Expect to see purple bins popping up and our iconic purple waste trucks driving down the streets of Sheffield, Rotherham, and Barnsley soon, as Divert is expanding into South Yorkshire. Businesses across the county can now access our services for regular, reliable, and affordable commercial waste collection.

Currently, Divert’s purple trucks and matching bins can be seen across York, Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate, and Wakefield, with the company’s roots in North and West Yorkshire. After many successful years and thousands of happy customers, we thought it was the right time to offer our services to those businesses just that little bit further south.

Many businesses in South Yorkshire can take advantage of free purple bins – only pay for collections – and a diversion of all waste away from landfill from the start of October. Find out where and what we cover or simply get in touch today for a free quote – call 0333 444 0118 or contact us online.

Divert provides regular waste collections for businesses and some one-off removals and office or household clearances. Services cover everything from regular trade waste removal, such as daily food waste, general waste, and cardboard recycling collections from businesses, to removals of old sofas from homes and one-off office clearances.

Save money on your commercial waste management in South Yorkshire as Divert provide free bins. Customers don’t pay for the purple bins – with no hire or delivery fees – they simply cover the cost of collections. This could be daily, weekly, or fortnightly collections based on the needs of the business.

As the name suggests, Divert operates a zero-waste-to-landfill policy, meaning all collections are processed sustainably and diverted away from landfill sites. Businesses pay less in landfill tax for disposal this way and do their bit for the planet as waste is recycled, composted, sent to anaerobic digestion plants, depending on the material.

Run a business in South Yorkshire and want to save on your waste management costs while operating sustainably? Then contact Divert today to see if our expansion covers your location and find out how much you could save with a free no-obligation quote based on the services you need.

Simply tell us your location, the types and rough volume of waste you produce (or estimated number and sizes of bins you use). One of our expert team can assess your needs and advise on the most cost-effective and efficient option, including the best bins and collection frequencies, and provide a price.

All waste is diverted away from landfill, and there are no delivery, bin hire, or hidden costs – you only pay for collections. Get a free bespoke quote for waste collection from your business in South Yorkshire today – call 0333 444 0118 or contact us online.

There are more than 350,000 homes and 100,000 businesses in Leeds. Each one creates all sorts of waste, from daily domestic rubbish thrown in black wheelie bins at home to food waste disposed of by the hundreds of restaurants across the city. But what happens to all this waste once the bins are collected?

The domestic recycling rate in Leeds is around 39%, which is below the UK average of about 44%. However, that has still doubled in almost 20 years since 2006, when Leeds City Council set out its waste strategy with the aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. Yet it means over half of all domestic waste isn’t recycled in Leeds.

Changes and improvements are ongoing to the waste landscape across West Yorkshire’s biggest city. Find out what happens to waste in Leeds after it’s removed from your household or business to understand where it goes and how it’s processed.

Most general waste emptied from household black bins in Leeds is taken to the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (RERF) at Cross Green. This facility was formally opened in late 2016 and can handle around 214,000 tonnes of residual waste collected from homes across Leeds per year.

The general waste is sorted, with any recyclable metals removed. Waste is then incinerated at temperatures greater than 850°C, which generates electricity to supply the National Grid. It’s estimated to be enough to power about 22,000 homes, while the steam created is harnessed for the District Heating Network to supply energy to Leeds homes and businesses.

The introduction and use of the RERF in Leeds means the city now sends less than 3% of household waste to landfill. All black bin waste collected from Leeds homes should be processed at the RERF.

Most domestic recycling placed in green household wheelie bins in Leeds is transported to the Leeds Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) operated by HW Martin. Mixed dry recyclable waste materials like paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass are processed and sorted before being sent to recycling facilities to prepare them for manufacture.

The MRF formally opened in summer 2007 and can handle 80,000 tonnes of dry mixed recycling every year. Recyclable materials pass through state-of-the-art sorting technology and are separated into their individual streams. Then they’re baled or segregated into loose loads and transported to factories and specialist facilities to create materials ready for the manufacturing sector.

