Commercial Waste Services

Alternative Arrangements ¦ Commercial Waste Containers ¦
Seasonal / Top Up Collection Service ¦ Contract Terms and Conditions ¦
 Food waste - Legislation ¦ Reducing food waste ¦ Contact us

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Contacting our Trade Waste team

While we plan to provide normal customer service provision we are also working to ensure our staff remain safe during this time; therefore, we would ask for your patience in contacting our team.

We would encourage where possible for your requests and enquiries to be logged first and foremost to our online services:

Contact us via our online Council Direct Portal - available 24/7.

Please select: MEA request for service – Trade waste

Trade Waste email

E: commercial.waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

Helpdesk Phoneline

Available Mon – Fri 9am - 5pm (Skeleton Service)

T: 0300 124 5000 (Option 0)

If you have any enquiries about your trade waste collections or require further clarification about the information provided please do not hesitate to contact the trade waste team.

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Alternative Arrangements

Alternative arrangements for the 2023/2024 commercial waste collection year are as follows (if a date is not included then there is no scheduled change to the collection):

Normal Day	Ballymena Area	Carrickfergus Area	Larne Area
10 Apri 2023 (Easter Monday)	Saturday 8 April 2023	Saturday 8 April 2023	As Normal
11 April 2023 (Easter Tuesday)	As Normal	Saturday 15 April 2023	As Normal
12 July 2023 – (Wednesday)	Saturday 15 July 2023	Saturday 8 July 2023	Friday 14 July 2023
13 July 2023 – (Thursday)	As Normal	Saturday 15 July 2023	As Normal
25 December 2023 (Christmas Day - Monday)	Saturday 23 December 2023	Saturday 23 December 2023	Saturday 23 December 2023
26 December 2023 (Boxing/St Stephen's Day - Tuesday)	As Normal	Saturday 30 December 2023	Friday 29 December 2023
1 January 2023 (New Year’s Day - Monday)	Saturday 30 December 2023	Saturday 6 January 2024	Friday 5 January 2024

If you have any additional queries for the team, please contact commercial.waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or alternatively the Helpdesk on 0300 124 5000 (Option 0).

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Trade Waste Audits

Our designated trade waste team are available to discuss existing and new arrangements for commercial waste.

We aim to help you increase your businesses recycling and reduce cost. Contact us at E: commercial.waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

We are available to arrange suitable collections through Mid and East Antrim or alternatively support you to find alternative providers (whichever best suits your business needs).

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New Route Optimisation system

In the next phase of this project we plan to run optimised route models to improve the efficiency of our collection services.

In preparation for this, we have had to amend the upcoming terms and conditions of service, and service provision offered for the 2023/24 collection year.

We will write to you directly about this, however details of the changes can be found further down on this page.

We will continue to keep in contact as this project develops.

Trade Waste Team
Waste Operations
c/o Ardeevin
80 Galgorm Road
BALLYMENA
BT42 1AB

As a reminder some features we will be able to provide with the new system are:

• Online collection calendars
• Electronic contracts/ duty of care documents/ invoices
• Text alerts for service updates
• Customer service team with live collection monitoring information

If you have any questions about the implementation of the new route optimisation system or any other trade waste queries please do not hesitate to contact the team.

What this means for customers?

You will appreciate the smooth implementation of this new system is a priority. We are now migrating existing account data onto new software (which will populate existing routes).

During this time we will not be accepting any changes to contracts (unless termination) to ensure the smooth transition of all customer details.

From Monday 6 December until such times as we complete migration we will maintain existing customer details as is.

To reassure you during this time:

• Your collections arrangements will remain the same – no changes will be made to your collection days or frequency
• We will continue to provide service information and updates online, we would recommend checking this regularly

If you require additional collections before the end of the current payment period our seasonal tag service continues to operate.

In the next phase of this project we plan to run optimised route models to improve the efficiency of our collection services. At which time we will contact you directly if there is any impact on your current level of service provision.

All existing arrangements will remain in place until 31 March 2022 (as per current payment period).

Trade Waste Team
Waste Operations
c/o Ardeevin
80 Galgorm Road
BALLYMENA
BT42 1AB

As a reminder some features we will be able to provide with the new system are:

• Online collection calendars
• Electronic contracts/ duty of care documents/ invoices
• Text alerts for service updates
• Customer service team with live collection monitoring information

If you have any questions about the implementation of the new route optimisation system or any other trade waste queries please do not hesitate to contact the team.

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Trade Waste FAQs

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I would like to set up an new trade waste account?

We are currently in the process of adjusting our customer collection contracts due to operational changes as outlined below on this page.

As such, new customers will only be offered the services available under the new terms and conditions for 2023/2024.

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I expect to only be closed for a short period – how do I arrange collections for the rest of the year?

Charges for trade waste collections are in advance.

If you require a period of no collections we ask you to contact us as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary cost.

Contact our trade team on commercial.waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or 0300 124 5000 (0) to discuss arrangements.

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I am not sure how long I will need to suspend my account for?

We appreciate the businesses affected by the latest announcement find themselves in a very challenging situation.

To support you as much as we can offer flexibility when reinstating your collections.

Once you have advised us you wish to suspend collections we will not reinstate them until you confirm a recommencement date.

