Business waste collections
From 1 April 2025 all businesses with 10 or more employees in England, have a legal duty to present the following wastes separated in accordance with the arrangements with their waste collector:
- Food waste
- Dry recyclable materials - plastic, metal, glass, paper and card
- General waste
Smaller firms (organisations with fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees) will receive a two-year exemption and will be legally required to comply with the new requirements from 31 March 2027. However, there may be business advantages to comply sooner.
All businesses must make arrangements for the disposal of their waste. It is illegal to dispose of business waste in litter bins, household waste bins, or public sites such as Household Waste and Recycling Centres.
Businesses also need to store waste appropriately on their premises to prevent it escaping or causing problems, and ensure that it is collected by a registered waste carrier.
A waste transfer note is required for all waste disposal arrangements. It should accompany any transfer of waste, but in the case of regular collections, a multiple collection waste transfer note can last for up to a year. Copies of waste transfer notes must be kept for two years and must be provided to the Environment Agency or local authority on demand.
How we can help
We offer a complete business waste collection service at a competitive price. The service can be tailored to meet your needs, ensuring that all legal obligations are met and that the necessary documentation is provided.
- we offer a range of bin sizes ranging from 1100 litres down to bin sacks, if you can't store a bin on your premises
- we operate within Gateshead and the surrounding areas and can respond to our customers quickly and efficiently
- we can tailor our service to meet your needs
- there are no hidden or extra charges for essential elements of the service, such as bin rental, legal documentation, or disposal charges
- we can offer a range of collection frequencies
- as a local authority, waste collections with us are exempt from VAT
- we can provide free advice to help you manage your waste effectively
If you would like to find out more about our business waste collection service, talk about your business waste and receive a no obligation quotation, please complete our online form.
Sorting your business waste
What you can put in general waste bins
Your general waste bin is for food waste, items which cannot be recycled and other everyday items.
Most items apart from hazardous materials or builder's rubble can go into your general waste bin. If your bin contains these items, we will not be able to empty the bin.
The bin should not be so full that the lid won't fully close, or too heavy as the vehicle has a weight sensor which will not allow a heavy bin to be emptied.
What you can put in recycling bins
Find out which items can be put in your mixed recycling bin.
Please only put the correct items in your recycling bin to prevent contaminating the waste. Contaminated loads will have to go to the landfill rather than for recycling. If your waste is contaminated it may not be emptied until your next collection once the waste has been correctly sorted.
To find a full list of what can and can't be recycled, view our A-Z of recycling.
What you can put in food waste bins
Please dispose of the following items in your trade waste food bin:
- any or all food intended for human or pet consumption
- biodegradable material including inedible food parts such as peelings, bones and teabags
Bulky waste collections
Bulky waste collections are a chargeable service for when you have rubbish that is too big for your bin.
Request a bulky waste collection for your business
We are only carrying out external collections. We are not taking bookings for clearances or removal of any items from within offices, garages or other buildings.
Once you have completed the form, we will contact you to discuss the collection details, arrangement payment and confirm your collection date.
Contact us
To arrange a collection please visit our bookings page. For any other queries call Customer Services 0191 433 7000. Lines are open 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday.