How to dispose of business, trade and commercial waste

Business waste is not accepted at any Essex County Council (ECC) recycling centre. Disposing of business waste at these sites is illegal.

What is business waste?

Business waste is any type of waste that comes from a commercial activity. 

Anyone who gets paid for their services is therefore operating as a business and will produce business waste, this includes sole traders and people doing one-off jobs, as well as listed companies, shops, landlords, offices and factories. 

It may also include people who work from home and produce work-related waste. 

If you carry out work for a householder, such as a gardener, tradesperson or house clearance, this waste will also be classed as business waste and cannot be disposed of at an ECC recycling centre.

Why is business waste not accepted at ECC recycling centres?

Essex County Council recycling centres are for household waste only. Business waste is a cost that should be accounted for by the business. When business waste enters ECC recycling centres this is at a cost to taxpayers.

How to dispose of business waste

If you have your own premises

If you have your own premises, such as office, factory, shop or restaurant, you can arrange for a waste management company or your local council to supply a trade waste collection service for your business. You can choose from a range of container sizes and collection frequencies to suit your business as well as other services such as recycling.

If you work at a property

If you work at a property, such as a tradesman you can organise a skip hire or bulk waste bag to be delivered and collected by a waste management company. There are many different sizes and types based on your requirements.

If you operate a business away from a fixed premises

If you operate a business away from a fixed premises, such as a man-in-a-van type service, handyman or any other type of business, you could use a commercial waste transfer station or other licenced waste site. You will require a Waste Carriers Registration.