07903853136 Domestic waste is by far the most common type of waste and it is also the most misunderstood type as many people tend to confuse domestic waste with commercial waste. This leads to people disposing of their domestic rubbish wrongfully which may cause issues down the line. That’s why we’ve written this guide – to explain what domestic waste is, provide examples of domestic waste and explain how you should get rid of it.
What is domestic waste?
Domestic waste, otherwise known as household waste, is any sort of rubbish that is generated as a result of normal day-to-day life within a residential household.
Domestic waste is either collected by the local government (in simpler words, the binmen come to collect it) or is taken to the recycling plant/landfill by the or on behalf of the occupier of the property.
Domestic waste can be broken down into the following categories:
- Food waste
Food waste makes up a good chunk of domestic waste – It includes waste such as vegetables, fruit peel, wasted meats, bones and any other foods that have been chucked away. These are sometimes referred to as wet waste.
- Recyclable waste
Recyclable waste includes waste such as glass, hard plastics, cardboard, paper, and any other waste which can be recycled. You will have to keep these items separated from each other to avoid waste contamination – this is when two types of recyclable waste are mixed together, contaminating each other and preventing both of them from being recycled.
- General waste
General waste is by far the most common type of domestic waste – It consists of things such as thin plastics, contaminated waste, used paper dishes and any other usual household rubbish that cannot be recycled.
- Garden waste
Probably the easiest one to explain, garden waste includes plant materials such as flowers, weeds and grass.
- Hazardous waste
Hazardous household waste is any waste which is considered to be or contains hazardous materials which are harmful to both humans and the environment. Examples of hazardous household waste are batteries, solvents, non-edible oils such as car oil and waxes such as car wax. These should be handled with utmost care and disposed of correctly.
It is not considered domestic waste if it has been generated by a commercial body whilst at the domestic residence. For example, waste generated by a builder or tradesperson whilst they work on your property would be considered commercial waste and not everyday domestic waste.
Where should you throw domestic waste?
The majority of your domestic waste will be thrown away into bins provided by your local council, these will then be collected and dealt with accordingly. General domestic waste is either sent to the landfill or burnt to produce energy. Whereas, your recycling is taken to the recycling centre, where it is processed and sorted. It is then recycled into new products.
If you have any household waste that will not be collected by the local council, such as large items or other household goods that don’t fall into any of the above categories, consider the following options:
- Arrange for a waste removal company to come and pick up your waste. This is a cheap and quick solution.
- Take your domestic waste to a recycling centre if it can be recycled or to a permitted private waste site.
- If the waste is something like old clothing or old electrical equipment which is in decent condition, consider giving it to a charity.
How can we help?
At Rubbish Removal Recycle, we offer residential waste removal. Whether you need a pile of bin bags removed or some old furniture, we will collect it and dispose of it correctly, making sure to recycle whatever we can. We operate in Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Ferryhill, Trimdon, West Cornforth, and surrounding areas.