Article by Louise Longworth

Commercial waste recycling is not only important for businesses but also for the environment. Whatever business you’re involved in, dealing with company waste needs to be a priority.

Most office based businesses, no matter what they do, end up with a lot of waste, whether it be regular trash, like shredded documents and break room garbage, or outdated IT equipment, which is governed by special laws.

For construction sites, all kinds of waste is accumulated on a regular basis, and this also needs to be disposed of before it builds up. There are rules and regulations against letting construction waste build up, and these kinds of companies can be fined for letting it do so.

There are many different environmental laws now in place to prevent businesses from just throwing away their rubbish in land fills, and with good reason. Some waste materials don’t break down, and some of those that do, like batteries, leach toxins into the soil and ground water. Waste in the UK and surrounding areas, as well as across the globe, is controlled not only by local officials, but also by the Environmental Protection Agency. If a business is caught throw always hazardous waste of any kind, they can incur heavy fines, and possibly have their business shut down.

Luckily there is an easy answer to commercial waste recycling. There are specialist companies that come into your place of business and dispose of this waste properly. They are meticulous about coming in on a regular basis, taking out your rubbish, old furniture and IT products and disposing of or recycling these properly.

To put it simply they sort through everything. Products like furniture, if still usable, are donated to charitable organisations to sell or redistribute them. The same goes for your computers, printers, and other electronics. All memory cards, and mother boards are wiped clean, and what can’t be used again or put into other electronics is ground down and recycled into other products. Some companies can also provide businesses with tracking records so they know exactly where their commercial waste ends up.

Just as commercial waste recycling is important to you and the environment, it is also important to find a good recycling company. Choose one that has the relevant licences and experience in dealing with commercial waste, and that will recycle or reuse your waste as much as possible.

Find out how regularly they will collect, as well as what times or days they will do so. Another question you need to ask is what happens to information that may still be present on hard drives? A good recycling company will ensure that sensitive documents won’t end up in the wrong hands.

It is a good idea to shop around for the right commercial waste recycling services. No matter which one you decide to use, you need to check their references, and any agencies that monitor their activities, to make sure they are disposing of waste properly. Using a fly by night operation can not only cause you headaches in terms of reliability, but they could also cause your business to fall foul of the law.