Waste management services in the UK

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Tech-enabled business waste management across the UK

Reconomy delivers tech-enabled waste management services for UK businesses of every size, from single-site SMEs to national, multi-site accounts. Our specialist brands support more than 23,000 businesses, manage over 5 million tonnes of waste every year, and divert 98.5% of that material from landfill through recycling and recovery. Services are delivered through a network of over 1,000 fully compliant regional supply chain partners, giving you nationwide coverage with every collection carried out by a registered waste carrier.

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Commercial waste services Hazardous waste management Office recycling Skip hire Single-stream recycling Soil sampling Wheelie bin hire

Commercial waste services

With 30 years of experience in business waste management and recycling, Reconomy’s specialist brands provide comprehensive commercial waste collection and disposal services for businesses of all sizes and sectors. Choose from scheduled collections, ad hoc removals or a fully managed waste programme, with dedicated options for general waste, cardboard, food waste, glass and wood. The outcome: reduced waste costs, improved recycling rates, and clear reporting to support your sustainability targets.

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Hazardous waste management

Hazardous waste handling in the UK requires specialist knowledge, trained personnel and compliant processes at every stage. Reconomy’s specialist brands provide fully managed hazardous waste services covering classification, collection, packaging, documentation, treatment options and compliant disposal. We support businesses with WEEE and electrical products, batteries, chemicals and paint, asbestos and clinical waste, with the right consignment notes and duty of care records provided as standard. The result is less administrative burden, reduced compliance risk, and confidence that your waste is handled in line with current UK environmental and safety requirements.

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Office recycling

Reconomy’s specialist brands help thousands of businesses every year build effective office recycling programmes, from setting up clearly labelled segregation stations to scheduling collection options around your operational needs. Our service covers paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, food waste, paper cups and mixed recyclables, plus secure confidential waste disposal. The result is less waste to general disposal, lower collection costs, and measurable progress against your sustainability and zero waste commitments.

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Skip hire

Reconomy’s specialist brands supply commercial skip hire for businesses, contractors and construction sites across the UK. Options range from standard skips of 2 to 16 yards up to larger roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) containers for high-volume projects. For more complex requirements, we also offer wait and load skips, enclosed skips, hazardous waste skips and caged vehicles. Every skip hire is backed by compliant disposal and a waste transfer note, giving you full duty of care coverage.

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Single-stream recycling

Single-stream recycling simplifies the process for businesses by allowing multiple recyclable materials to be collected together and sorted downstream. Through our specialist brands, we handle plastic, glass, paper, food waste, metal, wood, cardboard, dry mixed recycling and a range of niche waste streams such as vapes. This approach reduces the number of collections needed, lowers operational disruption, and helps businesses improve recycling rates while meeting sustainability targets and packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations.

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Soil sampling

Reconomy’s specialist brands provide fully managed soil sampling and classification services for construction, infrastructure and development projects across the UK. From initial site assessment and material sampling through to laboratory classification, WAC testing and compliant disposal, our teams handle the process end to end. Accurate soil classification reduces the risk of incorrect disposal, helps projects stay on programme, and supports compliance with waste legislation and site waste management plan requirements.

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Wheelie bin hire

Reconomy’s specialist brands supply commercial wheelie bin hire for businesses needing a flexible, cost-effective option for general waste and recycling collections. Options include 240-litre wheelie bins for smaller premises, 1100-litre bins for high-volume sites, and heavy-duty rear end loader and FEL bins for industrial or commercial applications. Collections are scheduled to suit your operational requirements, with waste transfer documentation provided as standard to support duty of care compliance.

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UK business waste duties

Every UK business that produces, stores, transports or disposes of waste has a legal duty of care under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The duty applies whatever the size of your business, and it continues until your waste reaches a site authorised to accept it. In practice, it means you must:

Store waste safely and securely, in suitable containers that stop it escaping, and keep different waste streams separate.
Describe your waste accurately, including its classification code, so whoever handles it next can manage it correctly.
Use a registered waste carrier. Check that anyone collecting your waste holds a valid waste carrier registration before they take it away. Registration can be checked on the public register held by the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland or NIEA in Northern Ireland.
Complete a waste transfer note for every transfer of non-hazardous waste, or a single season ticket covering repeat collections, and keep it for at least two years.
Separate recyclables where the law requires it. Under Simpler Recycling in England, and the workplace recycling regulations in Wales, businesses must separate key recyclable materials for collection.

Failing to meet the duty of care can lead to fines and prosecution, even when the illegal disposal is carried out by someone else. Working with a provider that checks waste carrier registration, issues compliant documentation and keeps records on your behalf removes much of that risk. Learn more about the risks of ineffective waste management.

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Waste carrier registration is changing

The current waste carrier, broker and dealer registration system in England is being replaced by a permit-based regime, expected to be fully in force during 2027. Operators will need to pass identity and competence checks and display their permit number on vehicles and marketing. Until then, checking the register remains the simplest way to confirm a waste carrier is authorised. Reconomy’s specialist brands only use supply chain partners whose registration and permits are verified.

