Lithium battery fires

Lithium batteries have caused fires in the rubbish lorries. Please do not put batteries in your waste or recycling bin. All batteries (including lithium batteries from e-bikes and e-scooters and other re-chargeable devices) can be taken to the Reuse and Recycling Centre at Northumberland Wharf.

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Timed waste collections

Time banded waste and recycling collections

We are introducing time banded waste collections for high streets, town centres, and commercial areas to help make our busy streets cleaner.

Residents and businesses on time banded streets must put their waste and recycling out for collection during specified 2-hour periods.

Your waste will be collected twice a day, 7 days a week.

Find out if your property is time banded

Benefits of the new arrangements

  • More regular collection of rubbish and recycling for residents and businesses twice daily, 7 days a week
  • Keeping our busier streets clean and more attractive.
  • Reducing obstructions and problems caused by illegally dumped rubbish.
  • Reduces the risk of pests.
  • Better traffic management.
  • Improves the efficiency of street cleansing.

Residents

If you are unable to put your waste out during the time bands, please consider what alternative arrangements you can make to ensure your waste is put out during the correct time.

You are not allowed to leave your waste or recycling out the night before.

The householder is responsible for making sure that all residents in the property comply with the Tower Hamlets Household Waste Regulations 2024.

Any resident who leaves waste or recycling for collection before or after the time bands will receive a warning.

How to use the service

The collection point for your waste and recycling is on the street where it meets the edge of your property.

  • Use the correct sacks:
    • Clear sacks for recycling.
    • Black sacks for waste.
  • Never put your recycling in black sacks.
  • Recycling and waste must be put in the same collection point but in separate piles.
  • Sacks must be securely closed.

Our enforcement team will be monitoring the streets to make sure that waste and recycling are put out and collected correctly.

Businesses

What you need to do

  • Your waste and recycling must only be put out within your 2 hour time band. Please make sure that your waste carrier is able to collect during your 2 hour time band.
  • It is important that your waste sacks are provided by a registered waste carrier. You can order waste sacks from Tower Hamlets Commercial Waste.
  • You must properly separate general waste, recyclables, and food waste (where food waste collections are available)

Responsibility is on the business to make sure that their waste and recycling is collected.

You will be held liable if your waste carrier does not collect your waste and recycling in compliance with the scheme.

Support from the Commercial Waste Service

Our commercial waste service is designed to support businesses with:

  • Flexible Collection Contracts to meet your business’s needs at extremely competitive prices
  • Education and Resources, including training materials, workshops, and advisory services
  • Recycling Solutions, including recycling sacks and guidance on separating materials, helping your business reduce your environmental impact.

Businesses with Food Waste

Food waste must be stored in your premises in sealed caddies until your collection time.

These durable bins prevent bad smells and odours escaping while offering strong protection against vermin. Environmental Health Officers have confirmed that use of caddies for food waste will not compromise any Health and Safety Regulations.

In the new year the Commercial Waste service will start a food waste service which will:

  • Collect organic waste for recycling into compost.
  • Help businesses reduce general waste volumes, lowering costs and enhancing sustainability
  • Ensure compliance with future regulations on food waste disposal.

If your business is closed during the timeband

If your premises is closed during the time band for your AM or PM collection, you will need to store your waste and recycling in your premises until the next collection.

If your business premises is closed for both collections, or if you do not have enough space to store your waste and recycling until your time band, then you may need to arrange for your waste collector to come into the premises during opening hours to collect your waste (internal collections).

Internal collections

Parking Enforcement Officers will allow waste vehicles to make internal collections, but waste contractors have a duty of care not to obstruct the road. Red route restrictions will still apply.

If we are your waste contractor and you need internal collections, email us at commercial.waste@towerhamlets.gov.uk with the subject ‘Timed collections’ and we can discuss your service needs.

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