Question 1

Learn more about Rubbish Removal in London

Accepted Answer

Rubbish removal services are used in all areas of the city by households and businesses. Particularly in the world of commercial waste, rubbish removal services are in high demand where companies produce large amounts of refuse and recycling on a regular basis.

Millions of tonnes of commercial waste are produced annually, from general business waste to vast amounts of redundant furniture left over from office refits and the regular refurbishment of restaurants, retail outlets and entertainment venues. London disposes of an estimated 17 million tonnes of furniture from commercial properties every year, significantly increasing the need for reuse and recycling initiatives to keep these items and materials from being disposed of in landfills.

The residential market is the other major contributor to the amount of recyclable waste generated in the capital, with some 1.2 million sofas and nearly 900,000 mattresses disposed of yearly. Aside from items such as furniture, fridge/freezer units, and small amounts of DIY and builders waste, general household waste can be classed as either hazardous (e.g. household cleaning products and batteries) or non-hazardous items such as food waste, paper, and garden waste. The safe disposal of both hazardous and non-hazardous general household waste is the responsibility of the local borough council, and all 32 boroughs provide their own rubbish removal systems for dealing with recyclable and non- recyclable waste.

Every kind of household rubbish needs to be disposed of responsibly and in compliance with environmental agency guidelines, especially as the amount of waste generated increases with population growth within the city and Greater London as a whole. Wayst provides rubbish removal across all waste types, whether its electronic waste, garden waste, hazardous waste, construction waste recyclable furniture and general junk clearance, we have clearance services that can manage every type of refuse.

We offer a wide range of rubbish removal services across the following areas:
• Electronic waste recycling
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Commercial rubbish clearance
• Construction waste removal
• Household junk disposal

Among the most frequently requested services for domestic properties are sofa and white goods disposal as well as plasterboard, fixtures and fittings, carpets, and flooring. Similarly, a lot of bulky and recyclable waste comes from the commercial sector consisting of MDF, hardboard, old shelving, and shop display units.

The demand for skip containers from the construction industry is mainly for the disposal of heavy inert waste such as bricks rubble and hardcore, and segregated waste skips for materials such as timber and cement. Skips used on building sites can range anywhere from the frequently used 8 yard, 8 tonne skips up to 40-yard roll on roll off containers used in large scale building works. Wayst can provide same-day delivery on any size or type of skip container and offers discounts on segregated waste skips and for repeat construction clients.

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Question 2

Household rubbish removal in London

Accepted Answer

A typical British household produces around a tonne of waste every year, and local household rubbish removal services are predicted to collect an extra million tonnes of waste every year due to increases in household rubbish. With this increase, paired with London’s growing population, the demand for home waste removal services has never been so high.

All borough councils in the city provide some level of household rubbish removal. This includes food and general waste collection from bins provided by the council. Along with this, London boroughs all provide bulky waste collection for items that are too large for general waste bins. These often include fridges, wardrobes, sofas, and beds. The borough councils usually charge per item, but some councils offer bulky waste collection for free. Council services tend to be competitively priced, but due to high demand, their services can have long waiting lists.

A faster, more flexible option would be to use one of London’s many independent household rubbish removal services. Most of these consist of private, man and van rubbish removal that offer same or next day collection. The most popular services these companies offer are house and garden clearances, as well as sofa and furniture removal. When hiring a private household rubbish removal service, it’s important to check that they are licensed as what they do with your household waste is your responsibility.

It is vital that recyclable and reusable household waste is managed correctly, as London has a rate of recycling that is considerably lower than the national average at only 33%. For some boroughs this is less of a problem, Bexley, Ealing, and Bromley for example all recycle over 50% of their household waste and provide more recycling centres for residents. Conversely, the recycling rate of household rubbish in Newham stands at around 17%, the lowest in the country. With so many new residential towers under construction in the area, this is something the city wants to change.

Here at Wayst, we are committed to safeguarding the environment. We take great care in making sure our partners recycle reusable materials and suitably dispose of those that we cannot. We ensure fast and flexible household rubbish removal services, garden, and home clearance as well as sofa and furniture removal. Due to our close ties to the best performing waste companies in the city, we ensure our partners manage to recycle and reuse 92% of all the waste that is managed through our platform.