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Supporting better waste management with people, technology and insight

People Technology Customer support

People-powered waste expertise 

Reliable waste management is built on skilled people.

Across our Recycle Loop specialist brands, experienced teams work alongside customers to ensure waste is managed safely, efficiently and in line with regulatory requirements.

From operational staff and drivers to compliance specialists and waste management experts, our teams help businesses optimise waste processes, improve recycling performance and maintain high service standards across every site.

Smart tools and digital waste insights

Technology plays an important role in helping businesses manage waste more effectively. Reconomy provides digital tools and platforms that give customers greater visibility of waste performance and environmental impact.

Key capabilities include:

RecoTek, our innovation hub, supporting organisations in tracking waste data and ESG metrics
Customer portals, online dashboards providing access to waste reports and compliance documentation
The Zero Waste Index, measuring how close each site is to zero waste
Smartphone apps, tools for scheduling services, receiving alerts and monitoring performance on the go

Together, these tools help businesses make more informed decisions about waste management and sustainability performance.

Dedicated customer support and access

Managing waste should be straightforward for businesses of any size. Reconomy provides easy access to waste management services and expert support through a combination of digital platforms and dedicated people.

Through our specialist brands, customers benefit from:

Online customer portal, real-time access to waste data, reports and compliance documentation
Dedicated account management, expert guidance to optimise waste services and disposal options
Online services, convenient scheduling, documentation access and performance tracking
Quote and support calls, fast, consultative access to tailored waste management solutions

This combination of digital capability and human expertise ensures customers always have visibility, control and confidence in their waste management arrangements.

Environmental compliance expertise at scale

Hazardous waste documentation

Hazardous waste carries extra legal requirements, because the materials involved can harm people and the environment if mishandled. Correct documentation is how you prove each movement was handled lawfully.

Hazardous waste consignment notes

In England, a consignment note must travel with hazardous waste from the moment it leaves your premises to its final destination. As the producer or holder, you complete the first sections, keep a copy, and pass the remaining copies to the carrier. The carrier and the receiving site then complete their own sections. The receiving site sends a quarterly return confirming what it received, and you should chase it if it does not arrive.

Read our blog on hazardous waste

How long to keep hazardous waste records

Producers and holders must keep consignment notes and related records for three years, at the premises where the waste was produced or stored. Waste transfer notes for non-hazardous waste must be kept for two years.

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Rules across the UK

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own hazardous waste rules. In Scotland, hazardous waste is known as special waste and is regulated by SEPA. Before moving waste across a border, check which regulator’s documentation applies.

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Digital waste tracking

From 1 October 2026, waste receiving sites in England and Wales must record the waste they accept through the government’s digital waste tracking service, with Scotland and Northern Ireland following in January 2027. Collectors are expected to follow from spring 2027. For now, waste transfer notes and hazardous waste consignment notes are still required alongside it. Our specialist brands manage hazardous waste documentation for you, from classification and consignment notes to digital reporting, with every record available through your customer portal. Read our guide to hazardous waste in construction for practical examples.

Learn about DWT

Download our 2025 Sustainability Report

Ready to see real impact in action? Download our 2025 Sustainability Report to discover how Reconomy is accelerating the transition to a circular, net-zero future, one ambitious milestone at a time. Dive into the details, explore our progress, and be inspired to join us on the journey toward lasting change.

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Packaging, products and reuse

Many of the materials businesses throw away are packaging and products that still have value. Reconomy’s specialist brands help you keep them in use for longer, moving them up the waste hierarchy before recycling is needed.

Reuse first. Our Reuse Loop specialist brands return, refurbish and resell products through reverse logistics, while apps such as SustainabilityYard help construction businesses share surplus materials for reuse.
Reusable packaging. Our reusable packaging service replaces single-use transit packaging, cutting both waste and costs.
Takeback for end-of-life products. Circular takeback schemes recover WEEE, batteries and packaging from your customers, supporting your producer obligations.
Packaging compliance. If you place packaging on the UK market, packaging EPR requires you to report data and pay fees. Our guide to EPR for packaging explains what you need to do.

Recovering packaging and products before they become waste reduces disposal costs and supports your circular economy goals.

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Circular economy and waste management

Effective waste management is just the beginning. To cut environmental impact and unlock long-term value, businesses need to move beyond linear “take, make, dispose” thinking and follow the waste hierarchy: prevention and reuse first, then recycling and recovery, with disposal as a last resort.

Poor waste management has serious consequences. Landfill produces greenhouse gases including methane, can pollute soil and water if leachate isn’t controlled, and wastes valuable resources. Contamination in recycling streams sends recyclable material to landfill, while weak documentation and compliance controls increase the risk of incorrect treatment or disposal. Mismanaged waste can also cause litter, odours and pests that affect local communities.

For businesses, this shows up as higher disposal volumes, lower recycling rates and greater operational disruption. Better waste segregation, compliant treatment routes and data-led reporting help you reduce landfill, improve resource recovery and show measurable progress towards net zero and circular economy goals. Find out more about why waste management is important.

Learn what the circular economy is and how it redefines waste as a resource, helping your organisation move beyond disposal towards reuse and smarter material flows.