When collections are reinstated a credit note for the suspended period will automatically be issued.

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How can I change my collections or suspend my account?

Please contact us at commercial.waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk and a member of our trade waste team will coordinate any changes on your account. Please make sure you advise us of the last collection date you require.

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Invoicing

Invoices are issued in advance. 

If your invoice is overdue please note that collections arrangements for any premises on aged debt cannot be reinstated until balances are addressed.

Please contact our team as soon as possible to discuss any arrears on your account.

Prompt payment within 30 days of invoice receipt is required to ensure collections arrangements are not disrupted.

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Our business has cardboard to dispose of, can we still access the Household recycling centres?

Trade waste customers can access household recycling centres for the disposal of cardboard as part of contracts.

Please make sure to check the council website for the latest opening arrangements for sites.

Please note, customers can only dispose of cardboard at the site; commercial waste won’t be accepted.

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My business has permanently closed and I no longer need waste collections?

We are sorry to hear this news, we will do all we can to finalise the details of your account as quickly as possible for you.

Any advance payment for collections not received will be provided to you in form of a credit note.

This will be issued in the manner payment was made.

To ensure this is processed for you – make sure you contact our trade waste team in writing when you need collections to stop.

This will be the effective date to end your contract.

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Commercial Waste Containers

Commercial Collection Charges 2023/2024

Collection Service	Frequency of Collection Offered	Container Type
General (Residual Waste) Black Bin	Weekly / Fortnightly / Monthly	240 litre*
		360 litre
		660 litre **
		1100 litre
		Seasonal/ Top Up Tags
		Bags (Up to 10) / Manual
Food (Organic Waste) Brown Bin	Fortnightly / Monthly	140 Litre
		240 litre*

*240lt bin refers to standard domestic size bin

** 660 litre bins are no longer provided by the Council, but organisations with existing 660litre can continue to have these containers collected. 

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Seasonal / Top Up Collection Service

To assist with collection of your waste please follow the 3 simple instructions below:

1. Pay Tags are available by pre-payment of cash/ card or cheque from 3 locations across the Borough:

• Ballymena – Ardeevin Cashdesk
• Larne – Smiley Building Reception
• Carrickfergus – Civic Centre Reception

You can purchase your chosen quantity/type of tags in advance and use them before the end of the current financial year.

2. Check Call our designated customer service team on T: 0300 124 5000 (Option 0) (Mon –Fri 9am - 5pm) or e-mail waste.helpdesk@midandeastantrim.gov.uk to arrange your collections.

You will need to give at least 3 working days notice to allow a collection to be scheduled.

3. Collect A member of staff from our depots will confirm available date/ day of collection. Then simply present waste at your collection point from 7.30am on the morning of collection and our crew will collect before 5pm.

Each bin presented must have correct corresponding tag for size/type.

Our collectors will remove the tag when your bin(s) have been emptied.

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Contract Terms and Conditions

The Terms and Conditions are available as a downloadable Word document below:

Commercial Collection Terms and Conditions Contract 

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Duty of Care - Legislation

All businesses have a duty of care to ensure any waste they produce is handled safely and within the law. A Waste transfer note is required to allow us to know what waste we are handling on your behalf. This is a legal requirement issued under Article 5 of the Waste And Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency*. You can read a simple guide to your responsibilities on the Right Waste, Right Place website.

Council offers a free annual waste transfer note for our customers available in the following ways:

Email	E: commercial.waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk to request an electronic copy
Post	T: 0300 124 5000 (Option 0) have a copy posted out

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HRC Cardboard Pass - Trade Waste

As a trade waste customer, you are entitled to access our household recycling centres across the Borough, to dispose of unwanted cardboard:

FREE HRC Cardboard Pass

You can also read more information about relevant waste carriers licences.

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Food waste - Legislation

As of 1 April 2017 The Northern Ireland Environment Agency introduced new legislation that means that all businesses that generate more than 5kg of food waste must have a food waste collection.

Businesses can arrange the collection through their own waste collection contract. Our commercial waste service can also provide a food waste collection, please phone us on T: 0300 124 5000 (0) for more information.

As part of this new legislation, we will not collect general commercial waste bins which contain 5kg or more of food waste.

For more information please contact Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

You can download information on food waste collections from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency Guidance on food waste collections 

Please contact our trade waste team on commercial.waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk with any queries.

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Reducing food waste

In 2013 WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) published research showing that food waste cost the UK Hospitality and Food Service (HaFS) sector around £2.5billion each year.

Over half of this food waste is currently not being recycled, even though it could be. Recycling food waste can save businesses a lot of money, and most businesses recover the costs of implementing a food waste programme within the first two years.

WRAP produced a set of campaign resources, “Your Business is Food; don’t throw it away”  (PDF - 593KB) for the HaFS sector providing practical tools for measuring and reducing food waste. These resources include tips for reducing food waste and engaging staff.

Please contact T: 0300 124 5000 (0) or E: commercial.waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk of you would like more information about participating in this project through our Environmental Services Section.

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Contact Us

For all your contract and collection enquiries

T: 0300 124 5000 (0) or E: commercial.waste@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

For invoice enquiries T: 028 9335 8275

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