Starting a business in Lambeth

Use this guide to find out everything you need to know when starting a business in Lambeth.

Business and commercial waste

Any waste produced by a commercial activity is business waste.

If you use part of your home to run your business, any waste from that part is business waste. You should not leave it out with your household bins.

Your business rates do not include the cost of collecting your business waste and recycling. It must be paid for separately.

Find a registered waste carrier

Let us collect your waste

Lambeth Commercial Services collects rubbish and recycling from around 1,300 businesses in the borough, using our waste specialist partner Veolia.

Contact us to discuss what you need and pricing:

Use another waste collection service

You do not have to use our waste collection services, but you must use a licensed waste carrier. You can find many of these by searching online or in the Yellow Pages.

Before you pay for any services, you should check if a waste carrier is licensed.

Pay an invoice for trade waste

You will need your invoice number to complete this payment.

Do it online 

Pay your invoice online

Your responsibilities

Your business is responsible for all waste and recycling from your business, until it is collected by a licensed waste disposal carrier.

You must:

Timed rubbish and recycling collections

There are timed collection areas in five of our town centres – Brixton, West Norwood, Streatham, Waterloo and Clapham. If your business is in one of these areas, your waste can only be collected between certain times. You cannot have a bin on public land and you must use waste sacks instead.

This is to:

  • keep the main shopping areas free of rubbish for most of the day
  • reduce the amount of illegally dumped waste
  • make a cleaner, safer environment for people living, working and shopping in our town centres.

Timed collections affect all businesses, whether their waste is collected by Lambeth or any other contractor. Find out more about timed refuse collections.

Hazardous waste

We do not collect clinical or hazardous waste. If your business produces clinical or hazardous waste, you must use a licensed waste carrier to collect and dispose of it. Before you pay for services, check if a waste carrier is licensed for hazardous waste.

The City of London hazardous waste team provides a paint and chemicals collection service. Email hazwaste@cityoflondon.gov.uk for more information and pricing.

If you are not sure whether any of your waste is hazardous, contact us to check if it’s something we collect: