Trade waste collection service

Why is waste your business?

All businesses produce waste. As a waste producer you are directly responsible for ensuring that your waste is disposed of properly and you must check that the person or company who collects your waste is properly registered. This is called the 'duty of care'. If you do not comply with the 'duty of care', you could be fined up to £5,000, or more if hazardous waste is involved. For more information visit the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs website.

Why isn't a waste collection service covered by business rates?

As a business, you are able to choose who provides your waste collection service. You can choose a private contractor to provide the service for you. For this reason, the cost of collecting waste from businesses is not included in the Business Rate, otherwise you would be paying twice.

If you ask us to collect the waste, we are required to provide you with this service at a reasonable charge. If you do choose to have your waste collected by a private contractor, you must make sure that you are meeting your 'duty of care'.

What does Plymouth City Council's trade waste collection service offer?

We can offer:

• a competitive, efficient and effective service, which can be tailored to your individual needs
• assurance that you are complying with the 'duty of care'. Please have a look at our trade waste legislation page
• daily scheduled collections Monday to Saturday, between 6.30am and 4.30pm, except on some public holidays. We will inform you of alternative collections during these times
• advice on waste minimisation techniques on the waste you produce and guidance on how you can re-use and recycle

As a business, how can I recycle some of my waste?

We are currently unable to offer a trade recycling collection service, but are looking at ways of doing so in the future. However we can recommend you enquire with external trade recycling companies. The Waste Directory can help you find a trade recycling company near you.

What can I expect from the service?

We will:

• collect your waste on the agreed day(s)
• clear up any waste spilled during collection
• in most cases, repair damage to a waste container hired from us within three working days of it being reported to us
• collect any missed refuse within 24 hours of it being reported to us

How can I arrange to use the service?

Any commercial organisation in Plymouth can use the service. Each customer will need to enter into a contract before the service can start. For more information or to arrange for one of our staff to visit you to assess your needs and advise you of the likely cost please email us.

How much does the service cost?

We are obliged to make a reasonable charge for the service. Our charges are based on the actual costs of providing the service, plus an administration charge. To find out more please email us.

How can I help you?

• Leave your waste for collection outside your own premises, no more than one hour before the usual collection time.
• Don't overfill your waste containers or sacks. If you have excess waste please email us. All trade waste should be contained; it is not to be placed beside the container, as this will cause environmental health problems. We will discuss your requirements, which may involve another collection or an additional container.
• Don't put glass or sharp objects in refuse sacks.
• Return waste oil to your supplier.
• Double bag food waste to prevent leakage.

If you have queries relating to day to day problems such as missed collections, changes to the service or accounts please contact us.

[Back to top]