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First Mile alternative

First Mile alternatives in London

First Mile alternatives in London start with a collector that can take the sacks or the bins this week: Capital Recycle collects pre-paid sacks and 240 to 1100 litre bins across central London and the WD postcodes, starting within 24 to 48 hours from sack stock we hold. Bins are swapped like for like with no crossover period, and we issue the Waste Transfer Note for every stream. If you are leaving First Mile, we can start on the day of your last collection.
Book a collection

Switch to Capital Recycle in three steps

  1. Check your notice window. First Mile's published terms, clause 11.1 (read 2 November 2026), say not less than 90 days' written notice unless otherwise agreed; its London pages describe the service as contract-free. Your own agreement is the only source that binds you.
  2. Call 0207 101 4003 or send the form with your postcode, the containers you use and your weekly volume. We confirm the price and send the agreement before you commit.
  3. We deliver and issue the paperwork. Sacks from our own stock within 24 to 48 hours, or bins on the agreed start date, with the Waste Transfer Note for each stream issued at the start. Their containers go, ours are already in.
The full checklist is in our guide: How to switch commercial waste provider.

First Mile and Capital Recycle at a glance

Capital RecycleFirst Mile (as published, read 2 Nov 2026)
London coverageCentral London and the WD postcodes; collection frequency agreed per siteAll 33 boroughs; up to three collections a day, seven days a week, subject to local presentation time bands
SacksPre-paid general waste and mixed recycling sacks, priced per sack by weekly volume; delivered from stock we holdPre-paid general waste and mixed recycling sacks, medium and large, sold in packs
Bins240, 360, 660 and 1100 litre; one fixed monthly figure per bin, no rental line, no environmental levy, no fuel surcharge240, 360, 660 and 1100 litre; charged per scheduled lift, invoiced monthly with rental
How to startPhone or form; service starts within 24 to 48 hours; sacks from our own stock, bins on the agreed start dateOnline postcode quote; setup "in a matter of minutes"; sacks delivered in 1 to 3 working days; bins on the selected start date
Term and notice12-month agreement that renews unless you give 60 days' notice before the renewal date, or a rolling monthly option at a higher rate that you can end any month. The agreement is sent before you commitDescribed as contract-free. Published terms (clause 11.1): either party may end the agreement on not less than 90 days' written notice unless otherwise agreed; a six-month collection period renews with each order; an annual renewal fee is defined in the terms
Waste Transfer NoteAnnual WTN Service, £65 + VAT per stream, issued and renewed by usDocumentation included with the sack price, per its pages
We are the fit for one site or a few in London with sacks or one to four bins. We are not the fit for a national multi-site contract, a hazardous waste stream, or a tender that requires B Corp certification. The full comparison, with certifications, missed-collection routes and public reviews: Capital Recycle vs First Mile.

First Mile competitors in London: other alternatives, honestly

A national operator, for example Biffa or Veolia. The fit when you have sites across the UK and want one supplier, one invoice and one portal, or when you have heavy or industrial streams. The trade is scale for a named local contact.
A London recycling specialist, for example Recorra. The fit when your priority is a long list of segregated recycling streams and detailed reporting for an ESG programme, typically at office scale.
A newer, data-led independent, for example Evolve Waste: London and the Home Counties on its own vehicles, bins supplied free of charge, a weight recorded on every collection and shown in a customer portal, pre-paid 70 litre bags with a cardboard tape service. The fit when you want the collection data as much as the collection.
First Mile itself remains the fit if a tender names B Corp, if you need up to three collections a day, seven days a week, in central London, or if your sites span the UK and Ireland. Switching for its own sake is not a reason to switch.

Four things to check before you switch

  1. Who owns the bins. If the bins belong to your current supplier, agree the collection date for them so you are not paying two rentals or storing two sets.
  2. Crossover. Ask the new supplier whether the new bins go in as the old ones go out, or whether you will have both on site for a period.
  3. Waste Transfer Note continuity. You must hold a valid WTN for every stream, every day. Ask who issues it, when, and whether it is renewed annually without you chasing.
  4. The whole price. Ask for the full list of lines: collection, rental, environmental levy, fuel surcharge, renewal fee, overweight and contamination charges. Compare the list, not the headline.

Common questions

Can I leave First Mile whenever I want?

Read your terms. First Mile's published terms (read 2 November 2026) say not less than 90 days' written notice unless otherwise agreed. Your own agreement may differ.

Do I need to keep my First Mile sacks?

Use up what you have paid for if you can; unused pre-paid sacks are a question for First Mile. We can start on the day your last First Mile collection happens.

Will I have two sets of bins on site?

Not with us. The swap is like for like on the agreed date.

Who issues the Waste Transfer Note when I switch?

We do, for each stream, at the start, and we renew it annually.

Do you cover my postcode?

Central London and the WD postcodes. Call 0207 101 4003 and we will tell you straight away.

Who published this

Capital Recycle Ltd wrote this page. We compete with every company named on it, and we are the agile, independent London collector among them, with our own caged tippers and our own sack stock. Everything we say about First Mile comes from its own published pages, listed below with the date we read them, and we have not quoted any First Mile price. Our carrier registration CBDU466346 is on the public register, so check us as well.
Facts checked 2 November 2026.

Sources