What is the Industrial Container Recycling Process?

Every day, businesses across the UK use drums, tanks and large containers to store and transport chemicals, oils, solvents and other industrial materials. When those containers have done their job, getting rid of them isn’t as simple as putting them out for collection. The leftover residue inside makes them hazardous in the eyes of the law and if they’re not disposed of correctly, the responsibility sits with the business that used them. Understanding how the process works helps businesses stay on the right side of the regulations and in many cases, it can save money too.

Industrial waste containers come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, used across manufacturing, chemicals, food production, agriculture, automotive and oil and gas. The most common types are:

• Intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), large 1,000-litre plastic tanks in a metal frame, used to store and move bulk liquids
• Steel drums, typically 205-litre, widely used for chemicals, oils and solvents
• Plastic drums, ranging from small 20-litre bottles up to larger formats, common in chemical and food processing
• Plastic barrels, outer cages, kegs and cut-off IBCs, used across various industrial applications

What all of these have in common is that they’ve held substances that leave traces behind. Even a drum that looks empty still has residue on the inside and that’s enough to make it a hazardous item under UK law.

The reason industrial waste recycling for containers needs a specialist approach comes down to what was inside them. When a container holds a chemical, solvent, or other hazardous substance, traces of that material remain on the inner surfaces even after the container has been emptied. That residue is enough to classify the whole container as hazardous waste.

Once something is classified as hazardous waste, it has to be collected by a licensed carrier, processed at a licensed facility and tracked with paperwork at every step. Putting industrial waste containers into a general skip, handing them to an unlicensed collector, or sending them to a scrap metal dealer is a legal offence and the fine or enforcement action that follows falls on the business that created the waste, not just the company that removed it.

The main piece of legislation covering industrial waste recycling of containers in the UK is the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005, which sets out the rules for how hazardous waste must be labelled, stored, moved and treated. On top of that, the Environment Agency’s guidance has tightened over time, closing off many of the informal disposal routes that some businesses previously relied on, including unlicensed reconditioners and scrap processors.

What this means in practice is that the business using the containers is legally responsible for making sure they’re handled correctly from start to finish. Wastecare is a fully licensed carrier and processor under the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 and every collection comes with full paperwork and a clear record of where the containers went and how they were treated. That documentation matters if a business is ever inspected or audited.

Not every used industrial waste container gets broken down and recycled. Where a container is still in good enough condition, the preferred outcome is to clean it, check it and put it back into use. This is better for the environment and better for the bottom line. Wastecare pays a rebate for containers that meet the standard, which means businesses can get money back rather than just paying a disposal cost.

The process starts with collection by Wastecare’s own vehicles, though businesses can also deliver containers directly to the treatment facility in Leeds. Once the containers arrive, plastic drums and intermediate bulk containers are washed using high-pressure hot water and a cleaning agent. The water used in this process is recycled where possible to reduce waste and the washing is thorough enough to remove the residues that a simple rinse wouldn’t shift.

After washing, each container is tested for leaks to make sure it’s still fit for purpose. Those that pass are certified and sent back out for reuse, with documentation to confirm they’ve been properly cleaned and checked. Those that don’t pass the test don’t get sent back into circulation. Instead, they move into the recycling process.

When a container isn’t in good enough condition to be reconditioned, it gets broken down and the materials are recovered for recycling. Nothing goes to landfill. The specific process depends on whether the container is made from steel or plastic.

Steel drums that can’t be reconditioned go through a high-temperature heat treatment process at Wastecare’s Avonmouth facility. This is the only permitted facility in the UK dedicated to treating contaminated steel drums and metal packaging in this way. The heat burns away any chemical residue left inside the drum. After that, the drum is cleaned back to bare metal, then remanufactured and certified so it can be used again in industry.
For heavily contaminated drums, the lid is removed before treatment and the drum goes through the furnace before being cleaned and rebuilt. Where a drum can’t be remanufactured, the steel is melted down and reformed into new material. Either way, the steel is fully recovered and nothing is wasted.

.Plastic drums and intermediate bulk containers that can’t be reused are put through a three-stage cleaning process. After cleaning, the plastic is dried and shredded, with any metal parts separated out at this stage. The shredded plastic is then processed to remove any remaining surface residue, leaving clean material that can be turned into plastic granules. Those granules are sold on to be used in the manufacture of new plastic products. The metal cage frames from IBCs are recovered and recycled separately as steel.

The combination of reuse and recycling means that industrial waste containers managed through Wastecare achieve zero to landfill, with a 90% reduction in carbon compared to producing new materials from scratch. For businesses that are tracking their environmental impact or working towards sustainability targets, that’s a concrete number rather than a general claim.

It also reflects how a circular economy is supposed to work in practice. A steel drum gets cleaned, rebuilt and certified for reuse. Plastic from a plastic drum gets turned into granules and used to make something new.

The practical case for using a proper industrial waste recycling service is fairly simple. Containers in good enough condition to be reused generate a rebate, which helps offset the cost of the collection. Full paperwork and traceability means the business has everything it needs to show it’s compliant. A nationwide collection service that covers all container types in one visit means there’s no need to manage several different contractors for different types of waste.

Getting it wrong is considerably more expensive. The Hazardous Waste Regulations make the business that created the waste responsible for making sure it’s been handled correctly at every stage. Improper disposal can lead to fines, enforcement action and reputational damage, all of which tend to cost far more than a compliant collection would have.

Any business that regularly uses drums, IBCs, or other bulk containers will need a plan for dealing with them at the end of their life. The industries that most commonly need this service include chemical manufacturing, oil and gas, agriculture, automotive, food and drink production and general industrial manufacturing. Wastecare covers a wide range of sectors and the service handles containers regardless of what they’ve held, how contaminated they are, or how large the volumes involved.

For businesses that also need to manage other types of regulated waste alongside their containers, WEEE collection and recycling is available through the same nationwide service, which makes it easier to keep everything under one roof.

Getting rid of used industrial containers is more complicated than it looks and the stakes are higher than most businesses realise. The responsibility sits with the business that generated the waste, not just the company that removes it and that means the choice of how containers are collected and treated matters. Done properly, it protects the business legally, keeps material in circulation and delivers a measurable environmental benefit that extends well beyond just avoiding landfill.

To arrange a collection for your industrial waste containers, fill in our contact form to get a quote, or call the team on 0800 091 0000 to talk through your requirements.