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First Mile pricing

First Mile pricing: how its charges are structured, and what sacks and bins cost in London

First Mile pricing is set by quote or by pack, as its own pages describe below, and we do not reprint its figures. Capital Recycle publishes every price: pre-paid sacks from £2.20 + VAT a bag under 10 a week to £1.50 + VAT at 1,000 and over, one fixed monthly figure per bin with no rental, the Annual WTN Service at £65 + VAT per stream, and two terms. The rest of this page is what moves the cost of sack and bin collection in London, and the six questions that make any two quotes comparable.
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What First Mile publishes about its pricing

First Mile sells pre-paid sacks, plus VAT, in packs, with collection, recycling and the documentation included in the sack price. Bins are charged per scheduled lift and invoiced monthly with rental. Its terms (clause 11.1, read 2 Nov 2026) define an annual renewal fee without stating the amount and permit overweight and contamination charges. The London pages describe the service as contract-free; the same terms say either party may end the agreement on not less than 90 days' written notice unless otherwise agreed, and a six-month collection period renews with each order. The sack price itself comes from its online postcode quote.

What drives the cost of sack and bin collection in London

  • Weekly volume and commitment. A route pays when it is dense. A site that commits to a weekly number on a 12-month agreement gets a lower rate than an ad-hoc order, with every collector in London.
  • Container size and how often it is lifted. A 1100 litre bin lifted twice a week costs more per month than a 240 litre bin lifted once, and the lift rate falls per litre as the bin grows.
  • Weight. Disposal is charged by the tonne, so a bag or bin over its weight limit costs the collector more than the headline covers. Most collectors reserve a charge for it; ask what the limit is and what the charge is.
  • The stream. Dry mixed recycling tips at a lower gate rate than general waste when it is clean, which is why recycling is usually the cheaper line and why contamination can move a load back to the general waste rate.
  • Postcode and zone. ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and parking all land on the collection, and some collectors pass them through as separate lines.
  • The lines around the headline. Rental, environmental levy, fuel surcharge, admin fee, renewal fee, wasted-journey charge, contamination charge. Two quotes with the same per-lift rate can be a long way apart once these are added.
  • Term and notice. A low rate on a long term with a long notice period can cost more than a higher rate you can leave.

How Capital Recycle prices sacks and bins

Sacks. One price per bag, set by the weekly volume you commit to on a 12-month agreement on one of our routes. Collection, disposal and delivery from our own stock are in the price. Every order is 50 bags; the printed limit is 5 kg a bag, and a consistently overweight bag is a conversation about frequency or a bin before it is a charge.
Bags a week (committed, on a 12-month agreement, on route)General waste, per bag + VATDry mixed recycling, per bag + VAT
Under 10£2.20£2.10
10 to 49£2.10£2.00
50 to 99£2.00£1.90
100 to 149£1.90£1.80
150 to 199£1.80£1.70
200 to 499£1.70£1.60
500 to 999£1.60£1.50
1,000 and over£1.50£1.50
Bins. One fixed monthly figure per bin by Direct Debit, set by bin size (240, 360, 660 or 1100 litres), lift frequency and postcode, with no bin rental while you are a customer. The figure is on the quote before you sign, and it does not move with the lift count, so there is no per-lift line on the invoice to argue over. Excess weight is agreed with you in writing before any invoice changes.
The lines you will not find. No bin rental, no fuel surcharge, no environmental levy, no admin fee. Fuel, ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and licensed disposal are in the price.
Term. A 12-month agreement at the published rate, renewing unless you give 60 days' notice before the renewal date (we remind you 90 days before), or a rolling monthly option at 10% more per bag or per lift that you can end any month.
Waste Transfer Note. The Annual WTN Service is £65 + VAT per stream, invoiced separately and shown in the agreement before you sign.
Full detail: Pricing, Pre-paid sack collection, Commercial bin collection.

First Mile pricing and Capital Recycle pricing, side by side

Capital RecycleFirst Mile (as published, read 2 Nov 2026)
SacksPublished per bag by committed weekly volume, from £2.20 + VAT under 10 a week to £1.50 + VAT at 1,000 and over; recycling 10p less in every band but the top onePre-paid, per sack plus VAT, sold in packs; collection, recycling and documentation included
BinsOne fixed monthly figure per bin by Direct Debit, set by bin size, lift frequency and postcode; no rental, no per-lift line on the invoicePer scheduled lift, invoiced monthly with rental
Extra linesNone. No bin rental, no fuel surcharge, no environmental levy, no admin fee; fuel, ULEZ and the Congestion Charge are in the priceTerms define an annual renewal fee (amount not stated) and permit overweight and contamination charges
Term and notice12-month agreement at the published rate, 60 days' notice before the renewal date, or a rolling monthly option at 10% more per bag or per liftDescribed as contract-free; terms: not less than 90 days' written notice unless otherwise agreed, six-month collection period renewing with each order
Waste Transfer NoteAnnual WTN Service, £65 + VAT per stream, invoiced separately and shown before you signDocumentation included with the sack price, per its pages
The service comparison, with coverage, containers, certifications and missed-collection routes: First Mile comparison: Capital Recycle vs First Mile. Who else to compare: First Mile alternatives in London.

Six questions that make any two quotes comparable

  1. What is the full list of lines on the invoice? Collection, rental, levy, fuel, admin, renewal, overweight, contamination, failed access. Get the list in writing, then compare the lists.
  2. What is the weight limit per bag or per bin, and what happens above it?
  3. What is the term, when does it renew, and how much notice do I need to give?
  4. Does the price move during the term, and on how much notice?
  5. Who issues the Waste Transfer Note, what does it cost, and is it renewed without me chasing?
  6. What do I pay on the way out? Bin removal, final collection, early termination.

Common questions

Is First Mile cheaper than Capital Recycle?

We do not reprint First Mile's figures, so compare its quote with the table above, line by line, after the six questions. A lower per-lift rate with rental, a levy and a renewal fee is often the dearer invoice.

Is there a First Mile exit fee?

Its published terms define an annual renewal fee and a notice period; an exit fee is not published. Read your own agreement, which is the only document that binds you.

Do you charge bin rental?

No. The bins are part of the service while you are a customer.

What if my bags or my bin are overweight?

The published limit is 5 kg a bag and a rated limit per bin size. If a site is consistently over, we agree a bigger bin or more lifts with you in writing before anything changes on the invoice.

Can I get your price without committing?

Yes. Call 0207 101 4003 or send the form with your postcode, containers and weekly volume; we confirm the band or the lift rate and send the agreement before you decide.

Who published this

Capital Recycle Ltd wrote this page. We compete with First Mile, and we are the agile, independent London collector of the two, with our own caged tippers and our own sack stock. Everything we say about First Mile pricing comes from its own published pages, listed below with the date we read them, and we have not quoted any First Mile price. Our prices are the ones on our site. Our carrier registration CBDU466346 is on the public register, so check us as well.
Facts checked 3 November 2026.

Sources