Businesses must arrange commercial waste collection in Leeds by licensed waste carriers. Leeds City Council does not offer free collection for trade waste. Only two HWRCs in Leeds accept commercial waste, but you can only transport it to either site if you hold a waste carrier’s licence:

• Kirkstall HWRC – Evanston Avenue, Kirkstall, Leeds, LS4 2HR​

• Seacroft HWRC – Limewood Road, Seacroft, Leeds, LS14 1LU

What happens to commercial waste in Leeds depends on the specific materials and the waste management company your business uses. At Divert, we divert all waste away from landfill in Leeds. The likes of glass, paper, cardboard, and metal are taken to MRFs and recycling facilities.

Food waste may go to an industrial composting site or anaerobic digestion plant, while general waste can be transported to an energy from waste (EfW) facility. These options help keep commercial waste produced by businesses across Leeds out of landfill and improve the city’s sustainability.

A waste transfer note (WTN) is a legal document used in the UK when non-hazardous waste is transferred from one party to another. This covers every load of rubbish removed from your business premises before transportation and disposal. It records the type of waste, its origin, who handles it, and its final destination.

Using waste transfer notes aims to create a clear and traceable record of waste movement to try to prevent fly-tipping and illegal dumping. It provides proof that waste is managed responsibly and lawfully, and businesses demonstrate their duty of care obligations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 by keeping proper notes.

Understand what a waste transfer note is, when and why your business needs one, and how to complete a WTN properly to ensure your commercial waste management processes operate legally and safely.

Businesses in the UK have a legal responsibility to make sure their waste is collected, transported, and disposed of safely and legally. A crucial part of this process is the waste transfer note. These only apply to non-hazardous waste (such as general waste, food waste, glass recycling, and more). Hazardous waste requires a different consignment note.

A valid waste transfer note must include this information:

• Description of the waste – the type of waste (such as food, general, glass, paper, etc.), with enough detail to allow proper handling, and the correct European Waste Catalogue (EWC) code.
• Quantity of waste – such as the number and size of bags, weight in kilograms, or volume in cubic metres.
• How the waste is contained – in wheelie bins, a skip, drums and barrels, plastic bags, or loose.
• Date and place of transfer – the exact day, time, and location where the waste was collected and changed hands.
• Names and addresses of both parties – the waste producer (your business) and the name of the registered waste carrier or recipient.
• Carrier and site details – the waste carrier’s licence number and the receiving site’s environmental permit or exemption.
• Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code – your business’s SIC code that identifies the type of business activity.
• Signatures – both the producer and the carrier (or the broker if one is involved) must sign the WTN.
• Confirmation of Duty of Care – declaration that both parties have met their responsibility to handle the waste properly.

A waste transfer note is more than a form – it’s a legal safeguard for your business and the environment. That’s why at Divert, we provide a free waste transfer note for every collection and can advise and help with season tickets (or an annual waste transfer note).

Safe, legal, and responsible waste management is our priority, so we do as much as possible to help the process run smoothly. Following these waste transfer note requirements can ensure your business meets its responsibilities with confidence. Proper waste management avoids fines and legal issues while demonstrating your commitment to sustainability and environmental protection.

A wheelie bin fire at your business or home can cause serious damage. Accidental and intentional fires in any bins on your premises may destroy the bin, which you’ll likely have to pay to replace, but they can also spread quickly. This might be devastating if they reach adjacent properties, homes, and alight anything else.

Most wheelie bins are made from HDPE plastic, which is durable and heat-resistant to a certain extent. However, this means that any burning wheelie bins also release toxic fumes, emissions, and smoke into the air. Such fumes add to pollution levels and are harmful to human health.

The risk of bin fires is greater over summer during hot weather. It’s important that you do as much as possible to prevent them at your business or home to uphold health and safety standards. Understand the causes and actions you can take to reduce the risk of bin fires within your business and at home.

Various factors affect the risk level of bin fires in your business or home. Some of these appear obvious, such as disposing of flammable items that may ignite. There are other aspects you might not have thought of that can affect the chances of fire breaking out in your bins.

