Recycling is important for the environment because it reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill and reduces the need to use new raw materials.

Recycling is the third-best waste management option after reducing your waste and reusing your waste. This is because energy and resources are needed to reprocess the waste before the materials can be used again.

However recycling is a good option for many types of business waste, and you can maximise the benefits that recycling waste can offer your business and the environment.

Recycling best practice

Best practice tips for recycling include:

• Buy products that can be recycled.
• Separate waste that can be recycled from other waste.
• Check the cost of recycling - it could be much less than sending your waste for energy recovery or disposal.
• Sell high-quality recyclable materials, for example construction materials - there are an increasing number of uses for recycled materials.

Waste exchanges give price information and quality specifications for a wide range of products, including compost, glass, metals, paper and board, plastics, textiles and wood.

Your recycling obligations

You must comply with special requirements for recycling certain wastes, such as:

• Batteries that contain harmful chemicals and metals - these are classified as hazardous waste.
• Electrical and electronic equipment - also referred to as WEEE.
• Fridges and air-conditioning equipment containing ozone-depleting substances.
• End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) - you must send ELVs for dismantling and depollution, and recycle any component parts.
• Packaging - you must comply with certain requirements if you produce packaged products, or place packaging or packaged goods on the market.

You must comply with waste legislation if you recycle or transport waste, also known as your duty of care for business waste.

You have three options when recycling your business waste:

• trade it with others - see how to reuse wasted resources in your business
• deposit it at a recycling depot
• have it collected

Using a recycling depot

Taking materials to a recycling depot is a simple and inexpensive method of recycling waste that you cannot reuse or recondition. Most supermarkets have recycling banks for metal, plastic, glass and paper waste, and your local council civic amenity site may have larger facilities for used electrical equipment.

You need to do four things to implement this type of recycling policy:

1. appoint someone to be responsible for taking waste to the recycling point regularly
2. set up sorting containers to keep different types of recyclable waste (such as paper, plastic and metal) separate
3. make staff aware of your policy
4. check with your local council to see if they will accept your waste or if they have a licensed site where you can deposit it

Arranging for collection of your recyclable materials

Having recyclable materials collected can be more expensive, but is a convenient option for businesses producing large volumes of waste. You will need to think about:

• finding a reliable collection service that is licensed to handle your type of waste
• keeping your waste separate to make it easy for the collector to process - you may be provided with large crates, bins or boxes for this
• ensure that the appropriate paperwork is completed correctly and you ensure compliance with your duty of care for business waste

Your local council should be able to advise you on waste collection services operating in your area.

You can gain a number of benefits from recycling your business waste. However, remember that a waste activity such as recycling uses energy so your priority should be to reduce waste in the first place.

Weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of business waste recycling carefully:

Advantages of recycling business waste

• Environmental benefits - recycling business waste means less disposal to landfill and less overall harm to the environment.
• Business reputation - you can attract new customers, enhance your chances of winning contracts and improve customer loyalty by demonstrating your environmental responsibility through recycling efforts.
• Reducing waste costs - managing and handling waste is costly, and reducing the amount of waste you send directly to landfill can bring large savings on landfill tax.
• Meeting legal obligations - businesses in some industries have a legal responsibility for disposal of specific products; ensuring compliance through recycling schemes means avoiding penalties, fines or worse.
• Saving energy - producing some recycled products, eg aluminium uses far less energy than making straight from raw materials.

Disadvantages of recycling business waste

• Best worst option - recycling your business waste may be better for the environment than disposal, however either reducing your business waste or reusing your business waste is preferable to recycling.
• Space for recycling - collection and sorting of waste materials for recycling requires space that may be difficult to find in your business premises - you may be able to negotiate more regular collections with your waste contractor.
• Recycling costs - using a waste contractor to collect waste for recycling will cost your business money, if not to the same level as disposal to landfill; reducing your business waste in the first place will cut down these costs.
• Contamination when sorting - plastic containers in food waste or different materials in glass waste can affect the quality of your recycling collections which can increase treatment costs; it takes time and effort to eliminate contamination.
• Staff buy-in - making a recycling system work for your business requires time and effort to get all employees and management sold on the advantages.

