Business Waste Management: Requirements and Supplier Selection

Effective waste management involves more than just emptying bins. Businesses must understand the types of waste they generate, sort according to current regulations, utilise appropriate solutions, and be able to document what is passed on.

The needs vary between offices, shops, restaurants, workshops, construction sites, and industry. Therefore, start with an assessment before requesting quotes.

What is Commercial Waste?

Commercial waste is waste generated by businesses. The type, quantity, and risk determine how it should be managed. Ordinary office waste may resemble household waste, while workshops, laboratories, and construction sites can produce hazardous waste or other waste streams with specific requirements.

Businesses retain responsibility for complying with regulations, even if collection is outsourced to a supplier.

Requirements for Sorting

The Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) states that businesses generating household-like waste must sort specific waste types separately and deliver them for preparation for reuse or material recycling. This includes, among others, relevant streams of:

• food waste
• park and garden waste
• plastic waste and agricultural plastic
• glass and metal packaging
• cardboard and paper
• textile waste

The applicable requirements depend on the business and the types of waste. Hazardous waste has its own rules and must not be mixed with ordinary waste.

Documentation

Businesses must have knowledge of and documentation for the waste they sort. The Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) outlines requirements for documenting annual quantities by weight for relevant waste types and where they have been delivered.

Documentation can include, for example, weighbridge tickets, receipts, or reports from the waste supplier. The agency states that documentation must be retained for at least five years and be available for inspection.

Therefore, request a customer portal or periodic report that at least shows:

• waste type
• quantity and unit
• date and collection point
• treatment method
• recipient or treatment facility
• deviations and incorrect sorting

Assess Needs Before Quoting

Register all locations, current containers, collection frequency, and approximate quantities. Note space constraints, opening hours, security, and whether the supplier requires access outside working hours.

Also consider how employees and visitors actually move. A good system makes correct sorting easier than incorrect sorting. Bins should be located where waste is generated and use consistent colours, symbols, and designations.

How to Compare Suppliers

Ask suppliers to price the same specification of requirements. Compare:

1. price per container, emptying, and kilogramme
2. transport, environmental, and administration fees
3. contract duration and price regulation
4. response time for extra collections
5. reporting and documentation
6. handling of incorrect sorting
7. coverage at all locations
8. solutions for hazardous waste
9. service, training, and labelling
10. which treatment facilities the waste is delivered to

The lowest basic price is not necessarily the cheapest overall. Many small collections, overfilled containers, or incorrect sorting fees can increase the cost.

Questions for the Supplier

• Which waste fractions can you collect separately?
• How are quantities and final treatment documented?
• Do we receive reports per location and cost centre?
• How is hazardous waste handled?
• What additional charges are not included in the quoted price?
• Can collection frequency be adjusted to actual fill levels?
• How are deviations and urgent collections handled?
• Who owns containers and compactors?

Make the Agreement Measurable

The agreement should define collection frequency, maximum response time, report format, deviation handling, and price structure. For larger businesses, it may be useful to track:

• total waste quantity
• waste per employee or unit produced
• sorting rate
• proportion of material recycling
• cost per tonne
• number of incorrect sorting deviations

Ensure that the supplier's calculation method is clear. Terms like “recycling rate” can be used differently.

Find Suppliers on Proffi

A good supplier page should allow users to filter by geography, waste types, certifications, services, and documented coverage. Businesses themselves must confirm which services they provide. The industry code alone (Næringskode) is not sufficient to rank a business as a relevant waste supplier.

Proffi can link the buying guide to:

• supplier overview for waste management
• local pages for cities and municipalities
• company profiles with status and financials
• a function to send the same request to multiple suppliers