Business and company waste

If you run a business in Scotland, you are legally responsible for safely disposing of any waste your business produces.

The law requires your business to take all reasonable steps to recycle as much of that waste as possible. The law also requires all local authorities and waste contractors to meet high recycling standards. Detailed guidance on the new statutory duties is available in the Duty of Care Code of Practice produced by the Scottish Government.

Why should I do it?

As well as the long-term economic and environmental benefits, your business risks a substantial fine if it does not take all reasonable steps to recycle the waste it produces. Please see tips from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on how to sort your recycling. 

How to arrange uplift of business waste

We don't collect commercial waste, however, there are private waste disposal companies who can give you a quote for a regular collection.

What should I do now?

It's your duty to ensure your waste is handled in line with the new regulations so speak to the company which currently collects your waste. They should explain how they will collect your waste and the cost of that service. You could also contact other waste contractors to see who will offer your business the best value for money.

You can search for waste contractors operating in your area in the Business Resource Centre on the Zero waste Scotland site. You may also be able to secure an even better deal on your waste collection service by joining forces with other businesses in your immediate area.

The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012

Requires your business to take the following actions:

• your business must present metal, plastic, glass, paper and card separately for collection
• if you run a food business which produces more than 5kg of food waste per week, you must also present that for separate collection
• The Scottish Government Waste communications toolkit will also be helpful in understanding your responsibilities.