Commercial glass waste collection and disposal
Commercial glass recycling involves safely collecting and transporting glass waste in accordance with environmental regulations so that it can be recycled properly. Any business that produces bottles, jars, or other forms of glass containers, needs an effective glass waste collection service and disposal program in place.
Glass waste collection
Businesses wanting to arrange commercial glass collections should always ensure that the glass is segregated from general waste or dry mixed recycling. As well as preventing contamination, separating your glass at the source into the correct bin will ensure it is uplifted safely and efficiently.
We work with businesses of all types and sizes to make glass segregation easier. From hospitality venues to healthcare centres, retail outlets to industrial estates, our commercial glass waste collections are designed around your requirements. We’ll ensure you have the right bins in place and that they are being emptied with the correct frequency, as well as providing support on site if necessary.
Glass waste disposal
Commercial glass, which has been collected, should always be disposed of via specialist glass recycling companies. Illegal disposal will downgrade the recyclability of your waste and have detrimental effects on the environment, which is why it is strictly controlled.
Once your waste has been collected by Waste Managed, it will be taken to an approved glass treatment facility. There, it will be responsibly processed by sorting, crushing, and washing your glass waste into what is known as cullet. Cullet is recycled glass that has been broken into smaller pieces and forms an important step in the manufacturing of new glass products.
The cullet will then be melted down and reshaped to create new glass. Once this process is complete, the cycle begins anew – making glass one of the easiest materials to recycle!
Amazingly, glass can be recycled indefinitely with no loss in quality. This is because its chemical composition never changes when it’s recycled.
Our commercial glass recycling service has been operating for over 10 years. We will work with you to create an affordable and compliant waste management plan, including bin provision, collection frequency, and end-to-end waste disposal.
Glass waste regulations
When businesses create commercial glass waste, they have a responsibility to dispose of it safely by complying with waste legislation in the UK. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, organisations are responsible for ensuring their waste is stored safely, handled appropriately, and sent to a licensed carrier who will recycle or dispose of it without harming the environment or public health.
Businesses will also need to familiarise themselves with Simpler Recycling – a recent government initiative standardising recycling across commercial premises in England. Commercial businesses will now need to separate core waste streams more visibly to allow for better quality recycling and less contamination.
Glass recycling should always be stored separately from residual waste and other recyclable materials where possible.
While the Government website states that glass can be collected in a Dry Mixed Recycling bin, many waste collectors cannot accommodate this. The Government has implemented an agreement that allows waste collectors to offer alternative solutions when it is economically, operationally, and environmentally appropriate to do so.
This means collection requirements can vary between suppliers and locations. For example, many waste collectors lack the facilities to separate glass from other dry recyclables. At Waste Managed, our suppliers have informed us that glass must be collected separately for this reason.
These arrangements are permitted under the legislation and help ensure materials can be recycled effectively. In many cases, collecting materials differently from the standard Government examples actually increases the likelihood that they will be successfully recycled rather than rejected or sent to landfill.
Waste Managed can help you remain compliant by offering commercial glass waste collection services that are fully licensed, allowing you to rest assured that your waste will be processed correctly.
We will transport your glass waste to an approved recycling facility that can process your waste, with full traceability throughout the process.
We can even advise on practical methods of on-site segregation to help your business remain compliant without hindering your operations.
What our experts say
“Effective segregation and responsible disposal of commercial glass waste helps keep your recycling rates high and contamination low.
Clean glass, kept separate from other waste streams, can easily be recycled into new products.
At Waste Managed, we offer simple and compliant systems to help your business recycle glass with ease.” – Glen Darrel, Head of Commercial
What our clients say
Waste Managed are experts in commercial glass waste management & disposal
Waste Managed has over 15 years’ experience supplying commercial waste collection services to businesses up and down the country. Today, we work with over 40,000 businesses providing trusted glass waste collections.
We understand how much glass waste your business will generate each week and have the facilities to process large amounts of commercial glass through our network of UK-based licensed recyclers. Whether you’re a sole trader or operate several sites, we can organise weekly glass collections to suit your needs. All our glass waste is diverted from landfill where possible and taken to recyclers who will responsibly reprocess your materials.
We understand the difficulties of recycling glass waste due to contamination or weekly customer volumes changing, which is why we’ve tailored our services to meet your needs and ensure your operations stay compliant.
Our wide-ranging commercial waste experience in the hospitality, retail, healthcare, and industrial sectors allows us to offer an effective and efficient glass waste collection service with fully audited disposal routes.
