How Retail and Wholesale businesses comply with existing waste legislation

As a business, you’re considered to have a ‘Duty of Care’ to ensure that the waste your organisation generates is produced, stored, transported and disposed of without harming the environment. This is set out in Article 5 of the Waste & Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997.

Good to know

Food waste recycling is already covered by its own regulations which requires food premises who produce 5kg or more per week of food waste to have to separate it for recycling.

Whilst not a current legal requirement the following recyclable materials are regularly collected for recycling from businesses and non-domestic premises:

• Glass, such as drinks bottles and rinsed empty food jars

• Metal, such as drinks cans and food tins, empty aerosols, foil and foil trays

• Plastic, such as empty plastic bottles, rinsed plastic pots, tubs and trays previously used for food packaging

• Paper and cardboard, such as newspapers, cardboard packaging and office paper

• Cartons for food, drinks and other liquids

• Food waste - such as leftovers or waste from food preparation

It is important to make sure you separate out the right materials and avoid contamination of your recycling by any non-recyclable materials.

Where your workplace prepares, serves or sells food, refer to our guide for the Hospitality Sector to learn more about managing your food waste.