Question 3

Commercial rubbish removal in London

Accepted Answer

Business waste refers to all refuse generated by a commercial enterprise or industry. It includes waste streams from independent organisations and corporates as well as waste from manufacturing, packing, and agriculture. London based organisations are responsible for treating any waste they produce, including several specialised waste streams such as WEEE (waste electronics and electronic devices) electronic waste, hazardous waste, and confidential waste.

Electronic waste, or WEEE is the fastest growing waste stream in London. With a steadily increasing number of tech businesses putting down roots in the city, electronic waste is set to make up a significant amount of commercial rubbish disposed of in London. Electronic waste includes printers, computers, laptops, TVs and other electronic devices. Many of these devices contain hazardous materials and must be disposed of carefully by licensed commercial rubbish removal services. Another growing stream of commercial rubbish in London, is confidential waste. It is up to the business owners to store this information either physically or electronically, but the disposal of confidential rubbish must be done securely. This is to protect the business from fraud and legal liability should confidential data be illegally obtained.

This type of commercial rubbish removal requires the correct contractor, one that has passed security screenings and has secure paper shredding and recycling contacts, they also must provide a paper trail of how and when your confidential waste was wiped, shredded, destroyed or recycled. Through the Wayst platform, all confidential waste disposal is done in compliance with the legal standard, so whether our partners are shredding documentation or disposing of electronic devices, our customers can be confident that their data will not be unlawfully used after being collected.

Hazardous waste is a waste stream that is not just limited to industrial operations. Despite what may come to mind when you hear the words “hazardous waste”, there are many hazardous items that are commonly found in offices across London such as stationary, printer ink and adhesives.

Hazardous waste removal also includes:
• Asbestos removal
• Battery recycling
• Paint disposal and recycling
• Fire extinguisher disposal
• Fluorescent lighting tube disposal

When hiring a rubbish removal service to remove hazardous waste, it is important to identify and label the waste correctly. This ensures that the correct waste is being sent to landfills or recycled. Businesses and industrial operations in London that produce hazardous waste require safe disposal of materials to avoid posing an environmental health risk. Our rubbish removal services protect both the environment and the people living or working nearby.

Question 4

Construction rubbish removal in London

Accepted Answer

Recent studies have placed London above New York and Hong Kong as one of the most expensive places to conduct construction work. The city sees a steady stream of high quality residential, hotel and commercial developments, making construction rubbish removal an important service to keep these projects on time and operating within their budget and environmental guidelines. Large amounts of this construction is taking place in London’s East end, as the area has seen a fair amount of redevelopment after hosting the London Olympics in 2012.

Construction rubbish usually consists of soil, bricks, rubble, timber, cement and hardcore, the majority of which can be recycled and reused. Storing large amounts of waste in a responsible manner before using rubbish removal services can be a challenge, so most construction companies rely on skip hire to help contain and segregate construction waste.

Most construction sites require larger skips for the quantity of construction rubbish that accumulates on site. 8 yard skips are the most commonly hired in London, but the sizes usually go up to 16 yards. Different boroughs in London require permits of varying prices to use a skip, the most expensive of which is in West and Central London costing £78 for the permit alone. Rubbish removal companies offered through Wayst provide a range of skips from 4 to 16 yards as well as Roll on Roll Off skips (RORO) up to 40 yards long. These RORO skips are perfect for large scale construction rubbish removal due to their greater dimensions and ability to be rolled back onto a lorry and removed from the site.

Hazardous construction rubbish cannot be removed and disposed of or recycled in such a straightforward manner. Electrical appliances, asbestos, plasterboard, and tyres for example must all be handled separately and may require additional payment to remove.

Question 5

Rubbish removal prices

Accepted Answer

The average price for small sized rubbish removal in London is around £95+VAT. Obviously, prices will vary depending on the kind of items that you need cleared from your home or business and the timeframe in which you need the items collected. Most of the independent rubbish removal companies that operate in London charge by the capacity or weight of the rubbish, rather than by each individual item. Service users can also make rubbish removal more cost effective by sorting waste before collection.

