Commercial Waste Management
Commercial refuse is governed by various legislation, including the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Packaging and Waste Regulations 1997, the Animal By-Products Regulations 2005, Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 and Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment 2007.
Private firms such as SITA and Biffa for example offer commercial organisations a wide range of Waste Management Solutions, but Birmingham City Council also has a dedicated Commercial Waste section trained to deal with all aspects of business waste. Birmingham City Council can provide the following Commercial Waste services:
1. Pre-paid sacks for Trade Refuse Collection
For the majority of small businesses a pre-paid sack offers the most effective and flexible solution for disposing of waste. The commercial refuse sacks are clear, are purchased in advance (minimum quantity 50) and are used as and when required. In the City Centre sacks can be collected on a daily basis, elsewhere in the city there is a weekly collection.
The pre-paid sacks allow the customer to put out as many trade refuse sacks as required until their allocation has been used up. There is a minimum purchase of 50 pre-paid sacks per year.
2. Containers & Skips
Trade Refuse Containers
These containers are emptied on a daily basis (including Sunday) in the City Centre and twice weekly across the rest of the City.
They are a cost-effective and clean way to store waste and containers are available in a number of sizes according to the storage space available and the amount of waste generated; from 240 litre to 1280 litre bins.
3. Graffiti Removal
A city-wide graffiti removal service is available by a team of specialists using high-powered hotwashing machinery and chemicals. Small jobs (less than 15 minutes) will usually be done free of charge, however there will be a charge for larger jobs. Businesses wishing to request graffiti removal from their properties should contact the Commercial Waste Section for a quote.
4. Hire of equipment and special collections
We are able to offer equipment for hire for a range of services at competitive rates. The services are all priced individually. A list of equipment for hire and the types of services they are ideally suited for are detailed below:
Large mechanical sweeper – this service is ideal for large car parks, playgrounds, industrial estates and private roads. With the ability to sweep and draw up waste it is ideally suited for larger areas.
Small mechanical sweeper – its compact and manoeuvrable design means this sweeper is suitable for most locations; car parks, playgrounds, industrial estates and private roads. Its size makes compact sites accessible, including certain types of indoor cleaning.
Hotwash cleaner – this is the mechanised answer to many difficult problems such as chewing gum, grease, dog fouling, bird droppings, graffiti and fly posting. The addition of disinfectant to the water tank means the area is left hygienic and fresh smelling. A cold water flushing service is also available for swilling car parks and roadways.
Special collections and land clearance
Larger items that are difficult to get rid of such as office furniture, computer equipment, carpets, confidential waste or old files can be removed by special arrangement.
Land clearance and site litter picking is also available for special events.
5. Clinical Waste Removal
Clinical waste collections from commercial premises can be arranged by contacting our Commercial Waste section. A city wide clinical waste service is available for the removal of sharps and yellow sacks (for dressings, swabs, wipes, incontinence pads and nappies). This service is used by nursing homes, nurseries, GP and dental surgeries, private clinics, tattooists and the police.
Pre-paid sacks are available for commercial clinical waste – minimum order 25.
For more information about any of the above services, please contact Birmingham City Council’s Commercial Waste Team:
Telephone: 0121 303 2894
Fax: 0121 303 3226
Email: bdu@birmingham.gov.uk
If you are concerned about environmental problems in public areas, please contact Birmingham City Council Environmental Services on 0121 303 1112. They can deal with problems such as graffiti, fly-tipping & missed collections. Please ensure you have full details of the problem to hand and request a reference number.
