Why Biffa Charges £13.27 per Lift and How to Pay Less
Food waste collection doesn’t have to cost a fortune. With the Simpler Recycling rules meaning every business in England needs a food waste bin, lots of owners are getting their first quotes. Many are surprised by what the big national firms charge.
Here we look at how food waste pricing works, why the big names tend to cost more and how to make sure you’re not paying over the odds.
Big national providers
£13.27
per lift at Biffa and First Mile
Hartes
£9.75
per lift for the same weekly food waste collection
First, what is a “lift”?
A lift is one collection of one bin. Each time the lorry empties your food waste bin, that is one lift. If you have one bin collected every week, that is 52 lifts a year. Two bins collected weekly is 104 lifts.
Because you pay every single time, a few pounds difference per lift adds up fast.
How much the difference adds up to
| One bin, collected weekly | At £13.27 per lift | At £9.75 per lift |
|---|---|---|
| Per month | £57.50 | £42.25 |
| Per year | £690.04 | £507.00 |
| You save | £183.04 a year |
Got two food waste bins? That is over £366 a year back in your pocket, for exactly the same service.
How big provider pricing works
The large national firms don’t publish a standard price list. Each business gets its own quote based on bin size, how often it is collected, location and contract length. That makes it hard to compare like for like.
The per-lift price is often only part of the bill. When you get a quote from any provider, look out for these:
🗑️
Bin rental
Some providers charge a regular fee to rent the bin on top of every collection.
📄
Admin and paperwork fees
Waste transfer notes are a legal requirement. You shouldn’t have to pay extra for them.
📅
Long contracts that roll over
Multi-year contracts that renew automatically are common across the industry. Miss the notice window and you’re locked in again.
📈
Annual price rises
Many contracts include price review clauses, so the price you sign up at may not be the price you pay next year.
Why do the big names cost more?
Large national waste companies have large national costs. Head offices, sales teams and fleets covering the whole country all have to be paid for. Their pricing is often built around big corporate contracts, not a café with one food caddy.
A local, specialist collector has far lower overheads. We focus on food waste and rubbish removal in London, Essex and Hertfordshire. That means we can pass the savings on, without cutting corners on the service or the paperwork.
“Same bin. Same weekly collection. Same legal paperwork. Just a fairer price.”
Questions to ask before you sign up
What is the total price per lift?
Ask for the full cost including bin hire, delivery and any admin fees.
Do you charge for waste transfer notes?
These are part of your legal duty of care. They should be included.
How long is the contract?
Check the minimum term, whether it renews automatically and how much notice you need to give.
Can the price go up?
Look for price review clauses and ask how often prices change.
Are you a registered waste carrier?
Ask for their Environment Agency licence number. Ours is CBDU617131.
Thinking of switching?
If you’re already with a big provider, check your contract for the end date and notice period. Give notice in writing within the time it asks for. Then get your new collection booked in so there is no gap and you stay compliant.
Not sure if you need food waste collection at all? Read our guide: Food Waste Law: Why Every Business Now Needs a Food Waste Bin.
Stop overpaying for food waste
Weekly collections from £42.25 a month across London, Essex and Hertfordshire.
Competitor price is the per-lift figure Hartes uses in its price comparison for a weekly food waste collection. Large providers set prices per contract, so individual quotes may vary. Hartes prices correct at time of writing.
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