Hospitality waste · EC1–EC4
Restaurant waste collection in the City of London
Food waste, glass, cardboard and general waste collected from restaurants, bars, cafés and hotels across the Square Mile, timed around service so the kitchen and the front door stay clear.
- Collected around service
- Food waste kept separate
- Glass and cardboard recycled
Trusted on site at
Including 30 St Mary Axe & Tower 42 in the Square Mile
What a kitchen produces
Four streams, collected properly
A busy City kitchen fills bins fast and the waste is heavy, wet and smelly. Separating it keeps costs down and keeps you on the right side of the rules.
Food waste
Prep waste, plate scrapings and out-of-date stock in sealed caddies or bins, collected often enough that it never sits for days.
Glass
Bottles and jars from the bar, kept out of general waste. Heavy and noisy, so we time collections to suit your neighbours as well as you.
Cardboard
Delivery boxes flattened and collected as recycling. Busy sites often need more cardboard collections than general waste.
General waste
Whatever can’t be recycled: film, contaminated packaging and front-of-house sweepings, in bags or bins.
Working around service
Collections that fit between breakfast, lunch and the evening rush
Nobody wants a waste collection blocking the pass during lunch or bags on the pavement while diners arrive. When you ask for a quote, tell us your opening hours, delivery times and where the bins live, and we plan the collection for the quiet part of your day.
Many City streets only allow waste out at set times. We work to those windows so your bags go from the bin store onto the vehicle, not onto the kerb.
- Frequency to match coversDaily for busy kitchens, less often for a café. Add collections for events and private hire.
- Shared yards and basementsWe work with your landlord’s bin store and the building manager’s rules.
- One supplier for every streamFood, glass, cardboard and general waste on one schedule and one invoice.
Simpler Recycling: what City businesses must do now
Since 31 March 2025, workplaces in England with 10 or more full-time-equivalent staff must keep dry recycling (paper and card, plastic, metal and glass) and food waste separate from general waste and have them collected separately. Micro-firms with fewer than 10 staff have until 31 March 2027.
We set up separate streams, label the bins with you and give you the paperwork to show it. Read our plain-English guide.
Pests and odour
A clean bin store is part of food hygiene
Food waste left too long attracts flies, rats and complaints from neighbours. The fix is mostly practical.
- Collect food waste oftenFood waste breaks down fast, especially in summer. Frequent collections stop it festering in the bin store.
- Lidded, sealed containersKeep food waste in bins with lids that close. Overfilled bins with lids propped open are what attract pests.
- Wash the bin storeSpilled liquid and grease build up on floors and bins. Our bin store jet washing clears it back.
- Keep glass and cardboard dry and tidyStacked boxes and loose bottles give pests somewhere to hide. Regular recycling collections keep the space clear.
Used cooking oil and grease
Used cooking oil and fat must never go down the drain, and it isn’t part of a general or food waste collection. It needs a specialist collector. If you don’t have one, ask us and we’ll point you in the right direction.
How it works
From quote to collection
Tell us what you produce
Use the quote form or call. Bags or bins, how often, and any access rules for your building.
Get a fixed price
We reply within 2 working hours with a written price per collection. If it’s complicated, we visit first.
First collection
We collect at the times that work for your building and loading bay, and separate the recycling.
Paperwork sorted
You get a waste transfer note for your records. Change frequency as your needs change.
FAQ
Questions we get asked
Do restaurants have to separate food waste?
Yes, if you have 10 or more full-time-equivalent staff. Since 31 March 2025, workplaces in England of that size must have food waste and dry recycling collected separately from general waste. Smaller businesses must comply from 31 March 2027.
Can you collect early in the morning or late at night?
Tell us your opening hours, delivery times and any street time windows that apply to you, and we’ll schedule collections around them wherever we can.
How often should food waste be collected?
It depends on volume and the time of year. Busy kitchens often need daily collections. As a rule, food waste shouldn’t sit long enough to smell or attract pests.
Do you collect used cooking oil?
No. Cooking oil needs a specialist collector. We can point you to one, and we’ll handle your food, glass, cardboard and general waste.
Can you clean our bins and bin store too?
Yes. We jet wash bin stores, yards and alleys. See bin store and jet washing.
Services
More commercial services
Commercial waste collection
Scheduled general waste, recycling and food waste collections for City businesses.
Find out moreCommercialOffice clearance
Furniture, IT and paper cleared from floors of any size, with WEEE and recycling handled properly.
Find out moreCommercialFit-out & strip-out waste
Cat A and Cat B fit-out waste, strip-outs and builders’ waste removed by wait-and-load.
Find out moreCommercialRecycling & WEEE
Separated recycling, electricals and e-waste for Simpler Recycling compliance.
Find out moreCommercial & domesticBin store & jet washing
Bin stores, yards, alleys and loading bays jet washed. Driveways and roofs for homes.
Find out moreCommercialSite & land clearance
Fly-tipped and overgrown sites cleared and left ready for the next stage.
Find out moreFree quote
Get a restaurant waste quote
Answer five quick questions and we’ll come back within 2 working hours with a fixed price. No call centre, no obligation.
- Fixed price, in writingWhat we quote is what you pay. No surprise surcharges.
- Paperwork done for youA waste transfer note with every collection, so your duty of care is covered.
- Recycling firstWe separate and recycle what we can and tell you how much.
Rather talk it through? 07539 482813