Commercial Waste Collection in London

Most London councils do not provide commercial waste collections, and where they do, services, charges and coverage vary significantly between boroughs. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, every business has a Duty of Care to ensure its waste is handled by a licensed carrier. Better Waste Solutions arranges compliant collections across every London borough.

Simpler Recycling is the Government's reform of workplace recycling in England. From 31 March 2025, all non-micro businesses (10 or more full-time equivalent employees, counted across all sites combined) must arrange separate collections of food waste, dry mixed recyclables and residual waste. Micro-businesses with fewer than 10 FTE have until 31 March 2027, and from that date plastic film must also be collected for recycling. Better Waste Solutions can arrange a fully compliant service immediately. See the GOV.UK Simpler Recycling guidance for the full rules.

London's commercial residual waste is largely treated at three major Energy from Waste facilities. Riverside Resource Recovery in Belvedere, operated by the Cory Group, takes waste from central London, the four Western Riverside Waste Authority boroughs, the City of London, Bexley and Tower Hamlets, with the majority arriving by river barge. Edmonton EcoPark, operated by LondonEnergy Ltd on behalf of the North London Waste Authority, handles waste from Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. SELCHP (South East London Combined Heat and Power) in Deptford, operated by Veolia, serves Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark, Westminster and Bromley. Source-separated food waste goes to anaerobic digestion. Dry recyclables are sorted at Materials Recovery Facilities before reprocessing.

Most Household Waste Recycling Centres across London boroughs are operated for household use only and are not permitted for commercial waste. Depositing business waste at an HWRC without authorisation is illegal and can result in a fixed penalty or prosecution. You must use a licensed commercial waste carrier.

London has 32 boroughs plus the City of London, which together form 33 waste collection authorities, all working within the framework set by the Mayor of London's Environment Strategy. Commercial waste collection arrangements vary borough by borough, with different access rules, collection time windows and surrounding postcodes. Better Waste Solutions arranges collections that comply with borough-specific requirements across the capital.

Commercial waste collection costs in London vary by waste type, bin size, collection frequency, postcode and access conditions. Central London sites tend to carry an access premium because Westminster, Camden, the City of London and Tower Hamlets all run timed-presentation rules that limit when bins can be on the street, and pedestrianised retail zones like Carnaby Street and parts of Covent Garden shape what's deliverable, and when. Sites inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which covers all of Greater London 24/7, and the Congestion Charge Zone in central London may face vehicle-compliance surcharges if the carrier is running non-compliant fleet. We match city-centre sites to carriers with ULEZ-compliant vehicles, so you don't pay a hidden surcharge. Request a free quote to see a transparent breakdown for your specific site.

Better Waste Solutions compares quotes from a national network of regionally based waste agents, so you see multiple options without approaching each provider separately. Unlike a direct carrier, we are not tied to a single fleet or route, which means more competitive pricing and more flexibility for multi-site London operators

Every collection is arranged with the documentation you need to evidence Duty of Care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. That includes Duty of Care certificates, Waste Transfer Notes, hazardous waste consignment notes where applicable, certificates of destruction for confidential waste, and a full audit trail. All carriers we work with are registered on the Environment Agency Carrier, Broker and Dealer Register.

Yes. Westminster City Council, the City of London Corporation, the London Borough of Camden and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets all operate timed-presentation rules for commercial waste in their central areas. Bins and sacks can only be on the street during defined collection windows, and businesses must use a contracted licensed carrier. Westminster, in particular, operates a city-wide inspection regime through its CleanStreets service. We arrange collections that fit these windows, including out-of-hours services across Soho, Mayfair, Covent Garden, the City and Canary Wharf.

Yes, in most cases. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, any business that transports controlled waste in the course of its operations, even its own, must register with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier. Operating without registration carries an unlimited fine. If you use a licensed carrier arranged through Better Waste Solutions, the licence sits with the carrier, not you, and we hold a copy of it on file as part of your duty-of-care paperwork.

Typically within a few working days of accepting a quote. For city-centre sites we coordinate the schedule against borough-specific presentation windows, and we set out-of-hours collections from the start for hospitality sites across Soho, Shoreditch, Mayfair and Canary Wharf. We deliver your free bins to site, and your first collection follows on the next scheduled round.

A waste collector is the company whose truck arrives at your site to pick up your bins. A waste broker, also called a waste management company, arranges the contract between you and a licensed collector. Better Waste Solutions is a broker. We compare licensed London carriers, arrange the right contract for your site, hold the duty-of-care paperwork, and remain your single point of contact for the life of the contract. If the carrier underperforms or your needs change, we can move you to another partner without you starting over. Both brokers and collectors must be registered on the Environment Agency Carrier, Broker and Dealer Register.