Commercial Recycling - Questions and Answers
Why are you no longer collecting residual/general waste weekly?
By reducing the frequency of residual/general waste collections we aim to shift the emphasis of the service onto recycling. This will encourage commercial customers to recycle more of their waste and throw away as little as possible.
This is for a number of reasons:
- The council is committed to reducing carbon emissions by a number of means, including making efficiencies and improvements to waste and recycling collections.
- Next year Welsh Government are set to introduce new legislation which will require all businesses to separate their waste and recycling prior to collection. Knowingly throwing away material which can be collected for recycling will become illegal. Furthermore, commercial waste collectors will only be permitted to collect separately presented waste and recycling
- Every business, organisation and charity already has a duty of care, by law, to ensure their waste is disposed of correctly and follow the waste hierarchy; to reduce, reuse and recycle, before disposal.
- We all have a moral obligation to reduce our waste, recycle where possible, and ensure we play our part in caring for the environment and reduce our impact on climate change.
Will there be a change to the frequency of recycling collections?
No, the frequency of all recycling collections will remain the same.
When will this start?
We will no longer be collecting residual/general waste weekly from April 2022. All weekly collections will then become fortnightly.
Will you automatically double my capacity for residual/general waste and collect every fortnight?
No, we will not automatically be doubling your capacity for residual/general waste (increasing your bin size or number), unless this is what you request.
To accommodate these changes, you will need to consider your future waste and recycling capacity requirements. When deciding what commercial recycling collections you will need from April 2022, we would like you to not simply increase your capacity for general waste, but to consider what extra recycling you could do to reduce the amount of left-over rubbish just thrown away.
Remember, we can offer recycling collections for cardboard and paper, plastics and cans, glass, food and garden waste. It is nearly always cheaper to recycle than it is to throw away. We are happy to discuss the options with you and help work out what will work best for your individual needs.
What does that mean for me / how am I going to cope?
Whilst we appreciate that this may cause some inconvenience, it is essential that we make these changes to ensure we continue to provide a cost-effective and efficient service with a greater emphasis on recycling.
To accommodate these changes, you will need to consider your future waste and recycling capacity requirements. When deciding what commercial recycling collections you will need from April 2022, we would like you to not simply increase your capacity for general waste, but to consider what extra recycling you could do to reduce the amount of left-over rubbish just thrown away.
Remember, we can offer recycling collections for cardboard and paper, plastics and cans, glass, food and garden waste. It is nearly always cheaper to recycle than it is to throw away. We are happy to discuss the options with you and help work out what will work best for your individual needs.
What are my options?
Instead of increasing the space you need to store more residual/general waste for an extra week, perhaps you could look at increasing the amount you recycle or adding some additional types of materials to your recycling collection schedule.
For example, if you haven't got one already, adding a food waste recycling collection to your schedule would mean that all your food waste would be collected weekly, freeing up space in your residual/general bin, with the added benefit of keeping it cleaner and dryer for a fortnightly collection.
Remember, we can offer recycling collections for cardboard and paper, plastics and cans, glass, food and garden waste. It is nearly always cheaper to recycle than it is to throw away. We are happy to discuss the options with you and help work out what will work best for your individual needs.
What size bins do you have available?
There are a number of options available. Our advisors will be able to decide what is best for you.
How much will the changes cost?
Give us a call to discuss your needs and we can go through the pricing with you. It is nearly always cheaper to recycle than it is to throw away.
We are happy to discuss all the options with you and help work out what will work best for your individual needs.
What if I haven't got space for additional bins?
We could supply you with bigger bins that will increase your capacity for both residual/general waste and recycling, with minimal increase in storage space required.
We are happy to discuss the options with you and help work out what will work best for your individual needs.
Could I take any extra residual/general waste to the HWRC?
No, we do not allow commercial residual/general waste at any of the HWRCs. We offer a permit to take certain commercial recyclables, but only where collecting directly from your business is operationally impracticable.
Could I get someone to take away any extra residual/general waste for me?
There are other companies who can provide a service for your residual waste. Don't let anyone take your rubbish and recycling away unless you have checked that they are a registered waste carrier, and your waste is being taken to a site licensed to accept commercial waste - you will face a fine if they do not have licence.
Do you think these changes could increase fly tipping?
No. Flytipping is an illegal activity carried out by criminals and we would not expect our customers to resort to such measures. Every business, organisation and charity has a duty of care, by law, to ensure their waste is disposed of correctly.
All incidents of fly tipping are investigated with perpetrators fined and prosecuted accordingly. Fines can range from £300 into thousands.
What happens if I do not make any changes to my service?
If you do not contact us to make any changes to your service for April 2022 onwards, we will begin collecting your residual/general waste fortnightly in the new financial year. Excess waste that cannot fit into the containers will not be taken. You will then only be charged for the collection on a fortnightly basis, i.e. half your current costs.
We will be in touch to confirm collection frequencies, dates, and costs for your service from April 2022, in due course.
My residual/general waste bin contains absorbent hygiene products (nappies, incontinence pads), will it still be collected weekly?
No. All Powys Commercial Recycling residual/general waste collections will be collected fortnightly or four-weekly from April 2022.
For non-recyclable waste that may have a tendency to smell or dirty your bin, we recommend that this is placed in a bag, to contain any odours and/or mess, before adding to the bin. Householders only have this material collected as part of their three weekly residual collection with no issues.
Will Powys Commercial Recycling clean my bin between collections?
No. The cleanliness of the bins and containers are your responsibility.
If all food waste is removed and recycled correctly, the residual/general bins should remain relatively clean. For non-recyclable waste that may have a tendency to smell or dirty your bin, we recommend that this is placed in a bag, to contain any odours and/or mess, before adding to the bin.
If I can't cope without weekly residual/general waste collections, what will happen?
Give us a call, we are happy to discuss the options with you and help work out what will work best for your individual needs.
If you really can't cope without weekly collections, then you may be able to find another suitably licenced waste management company that could collect your residual/general waste more frequently.
If you wish to cancel your contract with us, all bins will be removed at the end of March before the new collections begin in April, unless otherwise requested.