At all stages from production to transport to dealing with recycling waste you should be aware of your duty of care for business waste.

To find a recycling business in Northern Ireland that can deal with your waste materials you can search for a registered waste carrier.

Get a free sustainability report

All Northern Ireland businesses with an annual energy and resource spend of more than £30k can get a free assessment of their environmental performance across areas such as raw materials, energy, carbon, packaging, biodiversity and waste - find out more about Invest NI Sustainability Reports.

Below are some of the recyclable materials - aggregates, electronic equipment, glass, metals, organic waste, paper, plastic, textiles, tyres, wood - found in businesses, and the options for reusing them.

Recycled aggregates

Aggregates are by-products of other industrial processes, such as concrete from demolition sites. They can often be reconditioned and used again in new construction or manufacturing projects.

Recycled electronic equipment

It's important to remember that even your waste electrical and electronic equipment can be broken up and reused. Parts can be reconditioned and reused from items like:

• computers
• mobile phones
• refrigerators
• batteries

Recycled glass

Glass can be recycled into a number of useful materials, including:

• bricks, cement and concrete
• 'glass grit', which is used for cleaning
• new glass containers
• fibreglass

Recycled metals

Making metal from raw materials is expensive and recycling provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative.

Recycled organic waste

Organic waste like fruit and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, wood chippings and tea bags can be recycled by:

• composting - organic waste can be recycled into compost which can be used by farms or gardening businesses
• specialist heat processing to make liquid fertiliser and fuel

Recycled paper

You should aim to buy only recycled paper for use in your business, and make sure you recycle this after use.

• Newspapers and magazines can be recycled into egg boxes and packaging.
• Old photocopies and print-outs can be recycled into high-quality paper.
• Cardboard can be recycled into new cardboard or packaging, or used for animal bedding.

You should sort paper into boxes for recycling, removing any staples and paperclips first.

Recycled plastics

Plastic can be recycled into items like containers and plastic bags. Different plastics need to be separated for recycling, and many products are now labelled with a code to aid this process.

Recycled textiles

Material can be recycled into cloth, insulation, or yarn for knitting and weaving.

Industrial textile waste such as that from carpets can be reused for weaving, and the croppings can be used for animal bedding.

Recycled tyres

The UK Government is trying to encourage more people and businesses to recycle tyres, which can be shredded to make new rubber, burned as fuel, and used in making and re-treading new tyres.

Recycled wood

A number of new products can be made from recycling wood, including

• animal bedding
• fuel pellets and fuel chips
• mulch for use in the garden

Get a free sustainability report

All Northern Ireland businesses with an annual energy and resource spend of more than £30k can get a free assessment of their environmental performance across areas such as raw materials, energy, carbon, packaging, biodiversity and waste - find out more about Invest NI Sustainability Reports.

You should separate waste materials into different types (paper and cardboard, plastics, metals, etc) for storage, transport and recycling. You should store your waste securely in sealed, labelled containers ready for recycling or disposal.

You should check whether you need a permit or exemption if you are storing your own waste for recycling or disposal.

Check if you have hazardous waste

Hazardous waste may be harmful to human health or the environment. It is not usually suitable for in-house recycling, as there are strict controls on how you can store, transport and process it.

Prevent pollution during storage and transport

You must prevent waste from escaping and causing pollution. Take steps to prevent:

• leaks from storage containers and tanks
• wind-blown litter
• waste escaping during transport
• leaks from waste processing machinery, for example hydraulic oils from waste compactors

Be aware that some materials you store for recycling can contaminate land and you could be responsible for clean-up costs. For example, poorly handled fluorescent tubes could smash, spreading mercury across your site.

Separating and storing waste

Store waste in areas that can contain a leak or spill and are isolated from surface water drainage systems.

Label containment areas or bins for different materials and activities. Consider using colour coding for quick identification, for example red for hazardous waste and green for glass.

Do not mix any hazardous wastes with other waste or you will need to dispose of all of it as hazardous waste.

If possible, remove contaminants such as metal staples or adhesive tape from materials before recycling. This could make your materials more valuable as they will require less treatment.

Separate and store plastics according to their grade and type. The three most common types of recyclable plastic are:

• polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
• high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
• polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

You will need to agree with your waste management contractor how you will separate your waste for collection.