Preventative action minimises the chance of fires and protects human health, property, and the environment. These are some things you can do to prevent wheelie bin fires:

• Build a bin store – a dedicated bin store protects your bins and reduces the risk of arson by limiting access. Build one with a roof and it can also keep your wheelie bins shaded from extreme heat and direct sunlight that may cause fires. You could also use wheelie bin locks to secure them and further reduce the chance of arson.
• Avoid overfilling bins – rubbish overflowing from bins that ends up in direct sunlight or ignites from a stray cigarette butt is a big fire risk. Prevent bins from overflowing by ensuring your business has the best number and sizes to accommodate your waste or increase collection frequencies if required.
• Position bins carefully – keep bins hidden where possible to minimise vandalism and arson risks. They should also be placed away from windows and doors to minimise the chance of fire spreading if one breaks out. Don’t block escape routes with bins either as this can be hazardous.
• Move bins on collection day – only move your bins to their collection spot (for your business or at home) on the collection day. This reduces the chance of arson and keeps them out of direct sunlight for longer during summer.

Effective waste management at a festival is essential whether you run a big weekend music event, summer fair, local beer festival, sports event, food festival, or even a Christmas market. Attendees, stall holders, and just the fun of the festival create waste of many types and amounts. It all requires efficient storage, removal, and disposal.

At Divert, we can help with festival waste management, so your event runs smoothly. This includes providing free bins for everything from food waste to glass recycling – you only pay for collection. All festival waste is diverted away from landfill and recycled where possible for a positive environmental impact that helps your festival stay green.

Find out more about festival waste management and our services or get a free quote today for help at your event – call 0333 444 0118 or contact us online.

Arrange festival waste removal for your event with Divert. We’ve helped various festivals of different types, sizes, and locations manage their rubbish efficiently and sustainably. This experience and expertise mean we can help with efficient planning and waste management for your festival to ensure everything runs smoothly.

To start we can assess your site and help determine the best number, sizes, and types of bins to use for your festival. This helps ensure as much waste as possible is separated properly when it’s produced with different bins for general waste, dry mixed recycling, and waste food. It also ensures compliance with Simpler Recycling regulations where relevant.

We can provide free bins with no delivery or bin hire costs to help save money on festival waste management too – you only pay for collections. Experts can advise on where to put all the bins your festival needs, such as in areas with high footfall and good accessibility.

Then we’ll schedule festival waste removal on a frequency that’s suitable. This aims to prevent any bins from overflowing and keep your site clean and clear. Removals can be organised at convenient times where possible to avoid disruptions to your event and attendees.

All waste is removed by licensed waste carriers and transported to appropriate waste management facilities for disposal away from landfill. You’ll receive a free waste transfer note for peace of mind that your festival waste management operates safely, legally, and as sustainably as possible.

There’s plenty of advice available for how festival goers can reduce their waste and environmental impact. However, festival organisers can also play an important part in helping reduce waste in the first place and ensure as much as possible is recycled or reused rather than going to landfill.

These are a few ideas for ways to reduce festival waste at your event:

• Avoid single-use plastic – one of the biggest types of festival waste is single-use plastic items like cups, cutlery, bottles, plates, and even ponchos. Ban single-use plastic and switch to sustainable options like compostable cups and cutlery or aluminium cans for drinks being sold rather than plastic bottles.
• Put up clear signs for bins – install signs directing attendees towards bins so they dispose of waste appropriately. Use a clear colour coding scheme for the signs or bins to help them separate recyclables and other rubbish so that as much as possible is disposed of properly. This should reduce contamination too.
• Place bins in convenient places – strategically put bins in areas that have high footfall or are in areas where rubbish will likely be created. Good examples are having bins near food stalls and toilets, as well as any entrances and exits to your festival.

Many students have a reputation for creating lots of waste and being messy. More than half a million students in the UK live in privately rented houses and flats, while thousands more live in student accommodation. That means lots of rubbish is generated throughout the year, which isn’t always managed properly.

