Our use of cookies 
Commercial waste collection London
Get the best waste collection quotes for your business today
Just enter your business postcode…
How much could you save?
Start saving now
- Save with competitive quotes
- Compare local trusted providers
- Improved service and reliability
Commercial waste collection options for London businesses
London, a bustling hub with over a million businesses, faces a significant challenge: managing its commercial waste efficiently. Small business owners have many choices of providers for dealing with their waste.
This guide aims to cut through the clutter to present clear, actionable information on commercial waste and recycling services available in the city.
Contents:
- London’s commercial waste collection providers
- London’s borough councils trade waste services
- Commercial waste recycling centres in London
- Commercial recycling collections in London
London-wide commercial waste collection providers
Six trusted private waste providers operate regular collections across all of Greater London, offering a variety of general waste and recycling services.
In this section, we’ll highlight the unique selling points of each provider and include links to their websites for further information.
💡If you’re looking to compare business waste prices, we can help. Start by entering your postcode above.
First Mile
First Mile is the only commercial waste provider in London to be B Corp certified, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability throughout their operations. They offer a zero-to-landfill promise as standard and provide collections seven days a week across the city.
Waste and recycling collected by First Mile across London are sorted and segregated at their facility in Park Royal.
In central London, First Mile operates a fleet of electric cargo bikes as part of their commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
Biffa
Biffa, the largest waste management company in the UK, offers commercial waste collection services across London and provides domestic waste collection to several of the city’s boroughs.
Last year, Biffa collected over 3 million tonnes of waste from homes and businesses in London, boasting an impressive landfill diversion rate of 97.4%.
The company has operational sites across the capital, including Dagenham, Chingford, Battersea, Coulsdon, and Heathrow.
Veolia
Veolia, a leading environmental solutions company, offers a comprehensive suite of waste management services across London. This includes performing domestic waste collections for several boroughs.
The company provides a range of commercial recycling services from their various locations throughout the city:
- Energy recovery facility in Lewisham
- Materials recovery facility in Southwark, Greenwich and Rainham
- Composting facility in Rainham
Bywaters
Bywaters delivers sustainable waste management services across London. As a zero-waste-to-landfill company, they work closely with their customers to maximise recycling rates and identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions associated with waste management.
The company provides commercial waste collection services to some of London’s most iconic landmarks, including the Houses of Parliament and the Tate Modern.
Grundon
Grundon stands as London’s largest family-owned commercial waste service provider. Their fleet of carbon-neutral waste vehicles conducts regular collections throughout the city daily.
The company’s waste facilities are equipped to manage all aspects of hazardous, clinical, and electronic waste efficiently.
Grundon operates its London services from depots in Slough, Gatwick, and Stansted.
Recorra
Recorra provides commercial recycling services throughout Greater London, extending to the South Coast.
Their London headquarters are located in Southwark, on the South Bank of the Thames.
Recorra has partnered with large London businesses, including CBRE and Savills, achieving significant success in helping them implement sustainable waste practices.
Commercial waste recycling centres in London
Most council-provided recycling centres in London strictly prohibit business waste disposal.
However, our experts have compiled the following directory of recycling centres that will accept commercial waste.
It’s important to note that many of these centres require advance booking, and all charge a fee for commercial waste disposal.
⚠️ Businesses transporting waste must be registered with a waste carrier licence. Register a carrier licence here.
Here is the full list of commercial recycling centres in London.
Central London commercial recycling centres
- Powerday – 3 Mercury Way, Bermondsey, SE14 5RR
- Wandsworth Council – Smugglers Way, Wandsworth, SW18 1EG
North London commercial recycling centres
- GBN Services – Gibbs Road, Edmonton, N18 3PU
- AMI Waste – 17 Stacey Avenue, Edmonton, N18 3PP
- Powerday – Jeffrey’s Road, Brimsdown, Enfield, EN3 7UA
- O’Donovan – 82 Markfield Road, Tottenham, N15 4QF
East London commercial recycling centres
- Powerday – Oasis Park, Stephenson Street, Canning Town, E16 4ST
- Bywaters – Lea Riverside, Twelvetrees Crescent, E3 3JG
- Bywaters – Gateway Rd, London E10 5BY
- Bexley Council – Thames Road, Crayford, DA1 5QJ
- Enviroclear – 5 Landau Way, Dartford, Erith DA8 2LF
For these, you must have proof of address within the East London Waste Authority area:
- East London Waste Authority – 123 Rainham Rd N, Dagenham RM10 7ES
- East London Waste Authority – Jenkins Ln, Barking IG11 0AD
- East London Waste Authority – Gerpins Lane, Upminster RM14 2XR
South London commercial recycling centres
- Powerday – Belinda Road, Brixton, London, SW9 7DT
- Powerday – 124 Beddington Lane, Croydon, CRO 4YZ
- Powerday – Weir Road, Wimbledon, SW19 8UG
- Norris – Station Approach, St Mary Cray, Orpington, BR5 2NB
- Latham Skips – Latham House, Kangley Bridge Road, SE26 5BA
- Epsom Skip Hire – College Road Epsom, Surrey KT17 4JA
West London commercial recycling centres
- GBN Services – Skip Lane, Harvil Road, Harefield, Uxbridge, UB9 6JL
- Powerday – Holloway Lane, Sipson, West Drayton, UB7 0AE
- Powerday – Crossan House, Old Oak Sidings, Off Scrubs Lane, NW10 6RJ
- O’Donovan – Alperton Lane, Wembley, London, HA0 1DX
- West London Waste – Abbey Rd, Wembley, NW10 7TJ
- Ealing Council – Greenford Road, Greenford, Middlesex UB6 9AP
London council commercial waste services
Navigating the structure of local councils in London can be complex. The City of London Council oversees a small, historic “square mile” at the city’s heart, within the original Roman settlement’s walls.