London's borough councils offer cheap rubbish removal solutions for residents too and are mostly aimed at bulky items like furniture. Borough councils sometimes offer a free bulky household rubbish service, although these services do not offer the freedom and flexibility of a private rubbish removal service.

Question 6

How to choose a rubbish removal company

Accepted Answer

Compliant rubbish removal companies operate within the law to provide services while benefiting the environment. Every individual and company that produces rubbish has a duty of care to ensure that the waste is managed responsibly through to the end of its journey. Hiring the right contractor is where your actions can have an impact and safeguard against any liability from illegal dumping or other potentially harmful actions caused by improper waste disposal. If rubbish is not disposed of correctly or found to be illegally dumped (fly-tipped), this can result in hefty fines and even criminal proceedings, so it’s essential to make sure that rubbish does not get into the wrong hands in the first instance.

Being aware of the risks associated with rubbish clearance is the first step in choosing a reputable waste disposal company. A reputable company will provide you with the correct documentation for every load of waste that leaves your premises, to ensure compliance from collection through to recycling, recovery, and disposal. One of the most significant indicators of credibility and compliance is the organisational structure around health and safety, and reputable companies will adhere to the following:

- Assess and eliminate risks at every stage of waste management by operating under a health and safety management system and carrying out risk assessments where appropriate.

- Provide a paper trail such as waste transfer notes, consignment notes, and regular feedback and reporting to ensure best practice within the company.

- Hold appropriate accreditations such as CHAS or Safe-Contractor, is licensed by the Environment Agency, and are suitably covered by the correct public liability insurance, employer’s liability insurance, and vehicle insurance.

Question 7

What you need to know about London

Accepted Answer

An ancient settlement that grew up along the banks of the Thames, London is one of the most well established and influential cities in the western world. It has reinvented itself many times throughout history to become the vibrant dynamic and complex entity that it is today with an infrastructure that is constantly developing to accommodate the progress and advancements of modern day Britain. It is well known for being one of the most integrated and culturally diverse cities in Europe, and accommodates many ways of living that make it stand out as a place that not only celebrates diversity but thrives on it. The pull of London for so many people from around the world and its increasing population demand a waste management industry that is highly organised, adaptable, and available for public use. Waste transfer companies have a large share of a market that is constantly in need of rubbish removal services, and the amount of businesses operating within this industry drives competition and a range of services that can overwhelm consumers and organisations when choosing a contractor for their rubbish disposal needs. One of the most important considerations when choosing a rubbish removal service is their commitment to the environment, re-use and recycling practices, and a diversion of waste from landfill. This can be achieved by companies who operate within statutory frameworks, practise due diligence, and adhere to the rules and regulations set out by the Environment Agency.

Question 8

What are the different ways to dispose of waste in London?

Accepted Answer

There are hundreds of waste facilities around the city, from council run tips and recycling centres, to materials and energy recovery facilities, which are gradually replacing landfill sites. Nearly every Local Authority provides reuse and recycling centres for residents, handling a wide range of reusable items, recyclable rubbish, and general or residual municipal waste.

The local authority run facilities provide the same basic services from borough to borough in addition to offering specialised collections for garden waste, furniture and white goods and clinical waste disposal. Some types of waste, like building materials, are often classed as restricted due to their commercial use, as traders and construction companies have to pay to use the tips, and residents are only permitted to dump small amounts for it to be considered domestic waste. Hazardous waste is also seldom accepted at local civic amenity sites, and most homes and businesses are advised to contact the city of London hazardous waste disposal team, for the disposal of asbestos, oil based paint and other chemicals.

Many councils also provide competitively priced services for the collection, transfer and disposal of commercial refuse, although companies requiring industrial waste management solutions will often turn to the same private companies who are currently contracted by the council to deal with large scale waste. Private waste management organisations work closely with local authorities in London to transfer recyclable waste and sell it onto treatment facilities both nationally and internationally.