Compacting waste

If you have a large amount of waste, use a baler or compactor to crush materials into blocks or bales. This allows you to transport larger volumes in one go, which could save you money.

If you do compact your waste, you should:

• drain and clean waste containers that held liquid - eg drums, plastic bottles and cartons - before you compact them
• keep paper and card dry to prevent polluting run-off from the compactor
• separate the area around the compactor from surface water drains to prevent pollution - drainage should go to a foul sewer with permission from Northern Ireland Water
• stack blocks of baled materials securely so they won't fall over and spill materials around your site
• move blocks of baled materials around your site carefully - roughly handled bales may split, spilling materials around your site

You may need to register an exemption from waste management licensing before you can use your baler or compactor. You should contact the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for more information.

There are several incentives available to encourage businesses to set up recycling programmes and improve environmental performance. Financial schemes can help companies develop new or existing recycling initiatives. Winning awards can help to project a socially conscious image to your existing and potential customers.

Financial support for recycling

Invest Northern Ireland offers up to five days of free consultancy support to help with projects to reduce the cost of your energy, water, waste and raw materials.

Awards for recycling efforts

The National Recycling Awards are held annually and reward businesses for their recycling efforts - find out how to enter the National Recycling Awards.

Business in the Community Northern Ireland runs an annual Responsible Business Awards which recognises environmental champions - find out how to apply for a Responsible Business Award.

Businesses in the hospitality industry can recycle significant quantities of materials.

Recycling your waste can:

• lower your waste management costs, especially if you often dispose of heavy materials such as glass
• save space and reduce clutter
• improve your environmental credentials
• reduce your impact on the environment

However, you should still make sure you comply with your duty of care for business waste.

What can you recycle?

Materials that you can recycle include:

• glass bottles and jars
• cardboard
• plastic bottles
• food and drink cans
• printer cartridges
• electrical items

Finding a recycling waste contractor

You should consider the following questions when looking for a waste contractor suitable for your recycling needs:

• What materials will you recycle?
• Do you want the materials collected by the waste contractor or can you transport them to the waste facility?
• Is the service suitable for the size of your business? If you produce very little waste, you may not need a weekly scheduled collection.
• How will you collect and store the materials for recycling?
• How will you pay for the service? For example, is there an annual charge or a fee each time containers are emptied?
• How will your glass be collected? It will normally be best to separate colours at your site.

Setting up a recycling scheme

Once you have found a suitable waste contractor, the next step is to consider how a recycling scheme will work in your business. This includes:

• deciding on the location and labelling of recycling containers
• arranging the collection schedule with the contractor
• employee involvement and training - staff members must understand what materials are being recycled and where they should put them
• launch and promotion - so that staff are clear about when to start using the service

Recycling is important for the environment because it reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill and reduces the need to use new raw materials.

Recycling is the third-best waste management option after reducing your waste and reusing your waste. This is because energy and resources are needed to reprocess the waste before the materials can be used again.

However recycling is a good option for many types of business waste, and you can maximise the benefits that recycling waste can offer your business and the environment.

Recycling best practice

Best practice tips for recycling include:

• Buy products that can be recycled.
• Separate waste that can be recycled from other waste.
• Check the cost of recycling - it could be much less than sending your waste for energy recovery or disposal.
• Sell high-quality recyclable materials, for example construction materials - there are an increasing number of uses for recycled materials.

Waste exchanges give price information and quality specifications for a wide range of products, including compost, glass, metals, paper and board, plastics, textiles and wood.

Your recycling obligations

You must comply with special requirements for recycling certain wastes, such as:

• Batteries that contain harmful chemicals and metals - these are classified as hazardous waste.
• Electrical and electronic equipment - also referred to as WEEE.
• Fridges and air-conditioning equipment containing ozone-depleting substances.
• End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) - you must send ELVs for dismantling and depollution, and recycle any component parts.
• Packaging - you must comply with certain requirements if you produce packaged products, or place packaging or packaged goods on the market.

You must comply with waste legislation if you recycle or transport waste, also known as your duty of care for business waste.

You have three options when recycling your business waste:

• trade it with others - see how to reuse wasted resources in your business
• deposit it at a recycling depot
• have it collected

Using a recycling depot

Taking materials to a recycling depot is a simple and inexpensive method of recycling waste that you cannot reuse or recondition. Most supermarkets have recycling banks for metal, plastic, glass and paper waste, and your local council civic amenity site may have larger facilities for used electrical equipment.

You need to do four things to implement this type of recycling policy:

1. appoint someone to be responsible for taking waste to the recycling point regularly
2. set up sorting containers to keep different types of recyclable waste (such as paper, plastic and metal) separate
3. make staff aware of your policy
4. check with your local council to see if they will accept your waste or if they have a licensed site where you can deposit it

Arranging for collection of your recyclable materials

Having recyclable materials collected can be more expensive, but is a convenient option for businesses producing large volumes of waste. You will need to think about:

• finding a reliable collection service that is licensed to handle your type of waste
• keeping your waste separate to make it easy for the collector to process - you may be provided with large crates, bins or boxes for this
• ensure that the appropriate paperwork is completed correctly and you ensure compliance with your duty of care for business waste

Your local council should be able to advise you on waste collection services operating in your area.

You can gain a number of benefits from recycling your business waste. However, remember that a waste activity such as recycling uses energy so your priority should be to reduce waste in the first place.

Weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of business waste recycling carefully:

Advantages of recycling business waste

• Environmental benefits - recycling business waste means less disposal to landfill and less overall harm to the environment.
• Business reputation - you can attract new customers, enhance your chances of winning contracts and improve customer loyalty by demonstrating your environmental responsibility through recycling efforts.
• Reducing waste costs - managing and handling waste is costly, and reducing the amount of waste you send directly to landfill can bring large savings on landfill tax.
• Meeting legal obligations - businesses in some industries have a legal responsibility for disposal of specific products; ensuring compliance through recycling schemes means avoiding penalties, fines or worse.
• Saving energy - producing some recycled products, eg aluminium uses far less energy than making straight from raw materials.

Disadvantages of recycling business waste

• Best worst option - recycling your business waste may be better for the environment than disposal, however either reducing your business waste or reusing your business waste is preferable to recycling.
• Space for recycling - collection and sorting of waste materials for recycling requires space that may be difficult to find in your business premises - you may be able to negotiate more regular collections with your waste contractor.
• Recycling costs - using a waste contractor to collect waste for recycling will cost your business money, if not to the same level as disposal to landfill; reducing your business waste in the first place will cut down these costs.
• Contamination when sorting - plastic containers in food waste or different materials in glass waste can affect the quality of your recycling collections which can increase treatment costs; it takes time and effort to eliminate contamination.
• Staff buy-in - making a recycling system work for your business requires time and effort to get all employees and management sold on the advantages.

At all stages from production to transport to dealing with recycling waste you should be aware of your duty of care for business waste.

To find a recycling business in Northern Ireland that can deal with your waste materials you can search for a registered waste carrier.

Get a free sustainability report

All Northern Ireland businesses with an annual energy and resource spend of more than £30k can get a free assessment of their environmental performance across areas such as raw materials, energy, carbon, packaging, biodiversity and waste - find out more about Invest NI Sustainability Reports.

Below are some of the recyclable materials - aggregates, electronic equipment, glass, metals, organic waste, paper, plastic, textiles, tyres, wood - found in businesses, and the options for reusing them.

Recycled aggregates

Aggregates are by-products of other industrial processes, such as concrete from demolition sites. They can often be reconditioned and used again in new construction or manufacturing projects.

Recycled electronic equipment

It's important to remember that even your waste electrical and electronic equipment can be broken up and reused. Parts can be reconditioned and reused from items like:

• computers
• mobile phones
• refrigerators
• batteries

Recycled glass

Glass can be recycled into a number of useful materials, including:

• bricks, cement and concrete
• 'glass grit', which is used for cleaning
• new glass containers
• fibreglass

Recycled metals

Making metal from raw materials is expensive and recycling provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative.

Recycled organic waste

Organic waste like fruit and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, wood chippings and tea bags can be recycled by:

• composting - organic waste can be recycled into compost which can be used by farms or gardening businesses
• specialist heat processing to make liquid fertiliser and fuel

Recycled paper

You should aim to buy only recycled paper for use in your business, and make sure you recycle this after use.

