Westminster commercial waste collection times for bags are set street by street, and the same times apply to businesses and residents whichever collector is used. Bags may go out no earlier than 30 minutes before the street's time. The council's pages give no single list of hours, so each business needs to check its own street.
This guide explains how to find a street's time, how time bands work in the central area, which bag rules apply, and what the council's 2020 policy says happens when waste goes out at the wrong time.
How Westminster commercial waste collection times are set
The council says that "each street has an allocated collection time when bag waste is collected". The same rule applies to businesses and residents: "these times apply to both businesses and residents regardless of which waste collector will collect it." A business cannot pick its own slot, because the council says that "you cannot dictate the pick up times".
The set-out limit is in the council's Waste Enforcement Policy (2020). It says commercial bags or containers "should only be placed onto the public highway no earlier than 30 minutes before the collection time".
How to find the time for a street
The council's street search asks only for a street name. Type the first few letters of the street, not a postcode, because the search has no postcode field.
The council's pages do not say that commercial times appear in the search results, so check what it returns for your street. If your address is not listed, or the search gives no usable time, contact the council's commercial waste team. Its staff will contact the sales officer for your location area, who can tell you how to find your collection time or time band. The council's guide to finding a collection time sets out this route.
Time bands and the bags off street scheme
The central area works differently. The council's 2020 policy describes a "Bags off street scheme" that "runs in the central area of Westminster, including the main commercial streets and outer areas of the borough". In that area, waste collected by the council or a private contractor is "restricted to specific time slots". The policy calls these slots time bands, and says they "are different per street".
We found no council page that lists the streets inside the scheme, and we could not find the hours of any time band on the council's pages. That is why the street search, or a question to the council's commercial waste team, is the route to a street's time.
Bags and bins follow different times
Bagged waste follows the allocated time for its street. Bins follow the service agreement, and the council says bins are emptied at times "stated in your service agreement". The council also notes that "different waste types are collected by different trucks, sometimes at different times." A business that uses both bags and bins should check both sets of times.
Bag rules and where bags can go
- No black bags. The council's bag page says that "commercial waste cannot be presented in black bags", and that businesses using ordinary black bags "can be fined by City Inspectors".
- Outside your own premises. The council says to put bags "outside your own premises only and as close to the building line as possible".
- Forecourt or doorway. Where street collection is not possible, the council's blog says bags may be presented "on your own forecourt, on your entrance steps or in your doorway".
- Cardboard follows the same times. The council says there are "set times" for placing rubbish bags and bundles of cardboard on the street for collection.
Check with your collector which sacks it accepts before the first collection.
What happens if waste goes out at the wrong time
Waste left out after the wrong time "can be left behind and remains your responsibility", according to the council. The council can also issue fixed penalty notices. The amounts below come from the council's Waste Enforcement Policy 2020. They may have changed since then, so check the council's current figures before you rely on them.
| Offence under the 2020 policy | Penalty | If paid within 10 days |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect presentation: waste not in the right receptacle or not at the specified collection time | £110 | £75 |
| Fly-tipping (the policy includes waste put out at the wrong time on multiple occasions) | £400 | £240 |
| Failing to provide a waste transfer note within 7 days | £300 | £180 |
The 2020 policy gives 10 days to pay the reduced rate. After 10 days, and before 14 days, the full amount is due. For business presentation offences, the council's fixed penalty notice page says a notice under section 47 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 must come first.
National law has also changed. The Environmental Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023 (SI 2023/770), in force from 31 July 2023, allow fly-tipping fixed penalties of up to £1,000. The council's £400 is set below that limit.
When a van collection avoids the time band
If your waste is loaded straight from your premises by a registered carrier, by arrangement, it does not sit on the street waiting for a time band. We are a registered waste carrier. Our own crew loads business waste into our vans on days you pick. We leave no bins or skips on site, and each job comes with a waste transfer note and an invoice, as explained in our guide to waste transfer notes.
Van collections suit one-off clearances and scheduled repeat collections. For more detail, see our commercial waste service in Westminster.
Questions about Westminster collection times
Can I choose my collection time?
No. The council says that "you cannot dictate the pick up times". Collection times are set street by street, and the same times apply to businesses and residents.
Can I use black bags?
No. The council says that "commercial waste cannot be presented in black bags", and businesses that use ordinary black bags can be fined. Check with your collector which sacks it accepts before the first collection.
What if my street isn't listed?
Contact the council's commercial waste team. Its staff will contact the sales officer for your area, who can tell you how to find your collection time or time band. The steps are on the council's page on finding a collection time.
Do cardboard bundles have different times?
No. The council says there are set times for placing rubbish bags and bundles of cardboard on the street, so cardboard follows the same times as bags.
What if waste goes out at the wrong time?
The council says waste left out after the wrong time can be left behind and remains your responsibility. Its 2020 policy also sets fixed penalties, including £110 for incorrect presentation, or £75 if paid within 10 days.