The end of the academic year is a key time when effective student waste management is required. Hundreds of thousands of students across the UK move out to head home or into new accommodation for next year. This is when everything from old pots and pans to furniture, food, duvets, clothes, and many more items are often chucked out.

Improper disposal and management may lead to fly-tipping and other problems. Responsible management of waste that students generate benefits everyone, from local residents and authorities to the environment. Discover how to manage student waste efficiently, whether you’re a student, a private landlord, or run any student accommodation.

Student accommodation needs efficient waste management processes in place, whatever its size and location. This helps maintain hygienic premises, uphold the duty of care of the university or company that owns the accommodation, and benefits the environment. There are unique challenges across different student digs, but you can apply many of the same techniques.

For effective waste management in student accommodation, it’s beneficial to have:

• Appropriate bins – as a minimum, it’s best for all students to have access to general waste, dry mixed recycling, and food waste bins. This enables the separation of materials at the point of production and should ensure as much as possible is recycled, composted, and diverted away from landfill.
• Posters – put up posters that explain the environmental benefits of separating and reducing waste where possible. Many students will want to help the environment, and having posters up next to each bin as well as in shared areas may help boost recycling levels.

The end of the academic year, when many students move out, is prime time for waste production. Ideally, as a student, you’ll just use your bins to separate materials as usual and fill within their limits, then take any excess waste items with you.

If you’ve got too much rubbish, then take it to your local household waste recycling centre (HWRC). Don’t leave rubbish behind, as this is irresponsible. Many items could be donated to a local charity shop, listed for free on sites like Facebook Marketplace, or sold online.

The best ways to get rid of student waste at the end of the year can depend on the item:

• Furniture – if you can’t take any items of furniture with you, then consider donating to a local charity. Alternatively, check with the landlord to see if they’ll let you leave it behind or are happy for you to leave it for the next tenants. If you want to make a bit of money, then you can always try and sell it online.
• Bedding – loads of students chuck out bedding as it’s bulky, but you should avoid putting it in a general waste bin as it may go to landfill or be incinerated. When you really can’t take it with you or if it’s damaged beyond use, donate it to an animal charity that may use it as animal bedding.
• Electronics – any broken TVs, laptops, bedside lamps, toasters, or other electronics should be taken to your nearest HWRC. If you have working electronic items you don’t need, then consider either donating or selling them. You can also return to many electronics shops that should accept and recycle them for you.
• Food – you can donate tinned and dry food items to your local food bank. Anything in the fridge or freezer (or with a short expiry date) you should try to use up or just take with you.
• Books – many students end up with academic books they won’t need next year. Hang onto them and pass them down to anyone in the year below who might need them next year. You can also see if any libraries accept them as donations. Alternatively, put them up for sale online.
• Clothes – should you have a clear-out of clothes when you move out, you can donate to charity shops, sell on sites like Vinted, or take them to a clothes bank. Don’t throw them out with general waste, as clothes and textiles can be reused and recycled.

If you’re a private landlord who lets out one or more properties to students, then the end of the academic year can be a chaotic time. Whatever you do, there’s a good chance student tenants will leave items behind, and you’ll have to get rid of them.

These are a few ways to manage any waste from students efficiently as a landlord:

• Remind your tenants – send out a friendly reminder to your tenants to use the bins and not overfill them, which risks a missed collection. Ask them not to leave behind any items they no longer need, as it’s their responsibility to leave the place as they found it. Remind them that costs incurred to remove extra waste after they’ve gone could be taken off their deposit.
• Plan extra waste collections – speak with your tenants and assess how much extra rubbish they might create. Book an extra collection if required to help students get rid of any waste easily, especially if there are a few of them all leaving at the same time.

An overflowing bin may cause all sorts of problems for your business – whatever type of waste it contains. Rubbish spilling out of a wheelie bin or any other container can create unhygienic conditions, attract pests, and release a nasty smell. This can put off customers and affect your staff as well.

It doesn’t look good for your business to have an overflowing bin sitting outside. It might also not be collected by your waste partner, or you could face additional charges, especially if the bin is also overweight. Any overflowing wheelie bins will have their lids open, which causes more problems.

