This page is for businesses. If you need rubbish removal in Islington for a shop, office, restaurant, studio or workshop, our own crew loads the waste into a van and takes it away. We also handle waste disposal for one-off clear-outs and waste removal on a regular schedule, with a waste transfer note and an invoice on every job. Households should use our sister site, linked at the end of this page.
Rubbish removal in Islington for businesses
Islington has shops and restaurants along Upper Street and in Angel, offices and studios in Clerkenwell and Farringdon, and high streets in Holloway and Archway. Clearances here are often tied to a date: a refit, a menu change, a move or the end of a lease. We clear the following for businesses in the borough:
- office desks, chairs, IT and archive boxes, for moves and lease ends (office clearance);
- shop counters, fittings and stock, for refits and closures (shop clearance);
- stock, racking and equipment from stores and light industrial units (factory and warehouse clearance);
- rubble and waste from fit-outs and strip-outs (builders' waste).
We do not take food waste, cooking oil, liquids, hazardous, clinical or chemical waste, or asbestos. Restaurants should read our restaurant waste guide.
Islington Council commercial waste and how our service differs
Islington Council runs its own commercial waste service, and for many businesses it is a sensible choice. On its business waste page, the council describes the service as "low cost, high quality and reliable, 24 hours a day seven days a week". It collects general business waste, mixed recycling and food waste. Its collection page also names confidential, bulky and clinical waste as separate services.
The council offers containers in 240, 360, 660 or 1100 litres, and grey and clear sacks delivered monthly, quarterly, every six months or once a year, depending on need. Bulky waste is quoted by a sales officer after a visit. The council does not publish general collection prices, so ask for a written quote.
Our service works differently. We do not supply bins or sacks, and we leave nothing on site. Our crew loads the waste into our van on the day you book, so a one-off clear-out, a bulky load or a refit can be done in one visit. Quotes are fixed and in writing. Every job gets a waste transfer note and an invoice.
A council contract suits a business that wants bins or sacks on a regular arrangement. A van clearance or scheduled pickup suits a one-off job, bulky items or a refit. If you are weighing up Islington council waste collection for your business, ask both providers for written quotes.
Local rules for putting business waste out
The council sets rules for business waste put out on the street. Check the current times on its collection times page.
- Timing: the council says "you must place your waste out no more than 30 minutes before collection."
- Streets without a set time: the council says waste "should be presented and removed between 6pm and 6am". Some roads have fixed time bands, so check the council's list for your street.
- Bags: the council says "All business waste should be fully contained and tied in your commercial waste provider's sacks (not exceeding 6.5kg)" (business waste page). Waste in a bin must have the lid closed, and cardboard must be bundled with the provider's recycling labels.
Its fly-tipping page says: "If you're caught, you could be fined £800." Not paying a fine, or persistent fly-tipping, can lead to prosecution. The council's business waste page also warns that waste placed out on the highway incorrectly "is unauthorised and may lead to prosecution".
Duty of care. If you use another provider, the council says "You must use a commercial waste service that is legally registered." Gov.uk adds that you must complete a waste transfer note for each load that leaves your premises, and keep a copy for 2 years. Our licence number is CBDU502847, valid to 16 September 2029, and you can check it on the register. We give a waste transfer note with every job.
Access, parking and timing in Islington
On TfL red routes, vans may stop and load only where the signs and road markings allow it, so check the TfL red route maps for your road. Tell us the road before we book, so we can plan the visit around it.
South Islington below Pentonville Road and City Road, including Clerkenwell and Farringdon, is inside the Congestion Charge zone. Check each address with the TfL zone and postcode checker. The whole borough is inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which covers all London boroughs.
Many offices and mixed-use buildings have a building manager. Send us the contractor rules, lift booking process and loading bay times, and we will work to them. Our normal hours are Monday to Saturday, 7am to 7pm. Evenings, early starts and Sundays can be arranged.
Districts we cover in Islington
We cover these Islington districts: Angel, Islington, Highbury, Canonbury, Holloway, Archway, Finsbury Park, Tufnell Park, Barnsbury, Clerkenwell, Farringdon, Caledonian Road, Upper Street, Nag's Head, Tollington, Mildmay, St Luke's, Bunhill and Pentonville. For all the areas we cover, see our areas.
For household clearances in Islington, see our sister site Rid Junk.
Questions about rubbish removal in Islington
Do you take household rubbish in Islington?
No. We work for businesses only. For household clearances in Islington, use our sister site, Rid Junk.
Does Islington Council collect business waste?
Yes. The council runs its own business waste service, with containers, sacks and bulky collections. Our van clearances and scheduled pickups suit one-off jobs, bulky items and refits.
How early can business waste go out in Islington?
No more than 30 minutes before collection, according to the council's collection times page. On streets without a set time, the council says waste should be presented and removed between 6pm and 6am.