General waste, also called residual waste, is what remains after the recyclables and food waste have been separated: soiled packaging, cups, film, polystyrene, tissues, sweepings. It is the stream that costs most to dispose of, because it goes to energy recovery or landfill rather than being sold on as material.
Defined in the Commercial Waste Glossary.
Related: What Is Classed as General Waste?.
Other terms
- Fly-tipping
- Waste carrier licence
- SIC code
- Dry mixed recycling
- WEEE
- Anaerobic digestion
- Waste transfer note
- EWC codes
- Waste hierarchy
- Transfer station
- Digital waste tracking
- Energy from waste
- Simpler Recycling
- Landfill tax
- POPs
- Commercial waste
- Wait and load
- Trade waste
- Hazardous waste consignment note
- Materials recovery facility
- Duty of care
- Residual waste
- List of Waste code
- Controlled waste
- Upper tier waste carrier
- Pre-paid sack
- Section 34
- Annual waste transfer note
- All terms