Guides · Pricing
How much does commercial waste collection cost in London?
Commercial waste collection in London is priced either per lift or per bag. Capital Recycle charges from £12 + VAT per lift on a 240L bin, and general waste sacks from £1.50 + VAT at committed weekly volumes, with the standard book from £2.00 + VAT.
See full pricingIs per bag or per bin cheaper for a London business?
Below roughly a bin's worth of waste a week, bags usually work out cheaper, because there is no rental risk and no fixed schedule. Above that, per-lift bins get cheaper per litre.
Per lift suits steady, higher volumes: restaurants, offices with proper bin stores, multi-tenant buildings. Per bag suits smaller premises with nowhere to put a bin: cafés, shops, salons, market-street units where a 660L bin would block a fire exit. If a salesperson only offers the model that suits their round rather than your volume, that tells you something.
What does a commercial bin cost to empty in London?
A 240L bin lift starts at £12 + VAT with Capital Recycle, rising with bin size through 360L, 660L and 1100L. Bin supply and delivery are included rather than rented.
Comparison-site ranges reach £70 a collection. Most of that spread is bin size and weight.
How much do commercial waste sacks cost?
Capital Recycle general waste sacks start at £1.50 + VAT at committed weekly volumes and £2.00 + VAT on the standard book, with the sack price covering the collection. Dry mixed recycling is priced below general waste on the standard book.
Recycling is priced below general waste at every level, because clean recycling costs less to process and the saving is passed back.
If bins are the better fit for your volume, see commercial bin collection for sizes and how the service is set up.
What makes commercial waste collection more expensive?
Four things move the price: weight, frequency against fill, how cleanly the streams are separated, and access.
- WeightEvery per-lift price carries a weight allowance, and it scales with the bin. Kilos are what the disposal gate charges for, so heavy users pay for kilos. Ask any collector how their allowance works before signing.
- Frequency against fillA bin going out half empty every week is paying to transport air. A fortnightly schedule or a smaller bin cuts the bill without cutting the service.
- Stream splitKeeping cardboard and dry recycling separate and clean moves real money over a year. Contaminated recycling is reclassified and recharged as general waste.
- AccessGround-floor kerbside is the baseline. Basements, service corridors, timed loading bays and gated estates all add minutes, and minutes are what collectors pay for.
What surcharges do London waste collectors add?
The common ones are fuel surcharges, environmental or compliance levies, ULEZ and Congestion Charge recharges, bin rental, and admin or account fees. Capital Recycle adds none of them: the published price is the invoiced price.
Ask whoever you are comparing to put that in writing. Not every operator in this market can.
Clearing a one-off volume rather than a weekly one changes the maths entirely. See what the alternative to skip hire in London is.
What you are signing matters as much as the headline rate. Full detail: do I legally need a commercial waste contract?
Is a council or a private waste collector cheaper?
Council commercial services are legitimate and the paperwork is handled, but you take the council's schedule and sack prices are often higher than an independent's. National operators bring account managers and standardised contracts. Independents compete on price and flexibility.
All three are lawful. The fit depends on whether you value schedule control and a direct line to the person who knows your street.
Some councils do not collect commercial waste at all. The City of London is one of them: when can City of London businesses put waste out?
Want a real number?
Tell us what the waste is, roughly how much a week, and the postcode. Photos help more than forms. Call 0207 101 4003 or use the contact form.
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