• Newspapers and magazines can be recycled into egg boxes and packaging.
• Old photocopies and print-outs can be recycled into high-quality paper.
• Cardboard can be recycled into new cardboard or packaging, or used for animal bedding.

You should sort paper into boxes for recycling, removing any staples and paperclips first.

Recycled plastics

Plastic can be recycled into items like containers and plastic bags. Different plastics need to be separated for recycling, and many products are now labelled with a code to aid this process.

Recycled textiles

Material can be recycled into cloth, insulation, or yarn for knitting and weaving.

Industrial textile waste such as that from carpets can be reused for weaving, and the croppings can be used for animal bedding.

Recycled tyres

The UK Government is trying to encourage more people and businesses to recycle tyres, which can be shredded to make new rubber, burned as fuel, and used in making and re-treading new tyres.

Recycled wood

A number of new products can be made from recycling wood, including

• animal bedding
• fuel pellets and fuel chips
• mulch for use in the garden

Get a free sustainability report

All Northern Ireland businesses with an annual energy and resource spend of more than £30k can get a free assessment of their environmental performance across areas such as raw materials, energy, carbon, packaging, biodiversity and waste - find out more about Invest NI Sustainability Reports.

You should separate waste materials into different types (paper and cardboard, plastics, metals, etc) for storage, transport and recycling. You should store your waste securely in sealed, labelled containers ready for recycling or disposal.

You should check whether you need a permit or exemption if you are storing your own waste for recycling or disposal.

Check if you have hazardous waste

Hazardous waste may be harmful to human health or the environment. It is not usually suitable for in-house recycling, as there are strict controls on how you can store, transport and process it.

Prevent pollution during storage and transport

You must prevent waste from escaping and causing pollution. Take steps to prevent:

• leaks from storage containers and tanks
• wind-blown litter
• waste escaping during transport
• leaks from waste processing machinery, for example hydraulic oils from waste compactors

Be aware that some materials you store for recycling can contaminate land and you could be responsible for clean-up costs. For example, poorly handled fluorescent tubes could smash, spreading mercury across your site.

Separating and storing waste

Store waste in areas that can contain a leak or spill and are isolated from surface water drainage systems.

Label containment areas or bins for different materials and activities. Consider using colour coding for quick identification, for example red for hazardous waste and green for glass.

Do not mix any hazardous wastes with other waste or you will need to dispose of all of it as hazardous waste.

If possible, remove contaminants such as metal staples or adhesive tape from materials before recycling. This could make your materials more valuable as they will require less treatment.

Separate and store plastics according to their grade and type. The three most common types of recyclable plastic are:

• polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
• high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
• polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

You will need to agree with your waste management contractor how you will separate your waste for collection.

Compacting waste

If you have a large amount of waste, use a baler or compactor to crush materials into blocks or bales. This allows you to transport larger volumes in one go, which could save you money.

If you do compact your waste, you should:

• drain and clean waste containers that held liquid - eg drums, plastic bottles and cartons - before you compact them
• keep paper and card dry to prevent polluting run-off from the compactor
• separate the area around the compactor from surface water drains to prevent pollution - drainage should go to a foul sewer with permission from Northern Ireland Water
• stack blocks of baled materials securely so they won't fall over and spill materials around your site
• move blocks of baled materials around your site carefully - roughly handled bales may split, spilling materials around your site

You may need to register an exemption from waste management licensing before you can use your baler or compactor. You should contact the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for more information.

There are several incentives available to encourage businesses to set up recycling programmes and improve environmental performance. Financial schemes can help companies develop new or existing recycling initiatives. Winning awards can help to project a socially conscious image to your existing and potential customers.

Financial support for recycling

Invest Northern Ireland offers up to five days of free consultancy support to help with projects to reduce the cost of your energy, water, waste and raw materials.

Awards for recycling efforts

The National Recycling Awards are held annually and reward businesses for their recycling efforts - find out how to enter the National Recycling Awards.

Business in the Community Northern Ireland runs an annual Responsible Business Awards which recognises environmental champions - find out how to apply for a Responsible Business Award.

