Service Update

This page includes information on products and services from Westminster's commercial waste service, to ensure all customers are up to date with what we can offer and are making full use of the service:

Waste/ recycling collections during the Olympic period

Westminster’s waste management team has finalised waste collection arrangements during the Olympic period. Despite road closures, event timings and traffic circulation plans which haven't been finalised by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), Police and Transport for London (TfL)  we are pleased to inform you that waste and recycling collection services will operate as normal during the Olympic period. Westminster's Clean Streets enforcement policy will be in operation to ensure extremely high levels of cleanliness during the Olympic period.

If your waste is collected by Westminster/ Veolia you can rest assured there will be no service changes. It will be business as usual. Any additional information on the Waste and Cleansing Service will be published via this webpage as well as the monthly e-newsletter for Westminster businesses for which you can sign up through this link. More information about the 2012 Olympics can be found on these pages as well as the 2012 Olympics website.

If your waste is collected through a private waste contractor, it is your contractor’s responsibility to make alternative collection arrangements during the Olympic period. All private waste contractors operating in Westminster have been notified that it is essential they start making arrangements for their collections during the Olympics in order to ensure their operations can continue in a timely, efficient and effective manner.                 

Changes to the annual Waste Transfer Note

This year's annual Waste Transfer Note will incorporate some added changes with regards  to the Waste Hierarchy and the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC 2007).  For more information on this please see this page.                                     

Buying bags over the counter

Westminster's One Stop Shops have now closed. If you prefer to pay for your commercial waste bags over the counter in cash, by cheque or card, please do so at any of the Post Offices in Westminster. Please note that the Post Office does not hold a stock of bags and any order obtained this way will be delivered (free of charge) within 48 working hours (cheques will need to clear first before the order can be delivered). 

Recycling theft

Recently there has been an increase in theft of recyclable materials as well as metal waste bins from customers by illegal waste collectors. Theft of recycling and metal is increasing due to world wide high commodity prices. At present this has mainly involved baled cardboard which is taken away overnight and early morning before the official Westminster collection crew arrives. The theft of these materials is a serious issue similar to recent thefts of cables and metals from Network Rail. In addition the theft of recycling is a breach of the Duty of Care requirement for waste. We advise our customers not to leave any recycling out overnight and ensure that only the official Westminster branded vehicle and crew collect this. All our vehicles and staff are Westminster and Veolia branded. Any other operative or vehicle must not be allowed to take the material you have placed out for collection.  Westminster is working together with  the other London Boroughs, who also have reported this problem, in order to get the theft of recycling stopped and the perpetrators dealt with. Notify us immediately when someone, other than a Veolia Westminster collection crew, takes your recycling so we can identify the perpetrator(s) through our CCTV recordings.

Grey turning red

You might have noticed that over the last few months the traditionally grey commercial waste bags have been replaced with a red version in all areas in Westminster.

For our customers nothing changes apart from the actual colour of the bag. You’ll still have the same service provided by the same people. The red commercial waste bags are part of the new house style for the commercial waste service. Only the compactor bags will remain grey and of course customers using the clear bags will keep on receiving these.

Food waste

Food waste forms a significant part of the waste from the hospitality industry. However most of the facilities for separately collected food waste compost this which doesn’t contribute to the environment compared to the way Westminster disposes of waste through the energy from waste process. Recent studies taking transport, distances and energy usage into consideration have shown that disposing of food waste through energy from waste incineration, as Westminster does with all general waste, has a better impact on the environment than composting. By using Westminster’s waste collection service you can be assured that you are doing your bit for the environment.

Cardboard tape

When disposing of cardboard boxes why not use the yellow cardboard stickers? Cardboard boxes often do not fit into the waste and recycling bags. By flatpacking them, bundling them into bundles of 15 boxes maximum and attaching the cardboard sticker you avoid the risk of torn bags or a Fixed Penalty if cardboard is left out without the sticker attached.

The stickers are not designed to keep the bundle together, please use ordinary tape or a piece of string for that. You can order cardboard stickers here.