FAQ
Waste collection questions, answered
Straight answers on commercial collections, home clearances, prices, paperwork, skips and permits in the City of London.
Commercial
Business waste collections
Do I have to use the council for my business waste?
No. Businesses can use any registered waste carrier. What the law requires is that you use a licensed carrier, keep your waste secure until it’s collected and keep a waste transfer note for every collection.
What do the Simpler Recycling rules mean for my business?
Since 31 March 2025, workplaces in England with 10 or more full-time-equivalent staff must separate dry recycling (paper and card, plastic, metal and glass) and food waste from general waste and have them collected separately. Workplaces with fewer than 10 staff must comply from 31 March 2027. We set up the separate streams for you. Our Simpler Recycling guide has more detail.
Can you work around our building’s loading bay and time windows?
Yes. When you ask for a quote, tell us your loading bay slots, security procedures, goods lift rules and any times when waste can’t go out. We plan collections around them wherever we can.
Can you collect for one tenant, or for the whole building?
Either. We collect for individual tenants and for facilities managers who want one supplier for the whole building.
Do you cover businesses outside the City?
Our core area is the City of London, EC1 to EC4, and the streets around it, including the Islington and Camden parts of EC1. If you’re a little further out, ask anyway and we’ll tell you straight away if we can help.
Domestic
At home
Do you clear flats and houses as well as businesses?
Yes. We remove rubbish and clear flats and houses, including on the Barbican, Golden Lane and Middlesex Street estates. See rubbish removal and flat and house clearance.
Do you carry things down from upstairs flats?
Yes. We do all the lifting and carrying, stairs included. Tell us the floor and whether there’s a lift when you ask for a price.
Do I need to be there?
Not always. If we can get access and you’ve told us exactly what’s going, we can do the job while you’re out.
Where does my rubbish go?
To licensed waste facilities. We separate and recycle what we can, and never fly-tip or dump anything.
Prices & paperwork
Prices and paperwork
How do you price commercial collections?
By three things: how much waste you produce, how often we collect it and how many separate streams you need (general waste, recycling, food waste, glass). You get a fixed price per collection, so your monthly cost is predictable.
How do you price one-off jobs and clearances?
By volume: how much space your waste takes up on the vehicle, plus anything that needs special handling. You get a fixed price in writing before we start.
Why do mattresses and fridges cost extra?
They can’t go in with general waste. Fridges and freezers contain gases that have to be removed at a specialist facility, and mattresses have to go to specialist recycling. That costs more than general waste, so these items cost a little extra and we tell you up front.
What is a waste transfer note and how long do I keep it?
It records what your waste was, who took it and where it went. Businesses have a duty of care to keep waste transfer notes for at least two years. We give you one with every job. Read our guide to waste transfer notes.
How quickly will I get a price?
We reply to quote requests within 2 working hours. If a job is complicated, we may ask for photos or visit first.
Is there anything you can’t take?
Yes. We don’t take asbestos or chemicals. These need licensed specialists, and we’ll point you to one if you ask. Electricals (WEEE) are fine: we keep them separate from general waste.
Skips & permits
Skips, permits and parking
Can I put a skip outside my building in the City?
A skip on the City highway needs a licence from the City of London Corporation, and many City streets have no room for one. Outside the City, the local council issues the licence.
What is wait-and-load, and why is it better than a skip?
We arrive, park, load your waste straight onto the vehicle and leave. Nothing stays on the street, so there’s no skip licence to apply for and nothing for passers-by to add to. It’s how we handle most clearances and fit-out waste in the City.
Where do you park?
As close to your bin store or door as the rules allow: a loading bay, a dropped kerb or a legal loading spot. If your building has a loading bay, tell us how to book it. If parking is difficult, tell us when you ask for a quote and we’ll plan for it.
What access details should I give you?
Where the waste is, which floor, whether there’s a lift, any loading bay or security booking, and the times when we can and can’t collect. The more we know, the more accurate your price.
Still have a question?
Call the team or start a quote. You’ll get a straight answer from the people who do the work.