Types of Commercial Waste in Business: All You Need to Know in March 2024
Commercial waste is defined as the waste generated from businesses, trades, sports, entertainment, and other premises. It excludes domestic waste, agricultural waste, and industrial waste. Businesses generate all types of waste, and many people have no idea how much of it is commercial. Commercial waste has several subcategories, varying widely in disposal methods and costs. This article will explore some of these types of commercial waste. To better understand this terminology, we will first look at Pre and Post-consumer waste.
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Recycling codes
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PETE
HDPE
V
LDPE
PP
Polyethylene Terephthalate.
High Density Polyethylene
Polyvinyl Chloride
Low-density Polyethylene
Polypropylene
All other plastics
Types of Commercial Waste: Construction Waste
Construction companies’ primary type of waste is trade waste, which includes ceramic products, cartons, paint, grease, oil, and chemicals. These wastes are often collected in roll-off containers. The waste from construction projects must be appropriately disposed of to ensure the environment does not suffer. Many materials commonly found on construction sites can be recycled or reused. In addition, there are strict laws and regulations governing hazardous waste disposal.
There are regulations in the UK that govern the disposal of construction waste. The main legislation that applies to construction waste management is the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which establishes the legal framework for waste management in the UK. In addition, other regulations apply specifically to the construction industry, such as the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
Under these regulations, construction waste must be managed to minimise harm to the environment and human health. This means that waste should be disposed of at an authorised waste management facility, such as a licensed landfill site, or recycled or reused where possible.
Construction businesses have a legal responsibility to handle and dispose of their waste safely and responsibly. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in enforcement action, fines, or criminal prosecution. It is, therefore, important for businesses to ensure they have a suitable waste management plan in place and follow the appropriate procedures for disposing of their construction waste.
The most common materials used in construction are:
metal,
wood, and
concrete.
Most of these materials are recyclable, but demolition is often necessary to recycle them. However, these materials are disposed of according to the regulations set by the government.
Metals are among the most valuable materials in construction and demolition waste. Hydraulic excavating equipment collects these metals and deposits them in containers. In addition, metals have the highest diversion rate of all recoverable materials. The most profitable metals are made from scrap metal, including copper, aluminium, and zinc. Achieving these values requires a careful and well-designed system.
Types of Commercial Waste: Post-consumer Waste
Most commercial waste is post-consumer, but many factors can make it more environmentally friendly. For one, post-consumer materials are less likely to end up in landfills than pre-consumer items. It is also less likely to be disposed of improperly. Manufacturers have long been interested in recycling scrap materials. While pre-consumer recyclable material is better than post-consumer, the environmental stakes are much higher.
Regarding post-consumer waste, “post-consumer” refers to materials that have served their purpose as consumer goods. Generally, post-consumer waste is waste that has completed its life cycle as a consumer item and can be recycled or reused. These materials differ from pre-consumer waste and post-industrial waste.
One of the most common types of post-consumer waste is used plastics.
Collecting used plastics from homes is more cost-effective than the curbside collection in many areas because suburbs have high population densities and sorting facilities. Bring schemes are considered the most efficient option depending on locality, type of dwellings, and sorting facilities. Most local authorities operate bring banks, while some supermarkets operate reverse vending machines. Unfortunately, reverse vending machines are not very effective regarding post-consumer commercial waste.
Among the various kinds of waste, post-consumer waste is the most significant and is generated from businesses. It is different from pre-consumer waste, as it has been used before and is not considered true waste or recycling in the traditional sense. However, it is becoming a crucial part of our world’s ecosystem.
Posted waste from businesses comes in many forms.
Pre-consumer waste is the waste that was manufactured by companies but was not sold to consumers. This waste is collected before being used by consumers and is usually filled with substances. Some materials are easy to remove, while others are stuck to the waste by extra-strong adhesives. This waste is often more polluted than pre-consumer waste, which is usually recycled before it is sold to consumers. But this material is not the only type of post-consumer waste; there are other types of post-consumer waste.
After-consumer business waste is a great way to reduce landfill waste and protect the environment.
This type of waste is generally made of materials that have been used once but have not been recycled yet.
They may be total items, remnants, or materials from a previous process. After a specific usage, they may be discarded and become waste. However, some of these materials are still salvageable. Discarded office paper may be turned into gift cards, newspapers, or outdoor furniture. It is also a valuable resource that can be repurposed and used again. Most post-consumer waste is textile. These clothes are in a damaged or out-of-fashion state. To avoid putting these items in a landfill, donate them to a charity or textile bank. Approximately half of the world’s textile waste is recyclable or reusable.
Regardless of how clean post-consumer plastics are, they must be cleaned to be reusable. Manufacturers must clean the materials thoroughly and control moisture levels to ensure that recycled plastics are appropriately reused. Injection moulded bottles, for instance, are more recyclable than blow-moulded PET bottles. However, HDPE milk bottles and clear PET bottles are the only two post-consumer plastic waste streams that can be recycled in a closed loop.
Types of Commercial Waste: Pre-Consumer Waste
Pre-consumer commercial waste is material discarded before a consumer uses it.
Examples of pre-consumer waste are:
defective items,
overstocked raw materials,
excess inventory, and
material trimmings.
These materials can be recovered and used for other products. By reducing pre-consumer waste, companies can reduce their carbon emissions.
But how can we do that?
One of the most critical steps in recycling post-consumer waste is to recycle it. This waste stream is far less likely to end up in a landfill than post-consumer waste. However, some pre-consumer waste does not have a reasonable recycling rate and can clog landfills. Manufacturers have long been interested in reusing scrap materials. It is therefore essential to separate pre-consumer commercial waste from post-consumer waste.
Post-consumer waste is the remainder of the manufacturing process.
It can be a complete item or a remnant. It has served its purpose, but it is destined for the trash. For example, discarded office paper can be turned into gift cards or newspapers, while PET soft drink bottles can be reused to create outdoor furniture. The circular economy can benefit from this. And we can all benefit. Just think of the possibilities for the waste generated by businesses and consumers!
Types of Commercial Waste: M aterial and Products
For example, the EPA uses two materials categories: paper, glass, metals, plastics, food, yard trimmings, and rubber and leather. In addition, major product categories include durable and nondurable goods, containers, appliances, and electronics. The latter category is responsible for most post-consumer commercial waste deposited in municipal landfills. Post-consumer waste from ‘from home’ businesses A ‘from home’ business produces both pre and post-consumer waste.
These businesses produce a high volume of post-consumer waste, not classified as ‘pre-consumer’ waste by the United Nations. However, some types of ‘from home’ businesses are responsible for contributing to post-consumer waste, which is not recyclable. This waste includes packaging and other materials that are no longer needed for their purpose. The packaging is often disposed of by incineration and often ends in gutters. Most post-consumer waste is textile, namely old or damaged clothing and shoes.
Thankfully, consumers can still donate their worn-out, out-of-fashion clothing to charities or textile banks. Unfortunately, not all textile waste is recycled, and most of this waste goes to landfills. Regardless of the source of the waste, recycling is a good idea for the environment.
Types of Commercial Waste – Learn more about UK business waste statistics here
Other useful links from our Commercial Waste Centre
Why Should Your Business Go Paperless?
Choosing a Garage Waste Management Service
Developing an EMS for Hazardous Waste
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