Question 9

Where are the nearest recycling centres in London

Accepted Answer

The Reuse and recycling centres and micro recycling sites available for public use throughout the city all vary slightly in terms of materials they can accept. Paper card glass tin aluminium and plastic bottles are generally accepted everywhere. Some difficult to dispose of items include paint, tyres, and plasterboard which often have to be transported to specialist facilities to be reused or recycled. Building materials like rubble soil timber garden fences and bathroom fixtures and fittings are also not typically accepted at all civic amenity sites and may require independent waste collectors to ensure swift and convenient removal of items.

Some materials frequently accepted at local authority facilities that cannot otherwise be disposed of for free include fluorescent tubes (energy saving light bulbs) car batteries, cooking and engine oil, and gas bottles. Most boroughs provide micro recycling sites for household batteries, textiles and small electrical items, however residents are encouraged to donate reusable items where possible at charity shops or at the tip, which often has links to resellers and refurbishment programmes such as Recycle my Cycle. Donated items, might include furniture, sports equipment, toys, and bric a brac. For all other waste like large electrical items, white goods, garden waste and soft furnishings like sofas, mattresses and carpets, these may still be recycled however the council often collects them from domestic properties for a fee if residents cannot transport them to the tip.

Question 10

What rubbish collection services are available in London?

Accepted Answer

Standard collection services for general refuse and recycling have significantly improved over the years to accept more varieties of plastic such as tubs, pots, trays and cutlery in dry mixed recycling bins. This has been a progressive step in tackling the problem of single use plastic that ends up in landfills or contaminating the natural environment, and recovering the raw materials ready for reprocessing and remanufacture into recycled consumer goods. The other main area of improvement has been the introduction of kitchen caddies and bins for food waste throughout London, which can contribute to a huge amount of harmful gases in the environment if it gets sent to landfill. The local authority provision of free food waste caddies along with compostable liners and regular weekly collections has meant that it gets segregated service level, and can be transported directly to an energy recovery facility to be turned into biogas, biofertilizer and fuel, which in some areas has already resulted in a 100% diversion from landfill for all food waste.

Other organic waste services include garden waste collection which is offered across most London boroughs for a yearly subscription fee. For those households that do not produce enough garden waste for regular collections some councils offer one off collections, however most boroughs have a home composting guide on their website which they encourage residents to make use of, and to reuse their garden waste to enrich the soil.

Most borough councils in London offer bulky waste collection of furniture, white goods and large electrical items at competitive prices or for free for elderly residents and those in receipt of benefit, limited to a certain amount of collections per year. Some councils direct locals towards charity operated solutions from their websites that remove bulk waste for free, however the vast majority of boroughs are limited to offering their own collection services or inviting residents to transport large waste items to the tip, which is seldom practical in most cases. Instead many households opt for using the wide range of competitively priced independent waste carriers in London that offer the same services. However the choice can be overwhelming, and some unlicensed waste carriers slip through the net and fly tip rubbish on private or even public land that then needs to be dealt with by another waste management company or by the local authorities. The Environment Agency provides a public directory of licensed waste carriers, brokers and dealers which members of the public can use to check that their chosen waste provider is compliant with the statutory requirements for waste management at every stage of the disposal process.

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Question 11

How are the local authorities in London handling your waste?

Accepted Answer

Over the years many local authorities have risen to the challenge for the planning and delivery of environmentally sustainable waste management for the millions of people living within the 32 London boroughs. Even as the population continues to expand, increased pressure is placed on public services to produce cleaner waste management solutions through investment, technological innovations and the building of infrastructure to derive energy from waste and ultimately provide channels for decentralised energy provision throughout the greater London area.

Borough councils are combining their financial resources to build state-of-the-art waste management facilities for sorting and transferring waste, materials and energy recovery, reselling and in some cases exporting raw materials back to the manufacturers for reprocessing. As a response to the demand for more effective waste management solutions in the city and proposals in the The London Plan handed down at the local government level, the following authorities have been set up between borough councils to strategize and action events around public waste management.

ELWA (East London Waste Authority) which has been set up between Redbridge, Havering, Barking & Dagenham and Newham.