Any rubbish that spills out risks getting wet and contaminated (which affects the recyclability of paper and cardboard) or blowing away in the wind and littering the environment. Find out how to prevent a bin from overflowing in your business for smooth waste management.

Dealing with overflowing bins isn’t pleasant and it can cost your business money if you have to pay for extra collections or overweight charges. The easiest way to avoid such issues is to prevent an overflowing waste bin in the first place. These are a few ways to prevent your commercial bins from overflowing:

• Conduct a waste audit – assess the types and volume of commercial waste your business produces regularly. Use this information to identify the best number and sizes of bins you need to separate materials and an efficient collection frequency. If you need some expert help contact the Divert team for assistance with an audit.
• Order extra bins – if you find your waste is often close to overflowing then simply add a few more bins to your collections. It might just be one dry mixed recycling bin, or you may need one more for each waste stream.
• Use bigger bins – an efficient and cost-effective way to prevent overflowing bins is to switch to larger containers if you regularly fill yours close to the limit. Check you have enough storage space and consider moving up from a 240 litre to a 360 or 660 litre wheelie bin, for example.

Stay on top of your commercial waste with Divert. We can provide a wide range of free bins to store your rubbish securely and ensure you’ve got enough capacity. There are no delivery or bin hire costs – you only pay for collection.

Combine suitable bin sizes, types, and numbers with a collection frequency that’s cost-effective and efficient. Daily, weekly, and fortnightly collections are possible to reduce the chance of your bins overflowing. We can help with a waste audit and advise on the best options.

Taking commercial waste to the tip (any rubbish your business produces) might seem like a cheap and easy thing to do. Why pay a third party to do it when you could have a go yourself? The strict responsibilities, regulations, and potential penalties are there for a reason.

You might consider taking waste from your business to the local tip to save money, especially if you only create a small amount every day or week. However, it’s not as simple, cost-effective, or as safe as taking domestic rubbish like garden waste to your nearest household waste recycling centre (HWRC).

Discover when and how you can take your commercial waste to the tip, important considerations and limitations, and everything you need to know to make an informed decision.

Technically, you can take business waste to the tip. However, to transport commercial waste you must be a licensed waste carrier. You may also need to apply for a waste permit and check the tip accepts the type and amount of commercial waste you have for disposal.

Most HWRCs are for the disposal of rubbish from homes, as the name suggests, which can’t go in domestic bins. Many don’t accept business or trade waste and could refuse entry even if you’re a licensed waste carrier with a permit. If you’re not a registered waste carrier and take commercial waste to a HWRC, you could face prosecution and a fine.

Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets out the duty of care businesses have for disposing of commercial waste. This includes ensuring your waste is properly contained, transported by licensed waste carriers, transferred to someone legally allowed to accept it, and accompanied by the proper descriptions in the waste transfer note.

Duty of care breaches and failure to comply is an offence and may lead to a penalty. The size of the potential fine depends on the nature of the offence and where it’s dealt with. For example, failure to produce a waste carrier’s licence when moving your commercial waste can lead to a fixed penalty notice of £300 and a fine of up to £5,000 if you’re not registered.

Any offences due to unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment, or disposal of waste – and other waste offences that end up in the Crown Court – could result in an unlimited fine and jail time. Potential fines for transporting and tipping commercial waste illegally include:

• Fixed penalty notice – £300
• Penalty in the Magistrates Court – up to £5,000
• Fine in the Crown Court – unlimited fine

Save money, time, and effort by using Divert for your commercial waste collection. We provide free bins for your waste with no delivery or hire charges – you only cover the collection costs. This includes bins to separate food waste, general waste, glass, paper, cardboard, plastic, garden waste, and dry mixed recycling.

A wide range of bins, bags, and containers in various sizes are available to suit your needs. Schedule daily, weekly, or fortnightly collections to arrange cost-effective commercial waste collection. Licensed waste carriers will remove your bins and divert all your business waste away from landfill, as our name suggests!

