Commercial Waste Collection Costs UK Guide

Commercial waste costs are around £300+ per year. This includes bin hire, landfill tax, and admin fees.

With rising living costs, we know how important it is to ensure you aren’t overpaying for your businesses costs. Our expert team has helped businesses in this industry for years and we’ve done all the research so you can easily understand the pricing structure and associated expenses.

From bin hire to landfill tax, and everything in between, read on to find out how much cash you’ll have to splash to get rid of your business’ trash. Or, if you’re short on time and want to get stuck straight in, use our free comparison tool to receive quotes from top waste management suppliers.

What are commercial waste collection costs?

Commercial waste isn’t a popular topic but it’s necessary – as your business grows, so will your trash. Is your business (and budget) prepared to deal with an increase in waste?

Our expert guide will take you through everything you need to know about the costs of commercial waste collection. Here’s a quick overview of commercial waste costs:

• Bin hire costs around £40-£140 annually
• Landfill tax costs are £102.10/tonne
• Admin fees include gate fees (£6/tonne), congestion charges (£15), and waste transfer licence (£154 for a high-tier licence, lower-tier licenses are free)

What influences commercial waste costs?

The prices above, and in the tables that follow, are estimates of what you can expect to pay for commercial waste collection and disposal. While they serve as a rough guide, it’s important to remember that what you’ll pay will depend on the following:

• Type of waste
• Location of your business
• Amount of waste

Type of waste

Understandably, the disposal of hazardous matter (think inedible oils, pesticides, batteries, and asbestos) comes with more fees than other waste, such as recyclable materials. For instance, paper, glass, and cardboard all attract significantly lower waste transfer fees than wood, or general waste.

Location of your business

As anyone who’s ever lived in London will know, things are expensive here – and commercial waste collection is no different.

If your business is based centrally, you’ll have to cover congestion fees for your waste management company’s collection trucks, or even the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge for high-emission vehicles.

Amount of waste

This one speaks for itself, but it’s true – the more rubbish your business creates, the more you’ll pay. Wheelie bin hire and collection, for instance, is charged based on the size and capacity of the bins you choose.

Basically, what you can expect to pay will depend on all of the above. And to be honest, it could be anywhere between hundreds and tens of thousands of pounds per year.

Which are the costs involved in commercial waste disposal?

Below, we’ve broken down the costs of commercial waste disposal into five categories:

We’ll admit, there are a lot of aspects of commercial waste to think about, and charges to boot. The good news, though, is that there are waste management companies out there that’ll take care of the whole process for you – and charge just a single, simple fee to boot.

The better news is that you can receive quotes from top UK waste management suppliers, right here. Just click the graphic below to start your journey.

Bin hire costs

First things first, you’ll need somewhere to put your rubbish – and hiring a bin is a good start. The best thing about bin hire costs is that you’ll only pay for what you need to get rid of – whether that’s two sacks a week, or 20.

Bin collection costs

Storing your business’ waste, though, is only the start. You’ll then need to have it collected – on a weekly basis, presumably. Again, what you’ll pay here depends on the amount of rubbish your business produces, and how often you need it shifting.

Collections through your waste management company can be as often (or as infrequent) as you need them to be. Just be sure to get your bins taken away before things start to smell!

Waste transfer costs

Uh… what? This (rather vague-sounding) fee refers to the costs involved with taking your rubbish to a local waste transfer station. This is where the refuse goes to be sorted, before continuing on its way to a recycling plant or landfill.

Don’t stress too much about these fees – your waste management company will cover them, and then bill you for it with the rest of the costs involved, for convenience. But it’s still good to get a sense of what they are, so let’s take a look.

The data doesn’t lie – the more you can minimise your general waste output, the cheaper your commercial waste solution will be. 

So take steps to make your business greener. Because investing more in recyclable materials for your workplace won’t just benefit the environment – it’ll cut your wallet some slack, too.

Landfill tax

But the costs don’t stop there – because of course, the government has to take a cut, too. This comes in the shape of landfill tax, and it’s based on how much rubbish you’re getting rid of.

What you’ll pay in landfill tax is also dependent on the type of waste involved. Inert or inactive waste (like soil or rocks) qualifies for a significantly smaller charge than standard or hazardous waste.

As you can see, landfill tax continues to increase each financial year. You can expect to see another hike from April 2024.

Admin fees

Let’s face it – all good (or at least all useful) things in life usually come with a bit of paperwork. And commercial waste collection is no different. Let’s take a peek at some of the additional assorted costs you might have to cover to get rid of your business’ rubbish.

Waste Transfer Note (WTN)

A WTN is a legal document that records the transfer of waste from one party to another. It contains a description of the waste (quantity and/or weight) along with the time and date of the transfer. It confirms that the waste (and responsibility for said waste) has been received by your management company.

And –  you guessed it – there’s a fee involved every time a WTN is completed. But don’t stress – you can cut costs by buying an annual season ticket for multiple loads.

Gate fees

You’ll pay a gate fee every time your business’ rubbish gets dropped off at a landfill or recycling plant. It’s currently set at around £6 per tonne, although it could be £7-£9 as larger waste companies are looking to increase this fee. Your waste management company will cover this, and add it to your bill later.

Congestion charge

Londoners know all too well about this one – a daily £15 charge for driving within the capital’s congestion zone between 7am and 6pm on weekdays. This fee was recently joined by the ULEZ, an even stricter daily charge of £12.50 for high-emission vehicles (£100 for lorries or large vehicles!). Basically, it’s expensive to drive in London.

And, understandably, your waste management company isn’t picking up the tab. So if you’re based in the big smoke, and want weekday commercial waste collection, then you’ll need to take these costs into consideration.

Waste Transfer License

A waste transfer license (also known as a waste carrier license) is a legal requirement if you’re transporting or disposing of your business’ rubbish yourself. A higher tier license costs £154, while a lower tier license can be obtained for free.

If you have an upper tier licence, you must renew it ever three years, at a cost of £105.

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How can I save money on my commercial waste collection?

If you’ve read this far, you’ll understand that commercial waste collection costs aren’t particularly straightforward. Landfill tax, gate fees, bin collection (and hire), waste transfer costs, waste transfer notices… Huh?

Even aside from the myriad types of fees involved, there are enough other variables – your business’ size, location, and waste type – to cause you stress. So how do you simplify it all, while also making sure that you’re getting the best deal for your business?

With a waste management company, that’s how. UK-based companies such as WasteManaged take care of the whole process for you, from bin collection to waste transfer costs. You’ll get all those pesky charges we’ve just been talking about, rolled up into a single, no-nonsense fee.

Why not fill in our quick quote-finding form now, and start exploring what kind of value a waste management company can bring to your business? It’s free, takes just a minute, and you’ll receive quotes from industry-leading commercial waste collection suppliers.