Businesses in the hospitality industry can recycle significant quantities of materials.

Recycling your waste can:

• lower your waste management costs, especially if you often dispose of heavy materials such as glass
• save space and reduce clutter
• improve your environmental credentials
• reduce your impact on the environment

However, you should still make sure you comply with your duty of care for business waste.

What can you recycle?

Materials that you can recycle include:

• glass bottles and jars
• cardboard
• plastic bottles
• food and drink cans
• printer cartridges
• electrical items

Finding a recycling waste contractor

You should consider the following questions when looking for a waste contractor suitable for your recycling needs:

• What materials will you recycle?
• Do you want the materials collected by the waste contractor or can you transport them to the waste facility?
• Is the service suitable for the size of your business? If you produce very little waste, you may not need a weekly scheduled collection.
• How will you collect and store the materials for recycling?
• How will you pay for the service? For example, is there an annual charge or a fee each time containers are emptied?
• How will your glass be collected? It will normally be best to separate colours at your site.

Setting up a recycling scheme

Once you have found a suitable waste contractor, the next step is to consider how a recycling scheme will work in your business. This includes:

• deciding on the location and labelling of recycling containers
• arranging the collection schedule with the contractor
• employee involvement and training - staff members must understand what materials are being recycled and where they should put them
• launch and promotion - so that staff are clear about when to start using the service

Recycling is important for the environment because it reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill and reduces the need to use new raw materials.

Recycling is the third-best waste management option after reducing your waste and reusing your waste. This is because energy and resources are needed to reprocess the waste before the materials can be used again.

However recycling is a good option for many types of business waste, and you can maximise the benefits that recycling waste can offer your business and the environment.

Recycling best practice

Best practice tips for recycling include:

• Buy products that can be recycled.
• Separate waste that can be recycled from other waste.
• Check the cost of recycling - it could be much less than sending your waste for energy recovery or disposal.
• Sell high-quality recyclable materials, for example construction materials - there are an increasing number of uses for recycled materials.

Waste exchanges give price information and quality specifications for a wide range of products, including compost, glass, metals, paper and board, plastics, textiles and wood.

Your recycling obligations

You must comply with special requirements for recycling certain wastes, such as:

• Batteries that contain harmful chemicals and metals - these are classified as hazardous waste.
• Electrical and electronic equipment - also referred to as WEEE.
• Fridges and air-conditioning equipment containing ozone-depleting substances.
• End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) - you must send ELVs for dismantling and depollution, and recycle any component parts.
• Packaging - you must comply with certain requirements if you produce packaged products, or place packaging or packaged goods on the market.

You must comply with waste legislation if you recycle or transport waste, also known as your duty of care for business waste.

You have three options when recycling your business waste:

• trade it with others - see how to reuse wasted resources in your business
• deposit it at a recycling depot
• have it collected

Using a recycling depot

Taking materials to a recycling depot is a simple and inexpensive method of recycling waste that you cannot reuse or recondition. Most supermarkets have recycling banks for metal, plastic, glass and paper waste, and your local council civic amenity site may have larger facilities for used electrical equipment.

You need to do four things to implement this type of recycling policy:

1. appoint someone to be responsible for taking waste to the recycling point regularly
2. set up sorting containers to keep different types of recyclable waste (such as paper, plastic and metal) separate
3. make staff aware of your policy
4. check with your local council to see if they will accept your waste or if they have a licensed site where you can deposit it

Arranging for collection of your recyclable materials

Having recyclable materials collected can be more expensive, but is a convenient option for businesses producing large volumes of waste. You will need to think about:

• finding a reliable collection service that is licensed to handle your type of waste
• keeping your waste separate to make it easy for the collector to process - you may be provided with large crates, bins or boxes for this
• ensure that the appropriate paperwork is completed correctly and you ensure compliance with your duty of care for business waste

Your local council should be able to advise you on waste collection services operating in your area.

You can gain a number of benefits from recycling your business waste. However, remember that a waste activity such as recycling uses energy so your priority should be to reduce waste in the first place.

Weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of business waste recycling carefully:

Advantages of recycling business waste

• Environmental benefits - recycling business waste means less disposal to landfill and less overall harm to the environment.
• Business reputation - you can attract new customers, enhance your chances of winning contracts and improve customer loyalty by demonstrating your environmental responsibility through recycling efforts.
• Reducing waste costs - managing and handling waste is costly, and reducing the amount of waste you send directly to landfill can bring large savings on landfill tax.
• Meeting legal obligations - businesses in some industries have a legal responsibility for disposal of specific products; ensuring compliance through recycling schemes means avoiding penalties, fines or worse.
• Saving energy - producing some recycled products, eg aluminium uses far less energy than making straight from raw materials.

Disadvantages of recycling business waste

• Best worst option - recycling your business waste may be better for the environment than disposal, however either reducing your business waste or reusing your business waste is preferable to recycling.
• Space for recycling - collection and sorting of waste materials for recycling requires space that may be difficult to find in your business premises - you may be able to negotiate more regular collections with your waste contractor.
• Recycling costs - using a waste contractor to collect waste for recycling will cost your business money, if not to the same level as disposal to landfill; reducing your business waste in the first place will cut down these costs.
• Contamination when sorting - plastic containers in food waste or different materials in glass waste can affect the quality of your recycling collections which can increase treatment costs; it takes time and effort to eliminate contamination.
• Staff buy-in - making a recycling system work for your business requires time and effort to get all employees and management sold on the advantages.

At all stages from production to transport to dealing with recycling waste you should be aware of your duty of care for business waste.

To find a recycling business in Northern Ireland that can deal with your waste materials you can search for a registered waste carrier.

Get a free sustainability report

All Northern Ireland businesses with an annual energy and resource spend of more than £30k can get a free assessment of their environmental performance across areas such as raw materials, energy, carbon, packaging, biodiversity and waste - find out more about Invest NI Sustainability Reports.

Below are some of the recyclable materials - aggregates, electronic equipment, glass, metals, organic waste, paper, plastic, textiles, tyres, wood - found in businesses, and the options for reusing them.

Recycled aggregates

Aggregates are by-products of other industrial processes, such as concrete from demolition sites. They can often be reconditioned and used again in new construction or manufacturing projects.

Recycled electronic equipment

It's important to remember that even your waste electrical and electronic equipment can be broken up and reused. Parts can be reconditioned and reused from items like:

• computers
• mobile phones
• refrigerators
• batteries

Recycled glass

Glass can be recycled into a number of useful materials, including:

• bricks, cement and concrete
• 'glass grit', which is used for cleaning
• new glass containers
• fibreglass

Recycled metals

Making metal from raw materials is expensive and recycling provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative.

Recycled organic waste

Organic waste like fruit and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, wood chippings and tea bags can be recycled by:

• composting - organic waste can be recycled into compost which can be used by farms or gardening businesses
• specialist heat processing to make liquid fertiliser and fuel

Recycled paper

You should aim to buy only recycled paper for use in your business, and make sure you recycle this after use.

• Newspapers and magazines can be recycled into egg boxes and packaging.
• Old photocopies and print-outs can be recycled into high-quality paper.
• Cardboard can be recycled into new cardboard or packaging, or used for animal bedding.

You should sort paper into boxes for recycling, removing any staples and paperclips first.

Recycled plastics

Plastic can be recycled into items like containers and plastic bags. Different plastics need to be separated for recycling, and many products are now labelled with a code to aid this process.

Recycled textiles

Material can be recycled into cloth, insulation, or yarn for knitting and weaving.

Industrial textile waste such as that from carpets can be reused for weaving, and the croppings can be used for animal bedding.

Recycled tyres

The UK Government is trying to encourage more people and businesses to recycle tyres, which can be shredded to make new rubber, burned as fuel, and used in making and re-treading new tyres.

Recycled wood

A number of new products can be made from recycling wood, including

• animal bedding
• fuel pellets and fuel chips
• mulch for use in the garden

Get a free sustainability report

All Northern Ireland businesses with an annual energy and resource spend of more than £30k can get a free assessment of their environmental performance across areas such as raw materials, energy, carbon, packaging, biodiversity and waste - find out more about Invest NI Sustainability Reports.