Greater London is segmented into 32 councils, each responsible for domestic waste management within their jurisdiction.
For businesses in London, some councils also offer commercial waste collection services for a fee alongside their regular domestic collections.
Below is a list of London’s individual councils. For those providing commercial waste services, links to their service application forms are included.
| London Borough Council | Commercial waste services? | Detailed guide |
|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | Yes | |
| Barnet | Yes | |
| Bexley | Yes | |
| Brent | No | |
| Bromley | Yes | |
| Camden | Yes | Camden Commercial Waste Collection |
| City of London Council | No | |
| Croydon | Yes | |
| Ealing | Yes | |
| Enfield | Yes | |
| Greenwich | Yes | |
| Hackney | Yes | |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | Yes | Hammersmith and Fulham Commercial Waste Collection |
| Haringey | No | |
| Harrow | Yes | |
| Havering | No | |
| Hillingdon | Yes | |
| Hounslow | Yes | |
| Islington | Yes | |
| Kensington and Chelsea | Yes | |
| Kingston | No | Kingston Commercial Waste Collection |
| Lambeth | Yes | Lambeth Commercial Waste Collection |
| Lewisham | Yes | |
| Merton | Yes | |
| Newham | Yes | |
| Redbridge | No | |
| Richmond | Yes | |
| Southwark | Yes | |
| Sutton | No | Sutton Commercial Waste Collection |
| Tower Hamlets | Yes | |
| Waltham Forest | Yes | |
| Wandsworth | No | Wandsworth Commercial Waste Collection |
| Westminster | Yes | Westminster Commercial Waste Collection |
Commercial Recycling Collections London
In most of London’s boroughs, the local council provides a regular dry mixed recycling collection service. This service is a convenient way to recycle common waste types, including cartons, bottles, paper, and plastic.
However, many businesses opt to segregate waste further on their premises as part of their waste management strategies. For these businesses, the commercial waste collection firms mentioned above provide specific collections for different types of recycling, such as:
- Commercial cardboard recycling
- Commercial glass recycling
- Commercial paper recycling
Businesses also have access to a variety of specific recycling services. In this section, our experts will delve into these types of recycling and inform you which firms are currently offering regular collections.
London business food waste collections
London, renowned for its diverse food and beverage scene, is home to over 80 Michelin-starred restaurants. Given this culinary richness, commercial food waste collections are highly sought after and provided by all of London’s major commercial waste collection providers:
As an alternative, the specialist food waste recycling firm Biocollectors offers a comprehensive food waste collection and energy recovery service to businesses throughout the M25 area.
Hazardous waste collections in London
London is home to some of the UK’s largest hospitals like St Georges in Tooting, has a significant need for the management and collection of hazardous waste.
Hospitals and other healthcare organisations generate large quantities of hazardous waste types that require careful handling.
To support these needs, the following waste providers offer specialist commercial hazardous waste collection services in the London area:
Confidential waste collection in London
London stands as a global financial hub, with prominent banking districts in Canary Wharf and the Square Mile.
In these areas, banks handle sensitive customer and account information, necessitating secure disposal methods to prevent identity theft and fraud.
The following firms provide regular confidential waste collection services in London, ensuring high standards of security and confidentiality:
Coffee cup and grounds recycling collections in London
London boasts the biggest collection of coffee shops in the UK, with over 3,500 cafes to support its caffeine-addicted population.
To support this sector, the following providers offer regular coffee cup recycling and coffee grounds recycling services.
Compostable packaging collections in London
The shift towards compostable materials marks a significant trend in sustainable packaging. However, these materials cannot be processed in commercial dry-mixed recycling collections.
To address this, the following two firms provide a specific service for the collection of compostable recycle bags:
Printer ink cartridge collections London
Despite the significant push towards paperless operations, many businesses in London continue to rely on printers. This is particularly true for London’s large legal profession, which requires hard copies of legal and official documents.
To support these needs, the following commercial waste providers offer a regular ink toner collection service:
Single-use plastics London waste collections
According to the London Assembly, the average London adult buys more than three plastic water bottles weekly, contributing to substantial amounts of single-use plastic waste.
Commercial recycling provider First Mile offers separate single-use plastic collections and recycling services to help maximise the reuse of these difficult-to-recycle types of plastic bottles.
Commercial electronic waste collections London
London, a frontrunner in the UK’s tech sector, sees rapid technological advancements necessitating regular equipment updates for firms to stay competitive.
To assist with the disposal of commercial electronic waste, the following firms not only offer regular collection services but also make concerted efforts to refurbish these items before recycling:
These two firms also offer a separate batteries collection service to complement their WEEE collections.