Business and trade waste

The business and trade waste service is targeted at small businesses and tradespeople who might not have the volume of waste to justify a commercial collection. This service is available Monday to Friday only. It is not available on bank holidays.

Business or trade waste includes waste from:

• Commercial or trade businesses
• Charities
• Churches
• Schools
• Parish councils
• Other community groups
• Any premises used wholly or mainly for trade or business, sport or recreation, education or entertainment. This includes waste you create from a business you run in your home.
• Work carried out on a domestic property, where the person carrying out the work is not the homeowner

Waste from these is not classed as household, so a charge applies to dispose of it.

You need a waste carrier's licence to use the business and trade waste service.

Recycling centres where you can dispose of business and trade waste

For a charge, we accept business and trade waste at these recycling centres:

• Thetford
• King's Lynn
• Dereham
• Hempton
• Caister
• Norwich North
• Norwich South

There are also other ways to dispose of business and trade waste.

Items we accept as business and trade waste

• Non-recyclable waste, like carpets, sofas, rigid plastic, mattresses and black bagged waste
• Garden waste (ie hedge cuttings, grass cuttings and leaves)
• Flat or sheet glass (ie from windows)
• Rubble (ie bricks and concrete)
• Plasterboard
• Timber (ie clean structural wood or wooden furniture)
• Scrap metal
• Paper and cardboard
• Textiles
• Glass bottles (empty)

Items we don't accept as business and trade waste

• Electrical equipment (ie fridges, televisions, printers etc)
• Tyres (either cars or agricultural)
• Cooking oil
• Engine oil
• Car batteries
• Household batteries
• Gas bottles
• Light bulbs or fluorescent tubes
• Hazardous waste such as paint or household chemicals
• Industrial waste
• Agricultural waste
• Food waste
• Any other items that we don't usually accepted at our recycling centres. Our types of waste page explains what we do not accept at our recycling centres.

When you arrive at the recycling centre, stop at the site office or find a member of site staff. They will assess your waste, calculate a charge for disposal and take payment before you unload it.

You can only pay by credit or debit card - not cash. No refunds will be given once payment has been taken and the waste disposed of.

We will take a photo of your waste as part of the transaction.

The service is subject to operational capacity at the sites and priority is given to householders.

Make sure:

• You have your waste carrier's licence number - you'll need to provide this
• Your vehicle does not exceed 3.5 tonnes in gross weight
• You arrive on site at least 30 minutes before closing time to allow enough time to dispose of your waste
• You sort materials into the correct containers on site. Our staff may not be available to help you load your waste into the correct containers, so bring help if you need it.
• You separate plasterboard from the rest of your waste - we can't accept it if not

From 1 November 2024, we charge for business and trade waste by the:

• Size of your vehicle and;
• Type of waste you bring

This has replaced the bag system. The only exception is plasterboard which we charge for by the bag. 

We changed how we charge for this service to ensure costs to dispose of business and trade waste at our recycling centres are adequately covered. It's also to provide a fair and consistent price for traders based on the volume and type of waste in each vehicle.

Vehicle categories

We categorise vehicles into:

• Mini van, car derived van, or small trailer
• Small van or medium trailer
• Medium van
• Large van, flatbed truck, or enclosed large trailer
• Luton van or cage van

Half load charges are available for vehicles that are up to 50% full.

If your vehicle has greedy boards or roof racks carrying additional waste to dispose of, we will class your vehicle as the next highest vehicle size. We will also class trailers as the next highest vehicle size if it has caged sides.

Your vehicle cannot exceed 3.5 tonnes in gross weight.

Type of material

If you are disposing of one type of material, you'll pay the rate for that material. If you have a mixed load with more than one type of material, you'll pay the mixed load rate charge.

We only charge rubble at half load (because it's unlikely vehicles can carry more than that).

Plasterboard prices

Plasterboard prices (including VAT) are:

• £14 per 100 litre sack of plasterboard
• £7 per half sack of plasterboard

If you also bring waste other than plasterboard, you will pay the vehicle price in addition to the plasterboard price (see below).

Mini van, car derived van, or small trailer prices

All prices include VAT.

Over 50% full cost

• Non-recyclable waste: £84
• Garden waste: £51
• Wood: £61
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £21
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £84
• Flat glass: £84

Half load cost (up to 50% full)

• Non-recyclable waste: £42
• Garden waste: £25.50
• Wood: £30.50
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £10.50
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £42
• Flat glass: £42
• Rubble: £22 - we only charge rubble at half load due to the weight

Small van or medium trailer prices

All prices include VAT.

Over 50% full cost

• Non-recyclable waste: £164
• Garden waste: £99
• Wood: £119
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £38
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £164
• Flat glass: £164

Half load cost (up to 50% full)

• Non-recyclable waste: £82
• Garden waste: £49.50
• Wood: £59.50
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £19
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £82
• Flat glass: £82
• Rubble: £40 - we only charge rubble at half load due to the weight

Medium van prices

All prices include VAT.

Over 50% full cost

• Non-recyclable waste: £243
• Garden waste: £146
• Wood: £176
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £55
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £243
• Flat glass: £243

Half load cost (up to 50% full)

• Non-recyclable waste: £121.50
• Garden waste: £73
• Wood: £88
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £27.50
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £121.50
• Flat glass: £121.50
• Rubble: £58 - we only charge rubble at half load due to the weight

Large van, flatbed truck, or enclosed large trailer prices

All prices include VAT.

Over 50% full cost

• Non-recyclable waste: £323
• Garden waste: £193
• Wood: £234
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £71
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £323
• Flat glass: £323

Half load cost (up to 50% full)

• Non-recyclable waste: £161.50
• Garden waste: £96.50
• Wood: £117
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £35.50
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £161.50
• Flat glass: £161.50
• Rubble: £75 - we only charge rubble at half load due to the weight

Luton van or cage van prices

All prices include VAT.

Over 50% full cost

• Non-recyclable waste: £469
• Garden waste: £280
• Wood: £338
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £102
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £469
• Flat glass: £469

Half load cost (up to 50% full)

• Non-recyclable waste: £234.50
• Garden waste: £140
• Wood: £169
• Recyclables (cardboard, metal, paper, glass bottles, textiles only): £51
• Mixed loads (more than 1 type of material): £234.50
• Flat glass: £234.50
• Rubble: £108 - we only charge rubble at half load due to the weight

Businesses and individuals have a legal duty of care to store and dispose of waste safely. This includes waste created from a business you run in your home. As well as the obvious waste generated by the business, waste could also include the litter bin, waste food or paperwork.

Your business rates do not include the cost of your business waste disposal. 

Part of our legal requirement is to give you the correct paperwork. Our site staff will complete a waste transfer note on site for each visit. We will give you a copy of the waste transfer note. This proves you have transferred the waste to an authorised waste facility.  

You should keep this in case the Environment Agency or local council ask to see it.

You'll also get a copy of the payment receipt and a record of what you have disposed of.

Right Waste Right Place have more information on how your business can meet its legal obligations.

Waste carrier's licence

If you also transport waste as part of your business (eg garden waste, house clearances, building works etc), you must register as a waste carrier on the GOV.UK website. Our site staff need to see your waste carrier's licence before accepting your waste.

Some district councils provide local businesses with trade waste collection services. The best option depends on the amount and type of waste you produce at your business premises.

Prices for collection and/or disposal through other providers can vary. It's recommended you contact at least three licenced waste service providers to compare.

Licensed waste services will provide waste transfer notes.

• Find waste disposal facilities using the Environment Agency waste operations public register
• Find waste collection companies using the Environment Agency waste carriers public register