You should separate waste materials into different types (paper and cardboard, plastics, metals, etc) for storage, transport and recycling. You should store your waste securely in sealed, labelled containers ready for recycling or disposal.

You should check whether you need a permit or exemption if you are storing your own waste for recycling or disposal.

Check if you have hazardous waste

Hazardous waste may be harmful to human health or the environment. It is not usually suitable for in-house recycling, as there are strict controls on how you can store, transport and process it.

Prevent pollution during storage and transport

You must prevent waste from escaping and causing pollution. Take steps to prevent:

• leaks from storage containers and tanks
• wind-blown litter
• waste escaping during transport
• leaks from waste processing machinery, for example hydraulic oils from waste compactors

Be aware that some materials you store for recycling can contaminate land and you could be responsible for clean-up costs. For example, poorly handled fluorescent tubes could smash, spreading mercury across your site.

Separating and storing waste

Store waste in areas that can contain a leak or spill and are isolated from surface water drainage systems.

Label containment areas or bins for different materials and activities. Consider using colour coding for quick identification, for example red for hazardous waste and green for glass.

Do not mix any hazardous wastes with other waste or you will need to dispose of all of it as hazardous waste.

If possible, remove contaminants such as metal staples or adhesive tape from materials before recycling. This could make your materials more valuable as they will require less treatment.

Separate and store plastics according to their grade and type. The three most common types of recyclable plastic are:

• polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
• high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
• polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

You will need to agree with your waste management contractor how you will separate your waste for collection.

Compacting waste

If you have a large amount of waste, use a baler or compactor to crush materials into blocks or bales. This allows you to transport larger volumes in one go, which could save you money.

If you do compact your waste, you should:

• drain and clean waste containers that held liquid - eg drums, plastic bottles and cartons - before you compact them
• keep paper and card dry to prevent polluting run-off from the compactor
• separate the area around the compactor from surface water drains to prevent pollution - drainage should go to a foul sewer with permission from Northern Ireland Water
• stack blocks of baled materials securely so they won't fall over and spill materials around your site
• move blocks of baled materials around your site carefully - roughly handled bales may split, spilling materials around your site

You may need to register an exemption from waste management licensing before you can use your baler or compactor. You should contact the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for more information.

There are several incentives available to encourage businesses to set up recycling programmes and improve environmental performance. Financial schemes can help companies develop new or existing recycling initiatives. Winning awards can help to project a socially conscious image to your existing and potential customers.

Financial support for recycling

Invest Northern Ireland offers up to five days of free consultancy support to help with projects to reduce the cost of your energy, water, waste and raw materials.

Awards for recycling efforts

The National Recycling Awards are held annually and reward businesses for their recycling efforts - find out how to enter the National Recycling Awards.

Business in the Community Northern Ireland runs an annual Responsible Business Awards which recognises environmental champions - find out how to apply for a Responsible Business Award.

Businesses in the hospitality industry can recycle significant quantities of materials.

Recycling your waste can:

• lower your waste management costs, especially if you often dispose of heavy materials such as glass
• save space and reduce clutter
• improve your environmental credentials
• reduce your impact on the environment

However, you should still make sure you comply with your duty of care for business waste.

What can you recycle?

Materials that you can recycle include:

• glass bottles and jars
• cardboard
• plastic bottles
• food and drink cans
• printer cartridges
• electrical items

Finding a recycling waste contractor

You should consider the following questions when looking for a waste contractor suitable for your recycling needs:

• What materials will you recycle?
• Do you want the materials collected by the waste contractor or can you transport them to the waste facility?
• Is the service suitable for the size of your business? If you produce very little waste, you may not need a weekly scheduled collection.
• How will you collect and store the materials for recycling?
• How will you pay for the service? For example, is there an annual charge or a fee each time containers are emptied?
• How will your glass be collected? It will normally be best to separate colours at your site.

Setting up a recycling scheme

Once you have found a suitable waste contractor, the next step is to consider how a recycling scheme will work in your business. This includes:

• deciding on the location and labelling of recycling containers
• arranging the collection schedule with the contractor
• employee involvement and training - staff members must understand what materials are being recycled and where they should put them
• launch and promotion - so that staff are clear about when to start using the service