Learn about the Circular Economy

Environmental benefits of the waste hierarchy

he waste hierarchy ranks waste treatment options by environmental impact, from most preferred to least. Each stage delivers a different kind of benefit, and following the order matters as much as using each method correctly.

Prevention avoids waste before it’s created. It’s the most effective stage, since it removes the need for collection, transport and treatment altogether.
Reuse keeps products and materials in circulation without reprocessing, saving the energy and raw materials that would otherwise go into making something new.
Recycling turns waste back into raw material for new products, cutting demand for virgin resources and the emissions tied to extraction and manufacturing.
Recovery extracts value, usually energy, from waste that can’t be recycled, reducing what would otherwise go to landfill.
Disposal is the last resort. Landfill produces greenhouse gases including methane, and can pollute soil and water if not properly managed, which is why it sits at the bottom of the hierarchy rather than being treated as a default.

Businesses that move up the hierarchy see measurable results. Our work with Suzuki GB and ZSL shows what that looks like in practice: both significantly cut landfill volumes working with Reconomy’s specialist brands. Read more on the waste hierarchy compared with traditional waste management.

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Waste legislation and recycling guidance

Keeping up with changing waste legislation can be challenging. Reconomy helps businesses understand and prepare for regulatory changes through practical guidance and expert support.

DEFRA’s Simpler Recycling legislation for England

Defra’s Simpler Recycling legislation has applied to businesses and other non-household premises in England with 10 or more employees since 31 March 2025. Micro-firms with fewer than 10 employees must comply from 31 March 2027. In-scope workplaces must separate dry recyclables, food waste and residual waste for collection.
If you need support preparing for these changes, Reconomy can help. Our waste management services support a consistent approach to recycling, helping organisations remain compliant and improve resource recovery. See our Simpler Recycling rules and timeline for the full detail.

Learn about Simpler Recycling

Workplace recycling: Welsh businesses

Since April 2024, workplaces in Wales must separate key recyclable materials, including paper and card, glass, metals, plastics and food waste, for collection. The rules support the Welsh Government’s Beyond Recycling strategy and its goal of zero waste by 2050. Reconomy’s Separated Waste Collections for Workplaces guide outlines the compliance requirements, and highlights that breaches can result in fines or civil sanctions.

Download our guide

Making waste management simple

Effective waste management starts with understanding how to improve circularity. Reconomy plays an active role in education, delivering regular ‘Tool Box Talks’ to help businesses, organisations and communities improve circularity and ultimately prevent waste.

Through practical guidance, training and data-led insights, we help you understand:

Segregation fundamentals, how waste segregation works (and what can’t be recycled) across key waste streams
Recyclable materials, including food waste, glass, plastics, paper and cardboard
Rules and legislation, staying compliant with evolving UK regulations such as Simpler Recycling and digital waste tracking
Improving recycling rates, using clear signage, tailored collections and performance reporting

By educating employees, suppliers and partners, we help build sustainable communities and embed circular economy thinking into everyday operations. Recycling education is a core part of our mission to help businesses move from waste disposal to resource recovery.

While Reconomy’s services are designed for businesses, the same waste hierarchy principles can help households reduce waste at home. Start with prevention: plan meals to cut food waste, choose products with less packaging, and repair or reuse items before replacing them. Next, separate recyclables such as paper, cardboard, glass and plastics, keeping them clean and dry to avoid contamination. Use food waste collections where your area offers them, and donate unwanted goods or use refill schemes before throwing anything away.

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Learn about SWMPs

Related services

Explore the related services fulfilled through our specialised brands in the Recycle Loop,

Site services Recycling equipment Print Aggregates supply

Specialist site services

Through our Recycle Loop specialist brands, we deliver fully managed site welfare and equipment hire for construction, housebuilding and infrastructure projects across the UK, from welfare units to muck away.

Arranging welfare units, accommodation and plant hire across multiple suppliers can be time-consuming and complex. Different compliance requirements, regional variations and operational pressures make procurement challenging, particularly on fast-track construction projects. That’s where we step in. We also provide dedicated construction waste management.

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Recycling equipment

Our experienced team provides innovative and reliable waste recycling equipment, including balers and compactors, for businesses of all sizes across a wide range of sectors, with hire and purchase options to suit your budget.

How you collect and contain your waste and recyclables is not just an aesthetic consideration. Storing waste and recyclables in suitable, secure conditions makes them safer, cleaner and easier to handle, so they achieve their optimum value for recycling, reuse or recovery.

See our recycling equipment

Print Waste Management and Display Recycling Services

Our specialist teams provide cost-effective, compliant and innovative print waste recycling that moves materials up the waste hierarchy, prioritising reuse, recovery and recycling routes over disposal. This includes display and POS recycling for retail and events.

Beyond day-to-day collections, we partner with businesses to deliver strategic transformation projects that improve profitability, productivity and long-term sustainability performance.

See our print waste services

Aggregates supply

Our aggregates supply service is designed to support projects of all sizes, from local groundworks to complex, multi-site infrastructure developments. By combining access to regional supply with central coordination, we help reduce delays, manage costs and support more sustainable construction outcomes.

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