Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are having some difficulties completing the commercial recycling rounds on time. There is a plan in place to remedy this, but it may take a week or two to take effect so please bear with us in the interim.
If you find your commercial recycling has not been collected on the designated day, as long as it hasn’t been left down due to contamination (incorrect material in the bin), then you should find that a crew will catch back the next day.
If you do need to report anything, please do that via the contact centre on 01495 311556 or waste@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
Thank you for your understanding, and please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Latest Update Regarding the New Welsh Government Commercial Waste & Recycling Regulations
As a result of a recent communication from a local waste collection company, that they will not be offering a compliant commercial recycling service in line with the new Welsh Government regulations that come into force on 6th April 2024, we are experiencing unprecedented levels of enquiries and demand for our commercial / non-domestic waste & recycling service.
We are reacting to this demand as fast as we can but at such short notice, it will take time for us to increase resources and process every application which means not everyone who has requested our service can be set up in time for April 6th.
We will process every new application as quickly as we can and have spoken to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and asked what can be done to mitigate any enforcement anxieties that may be felt by businesses and organisations that cannot be set up before April 6th and they have responded as follows:
'From the 6th April 2024, all incoming/outgoing waste(s) from non-domestic sources, MUST have been segregated. Naturally there will be a ‘bedding in’ process in the early stages of the introduction of these regulations however, If NRW find continued and / or serious non-compliance of this from reported incidents and /or any non-compliance we have identified and recorded may require further action.
If you inform your clients to do their best to comply until their new bins arrive this will help if they do get inspected and can show that they have done all things reasonably practicable to comply'.
Based on the advice from NRW, for existing BGCBC customers requesting additions, please continue with your current arrangements until we are able to process your request.
For businesses / organisations applying for our service, please speak with your current supplier for continued service until we are able to process and provide your requested service.
For all those affected, please make sure you retain all relevant paperwork as that will be your proof of having “done all things practicable to comply” as advised by NRW.
Important Information
From 6th April 2024 the new business / non-domestic waste regulations come into force in Wales meaning that paper, plastics, cans, glass, cardboard and food MUST NOT be placed in the residual (refuse) waste bin. These recyclables must be presented seperately at the kerbside for collection.
For further details visit: www.gov.wales/workplacerecycling
Business / Non-Domestic Premises Waste and Recycling
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council offers a chargeable, recycling led, commercial waste service which is already compliant with the latest Welsh Government legislation (kerbside separation of dry & food recycling and recyclable materials banned from residual waste {refuse}).
Legal Requirements Regarding Business / Non-Domestic Waste
Commercial / non-domestic waste is not included in business rates and all occupiers of such premises have a ‘duty of care’ under sections 33 & 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This puts a duty on producers of non domestic waste to ensure that waste produced is kept in a safe and controlled manner and is only transferred to a company or organisation licenced to collect and dispose of it. This is controlled via a Duty of Care/Waste Transfer Note (DOC/WTN). All DOC/WTNs signed by both you and your licenced carrier are to be retained for a minimum of 2 years.
The DOC/WTN requirements apply to waste from non-domestic premises, including those occupied by public bodies and charities. Non-domestic premises covers any premises except a domestic property or a caravan that someone lives in as a home. Link for section 33 and section 34 of the EPA.
Latest Legislation Update
The regulations around commercial / non-domestic waste are changing in Wales. The new regulations are issued under section 45AB of the Environment Protection Act 1990 and are being brought in to drive up high quality recycling and ban certain materials from landfill or incineration (Energy From Waste).
Originally due to roll out in 2020, the new legislation requires business/non-domestic premises to separate their waste has been delayed due to the pandemic but the latest information received from Welsh Government (April 2023) is that the new regulations will now come into force on the 6th April 2024. After this date, mixed recycling in Wales will be outlawed. Link here to the new Regs Guidelines
These new regulations put a legal duty on both the business/non-domestic premises occupier to present their recycling separated at the kerbside and for all licensed commercial waste collection service providers to collect it and store/process it in that separated state. Fines for non-compliance by both producer and collector are included in the new regulations Workplace Recycling
*BGCGC’s trade waste & recycling service has been compliant with the new regulations since May 2021 and so our current customers are already taking the greenest option and will be unaffected by the change*.
Our Service
| In line with the ethos of the new legislation, our fully compliant service is recycling led which means that we require all relevant recycling options to be prioritised so that what is left (residual waste or refuse) contains only non-recyclable material. Around 70-80% of general waste can currently be recycled so with our much lower recycling costs, you save money and maximise that saving by keeping your residual waste requirements as small as possible. Residual waste (refuse) has the highest disposal cost and should not contain any of the recyclable materials we are currently able to collect. |
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| Service Booklet |
Our service Offers:
- Compliance with the latest Welsh Government Regulations (kerbside separation of waste)
- A reliable weekly collection of dry recycling, food recycling & residual waste (refuse)
Bespoke, well maintained multi compartmented recycling vehicles - A wide range of bin/receptacle sizes to cope with all requirements from a 55 Ltr crate up to an 1100Ltr, 4 wheeled bin so what ever the size of your business or organisation, we have options to suit
- 12 month rolling contracts
- A contact centre available 5 days a week with options for direct E mail contact with waste officers
For full details including all costs, please contact us on 01495 311556 or by Email at: waste@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
New Service Proposal, Trader Access to Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)
For some businesses, a contracted weekly collection service isn’t optimum as you may work from a van or your waste production may be irregular.
BGCBC will shortly be extending our commercial service by offering a chargeable option for traders/non-domestic premises occupiers to bring commercial RECYCLING ONLY to the borough’s newest HWRC at Roseheyworth which has the relevant permit for trade deposits. The trial will run until the end of the financial year (31st March 2024) when it will be reviewed and then depending on demand and success level, a decision will be made whether or not it will continue.
Traders will have the opportunity to purchase a permit/waste transfer note for either 12 or 24 annual visits (Pro-Rata for the trial period) or a one off option with the pricing based on number of visits and the size of the van declared when applying for the permit (small/medium/large).
The law requires that anyone carrying commercial/non-domestic waste must have a Waste Carriers Licence (WCL). These are available on-line from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and for the lower tier WCL, there is currently no charge. Acquisition of a WCL is a pre-requisite for application for the council’s HWRC permit. Link to NRW/Permits and Permissions.
For full details including costs, please contact us on 01495 311556 or by Email at: waste@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
Where Does My Waste & Recycling Go?
All waste and recycling collected by BGCGC is disposed of with the intention of ‘zero to landfill’. Disposal is prioritised by recycling and then recovery as explained below.
Dry Recycling (Paper& Cardboard, Plastic Containers, Cans & Waxed Cartons and Mixed Glass Containers):
Through our compliant service, the quality of recycling when separated is high and enables us to keep disposal costs and therefore prices low. The recyclate collected is further separated at our waste transfer station and then goes to various re-processors to be made into new products.
Food Waste:
Food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion plant within Wales. Anaerobic digestion is a process in which bacteria break down organic matter such as food waste, without oxygen. As the bacteria consume the food waste, they give off biogas which rises to the top of the digester. The gas is collected and either sent to grid or used to generate electricity. The resultant nutrient rich slurry is used as a high quality fertilizer for agriculture.
Residual Waste (Non-recyclable Refuse):
The residual waste is sent to an “Energy from Waste” plant near Cardiff where it is incinerated and the heat used to generate electricity. Metals are removed from the incinerator bottom ash and the ash itself is used mainly for road building and other construction type applications.
If you want to see more detail of tonnage and end destinations for the material we collect and process, click here:
1.My Recycling Wales/Local Authorities Blaenau Gwent