, yes.

If you're not an online business and have a brick-and-mortar location (or sell physical goods of any kind - rather than digital) you'll need to arrange for general waste collections.

This is because businesses in the UK have a legal duty of care to manage commercial waste responsibly.

These responsibilities include:

Storing waste safely
Using licensed waste collection providers (licensed waste carriers)
Keeping documentation where required (usually your waste carrier does this on your behalf)
Keeping waste streams separated (not mixing general with recycling for instance)

Many new business owners assume they can simply use their own household bins. Taking rubbish from their business home with them.

But this is not the case.

Even very small businesses, home offices and independent traders are legally required to have a commercial waste service.

What bin do you need for General Waste?

You'll need a wheelie bin for your general waste and these come in three standard sizes. 240L, 660L, and 1100L.

This doesn't mean that you need to stick a wheelie bin inside your office - you can use pretty much any bin for use. It just means that when you empty these containers, the waste is put into your wheelie bins - ready for collection.

Whether you need a 240L, 660L, or 1100L bin will depend on:

How much waste you produce on a weekly basis
Available space you have at your business premises
How often you require collections (otherwise known as collection frequency)

Smaller businesses may only need one small wheelie bin.

Larger businesses may require multiple large bins.

Typical General Waste bin types

Small Wheelie Bins (240L)

These are usually suitable for:

Small offices
Salons and barbers
Small independent shops on the high street

A 240L bin is the same size and shape as your standard household wheelie bin. These work well when waste volumes are low and collections happen regularly.

Approximate capacity of a 240L bin: Around 3-4 bin bags.

Typical collection frequency: Weekly or fortnightly.

Large Wheelie Bins (660L-1100L)

These are usually for:

Pubs and restaurants
Larger shop chains
Warehouses

660L approximate capacity: Around 8-10 bin bags.

Typical collection frequency: Weekly, fortnightly, or multiple collections per week (depending, of course, on your waste volume)

1100L approximate capacity: Around 15 bin bags.

Typical collection frequency: Again, weekly, fortnightly, or multiple collections per week.

What size General Waste bin do I need?

Here's a good rule of thumb for most business owners:

Business Type	Typical Bin Size
Small office	240L
Salon or barber	240L
Small shop	240L
Pub or restaurant	660L - 1100L
Warehouse	1100L
Industrial premises	1100L

However, waste volume matters more than industry.

A busy salon may produce more waste than a small office.

A warehouse with minimal staff may need less than a busy shop.

If you're unsure, it's probably best to start smaller and request more collections or a larger bin once you understand more about how much you're throwing away each week.

How often should General Waste be collected?

The right waste collection frequency depends largely on two factors:

Waste volume
Storage space

Here's another good rule of thumb:

Business Type	Typical Collection Frequency
Small office	Fortnightly
Salon or barber	Weekly or fortnightly
Retail shop	Weekly
Pub	Weekly or twice weekly
Restaurant or takeaway	Weekly or twice weekly
Warehouse	Weekly or fortnightly

Which businesses need General Waste collection?

Almost every business produces some level of general waste service.

Offices

Common waste includes:

Kitchen rubbish
Tissues and paper towels
Packaging
Mixed non-recyclables

Shops

Common waste includes:

Packaging
Damaged stock materials
Plastic wrapping
General shop waste

Beauty Salons & Barbers

Common waste includes:

Disposable products
Packaging
Cleaning waste
Towels and tissues

Pubs, Restaurants & Hospitality

Common waste includes:

Mixed packaging
Disposable items
Contaminated materials
General operational waste

Warehouses & Industrial Premises

Common waste includes:

Packaging waste
Non-recyclable plastics
Mixed workplace waste
Damaged materials

How much does General Waste collection cost?

There is no one-size-fits-all price.

The cost depends on several factors.

What factors typically affects cost?

Bin size

Larger bins cost more to collect.

Collection frequency

More frequent collections = increased monthly costs.

Location

Prices vary depending on area and supplier availability. London for example is more expensive than the rest of the UK.

Contract Terms

Some suppliers offer different pricing structures depending on contract length and service requirements. Longer contracts usually mean better prices. But if you're a new business, signing a 3 year deal might not make sense for you until you're more established.

Here's a quick tip: Compare waste service prices online

Commercial waste pricing can vary significantly between providers.

Two suppliers may offer very different prices for the same service.

That is why many businesses compare quotes before choosing a provider.

You can use our free tool to do exactly that.

Common mistakes businesses make

Choosing a bin that is too small

Overflowing bins can quickly become a problem if you don't have the right size container.

Before you know it, you don't have any space to dispose of your rubbish and smells start to linger.

Paying for too many collections

You may not need weekly collections if your waste output is low. But at the start, you might not know what you need.

However, some providers are much more helpful when it comes to this. They'll allow you to decrease collections and change your waste service.

Some, however, might have locked you in.

So make sure you choose a provider with flexibility - this is why going for the cheapest provider isn't always the best choice.

Throwing everything into General Waste

Mixing recyclable waste and food waste into general waste can increase costs.

But, separating waste properly often saves money as it reduces how much you send to landfill. This is because the landfill taxes paid by your waste collector are almost always passed on to you.

So send less to landfill = less you pay for disposal.

Ignoring future growth of the business

A business with three staff today may have ten staff next year.

Therefore, you should choose a waste service provider than can make upgrading your service easy.

Signing a waste contract without comparing suppliers

Waste contracts vary significantly. Not just on price. But on other benefits like customer care, contract flexibility, recycling rates etc.

You should compare your options instead of simply going for the cheapest or first quote you get. Do your due diligence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as general waste for businesses?

General waste includes non-recyclable commercial rubbish such as contaminated packaging, tissues, disposable items and mixed workplace waste.

What size general waste bin do I need?

This depends on how much waste your business produces. Smaller businesses often start with one or two 240L bins, while larger businesses may need 660L or 1100L bins. If you're unsure, get in contact with our team.

Can businesses use household bins?

Businesses are legally required to arrange proper commercial waste collection rather than using household bins.

How often should businesses have general waste collected?

Most businesses choose twice weekly, weekly, or fortnightly collections for general waste. Sometimes monthly collections are acceptable depending on waste volume and storage space.

Is general waste recyclable?

General waste itself is typically the waste that cannot be recycled. Recyclable materials should usually be separated into dedicated recycling bins.

What happens if my bin is too small?

You may experience overflowing waste, hygiene issues or missed waste capacity. Most suppliers can help businesses move to a larger bin or more frequent collections.