NLWA (North London Waste Authority) which has been set up between Barnet, Enfield, Haringey, Waltham Forest, Camden, Hackney and Islington.

WLWA (West London Waste Authority) which has been set up between Hillingdon, Brent, Harrow, Ealing, Hounslow and Richmond-upon-Thames.

WRWA (Western Riverside Waste Authority) which has been set up between Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Wandsworth and Lambeth.

SLWP (South London Waste Partnership) which has been set up between Merton, Kingston upon Thames, Croydon and Sutton.

Several Large scale private waste contractors also work in partnership with borough councils to manage waste and deliver on their objectives for landfill diversion and the increased production of energy from waste. The building of new facilities funded by regional London waste authorities has already started to deliver on the long term sustainable waste strategies proposed by the London Plan and lead to the reclamation of natural landscapes. providing renewed conservation areas that used to be contaminated by man made waste or used for landfill.

At the service level, organic waste removal services such as home composting caddies and garden waste collection are now standard practice for many London Boroughs seeking to avoid the use of landfill sites. Residents are given brown or grey bins specifically for food waste including meat, fish, and poultry waste, which is collected periodically alongside general rubbish. The organic waste is taken to facilities where it will undergo treatment such as pyrolysis or gasification which are both methods used to heat organic waste at controlled temperatures in order to produce by-products such as oil, char and gas that may be used as fuel. These controlled heating methods are relatively new, although they are in the commercial stages of development, and composting remains the most widely used method for recycling organic waste materials collected by Local Authorities in London and the surrounding areas.

Question 12

What are the plans for a greener future in London?

Accepted Answer

In addition to London boroughs pooling resources and investing in waste management solutions for the future, each council runs public awareness initiatives promoting healthy habits around sustainable ways of living in response to climate change, and encouraging engagement with the ‘circular economy’ in collaboration with community organisations charities and businesses. This model of consumption encourages individuals to conserve energy fuel and resources by making small incremental changes to their habits and lifestyle from walking or cycling instead of travelling by car, to buying and using only what they need. This feeds into the circular model of reselling or donating unwanted material goods back into the local economy for refurbishment and reuse, as opposed to the ‘linear economy’ which ends with the disposal of consumer goods and wasted materials.

In recent years London has made many efforts to become an environmentally friendly city and has adopted a practice known as ‘urban greening’ which aims to bring purpose built green spaces into the infrastructure of the city, helping to lower temperatures, prevent flooding and improve air quality. With the population in London set to increase by an estimated 3 million by 2050, and with permanent changes in the weather due to climate, urban greening is mandated to become a key part of building in the city as it expands. This consists of planning permission for green walls and roofs as standard practice for any major developments.

The urban greening factor is included in the New London Plan which is the spatial development strategy for Greater London led by the Mayor of London and the Greater London authority. Other aspects of urban greening are set to include the ‘healthy streets’ initiative, which will not only change the physical environment of London’s streets and pedestrianised areas, but intends to shift public behaviour towards greener methods of travel such as walking and cycling, and increased use of public transport for long journeys. The ‘grey to green’ project as part of the sustainable drainage action plan also encourages communities to advocate for an increase in accessible green spaces by communicating with the local council about where such improvements could be made.

Rubbish Removal in London

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Learn more about Rubbish Removal in London

Household rubbish removal in London

Commercial rubbish removal in London

Construction rubbish removal in London

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How to choose a rubbish removal company

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What you need to know about London

What are the different ways to dispose of waste in London?

Where are the nearest recycling centres in London

What rubbish collection services are available in London?

How are the local authorities in London handling your waste?

What are the plans for a greener future in London?

Service Providers in London

Enviro Skip Hire

Peter Norris Haulage

One Waste Clearance

Gowing and Pursey

Manns Waste

London Recycling Services

Ground Skips

White Skip Hire

Hintons Waste

Powerday

O'Donovan Waste

B&K Environmental

Glynns Skip Hire

PB Donoghue

Curley Skip Hire

Brewster Waste

London Skip Hire

GB Skip Hire

Rubbish Removal Services In Areas Of London