Rubbish collection - businesses (trade waste)

Tower Hamlets provides a trade waste collection service, through a contract with Veolia. Prices are competitive with other trade waste providers available in the area. The service also includes a separate collection service for mixed recyclables. The recycling service accepts mixed paper; card and cardboard; cans, tins and empty aerosols; plastic bottles; glass bottles and jars and drink cartons, e.g. Tetrapaks.

You can have your trade waste collected as frequently as you need, and the service is charged 'by the container'. Prices for recycling containers are significantly discounted – why not start separating recyclable material and reduce your waste management costs.

Download copy of the Commercial Recycling and Rubbish Collection Service booklet (PDF 777k)

Here are a few guidelines to keep a clean and litter-free business:

1. Have proof handy
All businesses in Tower Hamlets have a legal duty to dispose of their waste properly. Whichever company you use to take your waste away, always make sure that you have your copy of the Commercial Waste Contract and Duty of Care Agreement on your premises as proof. Trade Waste collection is not included in your Business Rates. The fixed penalty for not having valid documentation for your commercial waste is £300.

2. Keep containers clean
Your container should be kept tidy and should be big enough to hold the waste you produce. Do not over-fill it and keep it in a reasonable location so that it is not creating an obstruction. Do not pile waste around your container and don't allow other people to dump items or bags in the area around your business.

3. Get the right day!
If you use sacks for your waste, then you should only put them out on the day and time that it is to be collected. Putting rubbish out at any other day and time could be considered dumping and leave you liable to an £80 fine. There are also higher penalties if cases go to court.

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PRICING

The table below summarises the new schedule of pricing for the commercial waste service, effective from April 2008. Prices for recycling have been set much lower than prices for residual rubbish to encourage local businesses to start recycling.

Following recent Government clarification, some community organisations are exempt from paying the disposal element of waste management so will be charged a collection fee only. Organisations falling into one of the following categories are covered by this concession:

Charities or organisations carrying out charitable work
Schools, Universities and any other educational establishment
Hospitals, GP surgeries and health centres
Nursing, residential and care homes
Residential hostels.

If your organisation is in one of these categories please contact the Commercial Waste office.

At present recycling collections from these organisations is free, but the Council reserves the right to introduce a collection charge in the future.

Places of Worship

Collections of all kinds of rubbish produced directly by a place of worship are free of charge, with only a fee applied for bin hire. However, this does not apply if the rubbish comes from a business such as a commercial food outlet operating on the premises of a place of worship.

Commercial Waste Prices April 2008 onwards

Bin rental prices included

Container size	Residual rubbish (landfill)	Recycling	Schedule 2 organisations – residual rubbish	Schedule 2 organisations – recycling
Sack or cardboard bundle	£1.75	£0.95	£0.54	free
140 litre 2-wheeled bin	N/A	N/A	N/A	free
240 litre 2-wheeled bin	£6.50	£2.50	£1.17	free
360 litre 2-wheeled bin	£7.50	£3.50	£1.25	free
660 litre 4-wheeled bin	£7.95	£5.57	£3.84	free
770 litre 4-wheeled bin	N/A	N/A	N/A	free
1100 litre 4-wheeled bin	£10.75	N/A	£4.07	free
1280 litre 4-wheeled bin	N/A	£7.95	N/A	free

Bin Rental only:
240/ 360 litre: 40p per week 660/1100/1280 litre: £1.25 per week

Businesses producing large quantities of waste cardboard can make these into bundles for collection without needing to place the cardboard into a container. Please make sure each bindle is not too heavy or too large to lift
Minimum contract for traditional rubbish is five sacks per week, sacks to be provided by the customer (except in the case of timed collection areas)
Prices (excluding VAT) will be held until March 2009
There is no minimum contract for recycling
Your first bin is owned by Tower Hamlets and at a rental included in the collection price
Repairs of wheels and lids are included in the prices however replacement of missing bins are additional. Prices excluding VAT are 240 litre £20.00; 360 litre £35.00; 660 litre £191.24; 1100 litre £191.24.

It’s better to recycle

If your business produces a lot of waste paper, cardboard or glass you should be recycling. The collection is significantly cheaper than the price for other rubbish and your business will benefit from having green credentials.

To join in with the recycling scheme you will need to ask for pink recycling bins and/or see-through pink recycling sacks.

Keep your scene clean

Be a responsible business, show your commitment to keeping the borough clean for everyone to enjoy. Tower Hamlets will provide publicity materials for you to display in your business (like these below), so you can encourage your customers and residents to dispose of their litter responsibly.

To arrange a Trade Waste collection of any kind please contact Trade Waste at Veolia:

Tower Hamlets Trade Waste Collection Service
Veolia ES Cleanaway (UK) Limited
Glaucus Street
Bow E3 3RE

Telephone: 020 7510 0010
Email: towerhamletstrade@veolia.co.uk

Contacting Streetline

To report a problem with dumped rubbish, eyesores, fly-posting, graffiti, potholes, recycling, rubbish collection, street cleaning, street lights, please call 020 7364 5004.

Enforcement

If you need help with enforcement due to irresponsible behaviour by others please call 020 7364 5004 and ask the Council’s Local Environment Enforcement (LETS) Team to visit your premises or business.

Pid Nos: 415, 850

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