Food waste in the UK is a constant concern as the country produces more than 9.5 million tonnes of it every year. The food and drink waste hierarchy advises businesses to prevent excess food and redistribute surplus food first before disposing of it. Understanding what happens to food waste highlights the importance of reducing it.

Businesses should segregate waste food from other materials with separate bins and collections to ensure it’s disposed of responsibly and diverted away from landfill. This is even more important with new food waste legislation making food waste separation a legal requirement for all businesses in England by April 2027.

Food is an organic material that contains useful energy even when it becomes inedible. Recycling waste food is vital, so it doesn’t end up in landfill to protect the environment. Find out what happens to food waste in the UK after it leaves your business or home.

Recycled food waste is converted into energy, fertiliser, or fuel through composting, anaerobic digestion, and energy from waste processes. What happens to it depends on the specific facility where it’s sent after collection from your business or home and the recycling process it goes through.

Recycled food waste becomes:

• Energy – biogas captured from anaerobic digestion is used to produce renewable energy, such as electricity. Any food waste recycled at energy from waste plants is incinerated to create energy as well. From either source, this is used locally or sent to the national grid.
• Fertiliser – composted food waste turns into a natural fertiliser used by farmers and agricultural professionals to grow new crops, rejuvenate topsoil, and for other green initiatives. Leftover pulp from anaerobic digestion also forms a nutrient-rich digestate that’s used as a fertiliser.
• Biofuel – certain types of food waste can be recycled and converted into biodiesel, which is used to fuel vehicles and machinery. Cooking oils and animal fats can be cleaned, processed, and combined with refined petroleum products to form a fuel used by vehicles that run on traditional diesel.

What happens to food waste collected by councils in the UK depends on where you live, the nearby food waste processing plants, and the policies of your local authority. Many UK councils will take the food waste they collect to anaerobic digestion plants, in-vessel composting facilities (IVC), or energy from waste plants.

Some councils may take food waste collected from households to incineration facilities, but most will avoid adding waste food to landfill. Check with your local council to see where they take food waste and how it’s processed.

The start of a new year is the ideal time to look back but also forward. This applies to many aspects of running a business, including what happens to your waste. Review your recycling resolutions from last year to see what progress you made and any changes that worked while setting fresh targets for 2025.

It’s set to be a big year for the world of waste management across the UK as new Simpler Recycling regulations are rolled out in spring. That’s why it’s more important than ever that your business has efficient, affordable, and reliable commercial waste processes in place whether you run a country pub, city centre office, or village shop.

Setting goals and sticking to them can help your company reduce its waste, save money on waste management, and keep you up to date with the latest developments. Make and keep these five waste management resolutions for your business in 2025 for safe, sustainable, and cost-effective ways of working.

Used packaging materials is one of the biggest waste streams for businesses of all sizes and industries. In the UK we throw away 11 billion bits of packaging waste every year. These are mostly plastic, paper, cardboard, and glass packaging items such as bags, wrap, food and drink containers.

Packaging waste is produced at many points. It could be creating products in a factory and packaging them up to send to customers, receiving deliveries in an office and getting rid of the cardboard boxes, or throwing out empty glass and plastic drink bottles in a restaurant or café. Reducing packaging waste where possible should be a priority.

Switch suppliers to work with businesses that use no packaging, minimal amounts, or sustainable and recyclable options. Think about how your company packages items and where waste is created, then take steps to minimise it. Find ways to reuse or repurpose packaging – like using boxes for storage or repackaging other items.

A big cause of avoidable waste in many organisations is having excess stock, supplies, and items. It could be shops with extra products they need to sell to make space for new lines or restaurants with food about to go off that needs using. Often these items are thrown away as it’s the easiest option.

Stay on top of your inventory in 2025 to avoid creating such waste. This could involve running regular stock checks, training staff about product rotation so perishable items don’t go off, and implementing new technology and processes. Efficient inventory management should reduce waste and save your business money.

Delegating the role of stock checks to either one individual or someone in specific departments or teams assigns responsibility to the task. With an element of accountability and a clear idea of who should take charge of ensuring inventory management runs smoothly, it can minimise waste in this area.