General waste collection

What is general waste?

General waste refers to most business or household rubbish that can’t go in your recycling bin – such as plastic packaging, most of our food, and leftovers. It’s sometimes called residual waste and often the main type of commercial waste many businesses need help with its removal.

General waste examples can include:

• Plastics – non-recyclables like cling film and certain wrapping paper
• Metals – hard to recycle items such as pots and pans
• Ceramics – mugs and crockery
• Glass – frosted glass, Pyrex and window shards, if you don’t have a glass bin
• Non-hazardous cleaning materials – wet wipes, cleaning cloths and paper towels
• Wallpapers – wall coverings and paper
• Snack wrappers – crisp packets, sweet bags, chocolate bar wrappers

Recycling and reusing where you can is important to avoid throwing everything in general waste. General waste is not anything that you can recycle (such as glass, cardboard and paper), hazardous and medical waste, big bulky items, garden waste or a bin full of just food waste. If you need to dispose of any of these, check out other types of commercial waste.

How is general waste disposed of?

We provide a free wheelie bin for your general waste – no delivery, bin rental or hidden charges. Simply tell us what size bins you need, how many and how often you need them collecting and we’ll arrange convenient and affordable general waste disposal for you. Get a quick quote online.

We have a zero to landfill policy, which means we’ll sort through your general waste and send anything possible to recycling. For example, you can recycle or reuse many plastics, metal, bricks, and wood but some of our customers struggle to know which ones. Any general waste we can’t recycle is used to make electricity, further preventing it from going to landfill.

If you’re looking to dispose of your general waste more efficiently, you could consider a compactor or recycling baler. These squash your waste into a much smaller space.

Learn how commercial waste collection works

General waste weight limits

The amount of general waste your business produces affects the size and number of bins you require. Weight limits for general waste depend on the size of the bin you use, which are:

• 240 litre bin – 10kg
• 660 litre bin – 35kg
• 1100 litre bin – 65kg

You can arrange for collection of more than one wheelie bin of the same or different sizes to meet your general waste disposal needs.

How much general waste does the UK produce?

Some of the latest government figures from 2021 show that the UK generated a total of 222.2 million tonnes of waste in 2018. For households throughout the UK the average person generates around 409kg of household waste per year. This average can vary depending on the specific city the person lives in but tends to be somewhere between 317 and 590kg.

Of the total waste produced in the UK each year, around 41.7 million tonnes were classed as commercial waste in 2016. This was the second largest segment after construction, which accounted for 136.2 million tonnes of total waste. That’s a huge amount of waste, which is why arranging professional collection to avoid as much commercial waste as possible going to landfill is so important.

According to government statistics, the recycling rate increased in 2019 to 46.2% of household waste. This was up from 45% in 2018 and has increased from previous years but can still be improved.

Tips to reduce general waste in your business

To reduce general waste in your business or workplace, there are a few things you can do

Choose products with less packaging

There are many options for products with less packaging. If you have benefits like free fruit in your office, choose a supplier that provides them in a recyclable box with as little packaging as possible. You can also try to buy things such as toilet paper and cereal in bulk rather than many individually packaged items.

Get some reusable containers

Reusable containers are a game-changer to reduce food waste. You simply store leftovers from any meals eaten in your workplace to take home. They’re also useful to put food in the fridge or freezer, which means it shouldn’t go to waste and can be eaten another time.

Buy reusable bags and bottles

Plastic bags are on their way out, and there’s no excuse not to keep reusable shopping bags in your workplace for anyone popping out to buy food on their lunch break. The same is true for plastic water bottles, which are a massive waste material. There are plenty of reusable water bottles on the market that offer a waste-free alternative.

Introduce recycling bins

Separating your waste in the workplace makes it effortless for employees to easily recycle and avoid too much rubbish unnecessarily ending up in general waste. Alongside a general waste bin introduce ones for dry mixed recycling (like recyclable plastics, paper and cans), glass and other waste types.

Start composting

Composting is one of the most effective ways that you can prevent general waste from going to landfill, and it doesn’t cause any harmful gases like landfill does. If your office or workplace has some outdoor space, turn it into a compost spot that’s ideal for bits of compostable food waste especially. You’ll also be rewarded with fantastic natural fertilisers.

Arrange general waste disposal today

Contact our team at Bins.co.uk for general waste removal near you. We offer low-cost general waste collection with a fast online quote. Our collection times are tailored and flexible to help meet your needs. Contact us for further guidance or to get started.

Get a quote for general waste collection

General waste disposal: FAQs

Is general waste sorted?

Whether general waste is sorted depends on the waste management company and disposal site where the rubbish goes. Most rubbish placed in a general waste bin is not sorted, it’s simply compacted and put in landfill. However, some places sort both household and commercial general waste to sift out any recyclables or compostable food waste where possible.

What colour bin is general waste?

For household general waste the bin colour usually depends on your local council. Across the UK this is often a black wheelie bin, though in some places it can be green or another colour. For your commercial general waste collection, there are a choice of colours for your general waste bin.

Does general waste have to be in black bags?

Most household and commercial general waste is put in black bin bags when it’s thrown away. However, you don’t have to use a black bin bag when storing general waste. In some cases, it can go straight in the bin to avoid using non-recyclable bags, or you can use different coloured bin bags sometimes.