What waste does a warehouse business produce?

Cardboard is almost always the biggest stream by volume. Inbound stock arrives in boxes, those boxes get broken down, and a busy site can fill a RoRo in a couple of days if it’s loose. That’s why most warehouses past a certain throughput end up with a baler on site.

Pallet wrap is the second big one. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) shrink wrap comes off every pallet, and it has a recycling market when it’s baled and kept clean. Loose in a general waste bin it costs you money. Baled and kept separate it has a price.

Pallets themselves are a mixed picture. CHEP and IPP blue and red pallets get returned to the pooler. Damaged or non-pool pallets either get repaired, resold to a refurbisher, or chipped for wood waste recycling. Whole pallets shouldn’t be going in a skip.

Everything else is smaller. Mixed dry recycling from break rooms and offices, general waste from damaged goods and contaminated packaging, and the occasional bit of broken racking or strapping.

What’s the typical bin spec for a warehouse?

A mid-sized distribution centre usually runs something like this. One or two RoRo containers for general waste, swapped on call. A cardboard baler producing mill-size bales that a paper merchant collects. A separate LDPE film baler if film volumes justify it, which they usually do above about a tonne a month. Front-end loader (FEL) bins for general waste at smaller sites that can’t justify a RoRo. A pallet bay or fenced area where damaged pallets are stacked for collection by a refurbisher.

The economics shift with throughput. Below a certain volume, loose cardboard collection makes sense. Above it, a baler pays for itself through reduced collections and rebate income.

What specialist streams do logistics businesses deal with?

Three to flag. Strapping, both plastic and steel, often ends up loose around dispatch areas and is a nuisance for compactors. Worth a dedicated collection point. Pallet wrap, covered above, but worth saying again that baled film and loose film are two different commercial products.

Returns and damaged stock is the one that catches people out. Returned goods sometimes can’t be resold, and disposal route depends on what’s in them. Electricals fall under WEEE Regulations 2013. Batteries fall under the Batteries Regulations 2009. Liquids and aerosols can be hazardous. If you handle returns at any scale, your waste contract needs streams for these, not just a general waste skip.

What compliance pitfalls catch warehouses out?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging is the big one. If your business turnover and packaging tonnage cross the threshold, you’re legally obliged to report packaging data and pay fees to the scheme administrator. Logistics operators that own brand often forget they’re a producer under the scheme. Pure 3PLs handling someone else’s stock usually aren’t, but it depends on contract terms.

Simpler Recycling came into force in 2025. Workplaces in England now have to separate dry recyclables (paper and card, plastic, metal, glass) and food waste from general waste. Most warehouses were already doing the dry side. Food waste from canteens is the new one.

Duty of Care under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 still applies. You need a Waste Transfer Note for every collection and your carrier needs to be registered with the Environment Agency.