Midas Waste is a Zero to Landfill commercial waste company, meaning we pride ourselves in being 100% landfill avoidant.
General Waste is one of the four core commercial waste streams we deal with at Midas Waste alongside Food, Glass, and Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR).
‘General Waste’ is classified in the same way for both residential and commercial bins and essentially contains, light, compactable, residual waste that cannot be recycled.
All commercial operations should have clear waste segregation methods and typically this falls into three key areas: Food, Glass, and Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR). Anything that is left over and cannot be segregated into these categories is typically considered General Waste.
It can be hard to get it right when it comes to General Waste and often there is some confusion on what can and cannot be put in a General Waste bin.
If labelling of bins is not clear, or if there is confusion regarding what waste needs to be put in which bin then most people will usually default to the General waste bin.
A common problem facing many is the frequency with which materials meant for General Waste mistakenly end up in recycling bins and vice versa.
So, how do we ensure we are putting the right materials in the right place?
The management of General Waste across businesses of all sizes can be tricky and that is where we come in. Any previously recyclable materials that have been contaminated in some form should be considered general waste.
For example, an empty pizza box is made from recyclable materials. However, once that box comes into contact with food and oils it is no longer suitable to add to a recycling bin and must instead be added to your General Waste bin.
Another common misconception is around certain types of packaging, such as black plastic food trays that are often used in Educational Institutions and Hospitality. These types of packaging are often at the end of their life cycle and should therefore be classified as General Waste.
The following items should all be added to your General Waste bin:
The management of General Waste across businesses of all sizes can be tricky and that is where we come in.
Efficient management of this waste stream will save your business money.
General Waste is one of the most expensive waste streams for a business to dispose of and so you want to ensure items are segregated properly across your business and that any materials that should be categorised outside of General Waste find themselves in those designated bins.
Want to be a proud zero-to-landfill operation? Keen to up the percentage of recycled materials your facility helps to produce? Not only does proper Waste Management save you money, but it also helps you to meet your business’ Environmental and Sustainability KPIs.
Our service is specifically tailored to each client. We will start by touring your facilities and undertaking a full free waste audit. We will look at your current practices and identify the things that work well and those that can be improved. We don’t just stop there; we actively work with our clients to implement these changes with the aim of reducing costs and achieving those internal and external waste management goals.
We’re not a ‘one and done’ solution either, we will continue to audit, re-evaluate, and manage your operation ongoing, working as a partner, not just a provider.
When it comes to General Waste, correct segregation before collection is key and often requires company-wide re-education and communication plans to instil the changes we recommend from the ground up.
Via our ‘Think before you Throw’ campaign we can provide in-person or online training that is bespoke to your business model, helping your team to understand the monetary and environmental costs of poor waste management and the benefits of implementing the changes we suggest. We will create clear signage and resources that reinforce these messages, encourage the correct practises, and ensure the right bins are always available where most effective throughout your location.
We can roll this out across one or many branches and adopt our bespoke approach for businesses of all sizes, across a range of different industries from schools all the way through to large industrial operations.
Case Studies
The UK’s leading supplier of balcony components, required a new waste management solution after moving to their new site on the Medway City Estate business park.
Read our case study
Of course, General Waste management is not just down to the individual business. For large operations we can also work with your suppliers or manufacturers to identify possible opportunities for change at a deeper level.
The Midas Waste approach leads to more cost-effective collections based on the waste you are actually generating, less costly mistakes around poor segregation, less contaminated recycling waste and a lower frequency of pick-ups.
If you want to discuss your specific general waste management needs, you can pick up the phone and give us a call or submit a request for a free waste audit here.
The frequency of your collections and the vehicle used depends on the amount of waste your business generates.
For commercial retail outlets collections can be weekly via our dustcarts or for larger manufacturing companies this maybe via a skip or RoRo on a weekly or fortnight collection. This is dependent on the size and scale of your operation.
In a Circular Economy, reprocessed waste becomes a valuable resource for generating power.
Your General Waste is collected and taken to a processing plant, where it is unloaded to feed the plant.
By turning non-recyclable waste into renewable energy, our circular economy solutions help cut down on city waste and lower carbon emissions. This approach supports sustainable waste management and makes our cities eco-friendlier.
Midas Waste are a proud zero-to-landfill company who believe in Kent waste generating Kent electricity and power and so we aim to keep our operations local and within our home county where possible.
Midas Waste are a professional and experienced team with decades of waste management experience that are always available to answer any questions that you may have.
So, if you are looking for assistance with your Commercial General Waste collections please do get in touch via our ‘request a quote’ form. Or if you are looking for guidance around total waste management solutions, then please submit your information via our free waste audit form
and we will get back to you!