Recycling and reprocessing businesses

This guidance is for businesses that collect, store, treat, dismantle or reprocess materials for recycling or composting.

Environmental guidance for recycling and reprocessing businesses

Recycling businesses can have a number of impacts on the environment:

air emissions, for example odours from composting businesses and dust from crushing and grading demolition waste
land contamination, for example acids from leaking batteries
noise pollution, for example from glass collection businesses
waste disposal, for example old equipment which cannot be reused or recycled
water discharges, for example surface water contamination from reprocessing businesses.

Our guidance could help you to:

avoid prosecution and receive fewer visits from environmental regulators
increase efficiency and productivity
reduce your operating costs
be more likely to obtain business from government bodies and large businesses that require their business partners to manage their environmental impacts effectively
improve your reputation amongst staff, customers and the public
increase the chance of securing funding to expand your business by demonstrating that your environmental impacts are well managed.