How to become a Commercial Waste Services customer

Why choose Westminster City Council’s Commercial Waste Services?

Commercial Waste Services offers affordable, reliable, flexible and sustainable waste and recycling collections to businesses across Westminster. We are proud to work with a diverse range of sectors, including retail, hospitality, offices, service providers and event management.

Westminster City Council operates the largest waste management fleet in London, with multiple-daily collections. We are always there, even during special events and bank holidays, heavy traffic and very bad weather. You can rely on us 365 days a year to collect whatever waste types you may have.

Sustainability is key
Everything we collect is sent to locally based waste disposal and recycling facilities for primary treatment or sorting. These facilities turn the waste we collect from you into raw resources for manufacturing new products or into energy such as electricity and heat that powers London. We like to keep these routes short which saves on carbon and emissions. For example, the plastics we collect are recycled in Dagenham, glass is turned into insulation wool in Merseyside, and paper and cardboard is recycled in Kent.

To see how our material recovery facility (MRF) facility for mixed recycling works, watch the video.

The electricity that now powers our new fleet of electric waste collection and street cleansing vehicles is generated from Westminster's waste. Westminster City Council is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2040, which means we will have balanced the carbon emissions we produce and the emissions we remove from the atmosphere through emissions-saving activities and offsetting.

Our Net Zero goal means we are working hard to ensure we are leaders in our industry as we strive to find innovative ways to reduce traffic emissions and air pollution.

Great value offered

Our services are also some of the most affordable in the UK. Since you do not have to pay VAT, we are up to 20% cheaper than private waste collectors. This value is backed up with excellent customer service which includes your own account manager and a 24/7 telephone helpline. We also average a three-hour response time to deal with any unexpected problems.

What services do you need? Booking a waste audit

For many businesses, one of the first steps in the process of becoming a Commercial Waste Services customer is to sign up for a free waste audit.

This detailed audit helps identify the services that your business requires and how much of your waste can be recycled. It will also help identify how you can reduce your waste production. Our experts will come to your premises at a time that suits you and provide you with valuable insight into how you can take your waste management to the next level.

A waste audit is especially useful if you are working towards sustainability-based targets, as it is a great way to start measuring your progress.

You just need to fill out a simple form, including your name and business details. You can also include your preferred date for the audit to take place. After submitting the form, one of our team members will be in contact with you to schedule your audit.

Becoming a customer: the process

There are two ways you can become a Commercial Waste Services customer; the first is by ordering commercial waste bags on a prepaid basis, and the second is with a containerised collection service.

Please read below for more information on the two separate sign-up processes for bag and containerised (bin) collections.

For bags supplied prepaid:

The most convenient way to order commercial waste bags is through our online portal. Simply follow the steps below:

Create an account with a username and password.
Place your order and make your payment.
Complete and return the Waste Transfer Note.
We will then send you the Welcome Pack and deliver your order.

In addition to the Welcome Pack and personalised help from our representatives, you can use our Resources page and Knowledge Base for more information to help you properly separate your waste and place it out for collection at the correct time.

If required we can also help you set up a credit account for your bag orders.

For container (bin) customers

1a. Waste audit

As mentioned above, the first step to becoming a Commercial Waste Services customer can involve booking a free waste audit in order to establish which services will be best for you. If you already know which services you want, then you simply skip this first step.

1b. Site assessment

A site assessment will be completed for those customers needing containerised collections. Your account manager will always be on hand to help you decide which services are best for your business

2. Service Proposal

After the site assessment has been completed, your personal sales rep will help you choose the right services with a personalised service proposal.

3. Contract signed

If everything meets your needs, we will move forward with a contract and (if necessary) a credit check.

4. Welcome Pack

After all of these have been completed, we will send you your Welcome Pack with useful service information.

5. Equipment installation

Shortly after the contract has been signed, we will install your new equipment.

6. Service mobilisation

When your bins or compactors have been installed, your collections are activated. Your collection times will be available on your service level agreement.

Although this service is contract-based, it is extremely flexible. You can always arrange for more frequent collections (and vice versa), either on a regular or an ad-hoc basis. Your local account manager will help you with any of these changes. Come rain or shine and whether it’s a bank holiday or a special event, we are always near to collect your commercial waste.

Receiving the Welcome Pack

Whether you are ordering bags on a prepaid plan or opting for containers on a contract, you will receive a detailed and informative Welcome Pack. This pack is divided into two sections.

The first section includes information for customers using containers (bins) on the following:

How to use your commercial waste containers, including ensuring safety and correct handling
What material goes in which bin and when they are collected
Information, help and guidance for resolving issues
A full list of our other service offerings

The second section gives customers using bags information about:

The types of waste and recycling bags available
What materials should go in which bag
When, where and how to present your bags for collection
Things to be mindful of when using bagged collections including collection times

Using our guides and the Knowledge Base

Westminster City Council offers an extensive collection of educational guides and resources. These include case studies which highlight the many ways local businesses have improved their waste management.

From the resources page, businesses can download posters and order stickers to give your staff a visual reminder of what waste goes where. As well as information about carbon, food waste and plastic waste, including how to reduce these. For more specific information about waste management in Westminster, we provide guides for putting your rubbish bags out correctly and detailed information about where your waste goes.

Westminster City Council also provides a custom-built recycling performance calculator to help you analyse your recycling behaviour, with a full breakdown of how much waste your business produces, how much you recycle and where you can make improvements.

You can also keep up to date with the latest national and local policies and regulations here.

If these resources don’t answer your questions, you can search our Knowledge Base for the answers. This page also includes a list of frequently asked questions, articles about types of items to dispose of and information pertaining to accounts queries.