What 1st Waste Management does

1st Waste Management (legal entity: 1st Waste Management Consultants Ltd) is a UK-based commercial waste management broker founded in 1999 and headquartered in Bournemouth, Dorset. The company intermediates between business customers and a network of regional waste collection service providers, offering a comprehensive suite that includes general waste, clinical waste, hazardous waste, dry mixed recycling, food recycling, skips and roll-on/roll-off containers, site clearances, and a Man in a Van clearance service. A customer-facing Waste Portal provides 24/7 access to performance monitoring, compliance documentation, and cost analytics, while a Carbon Offset Scheme (partnered with carbonfootprint.com via VCS-certified projects) supports ESG reporting. The company holds ISO 9001 (2014), ISO 14001 (2014), ISO 45001 (2017), SafeContractor, and CIWM credentials, with a current Waste Carrier Registration through 2026.

The business operates an asset-light brokerage model: it does not own collection fleets but earns the margin between negotiated supplier rates and client billing. Pricing is quote-based with monthly invoicing and a 12-month minimum service agreement; longer contracts are positioned as a route to greater savings. Go-to-market is sales-led, anchored on dedicated phone lines (0808 164 2694 sales; 01202 393 001 customer services) with a stated 6-second average answer time, website quote forms, and regional phone numbers, supported by content marketing and active Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn presence. Customer segmentation is horizontal, covering all UK business sizes and industries, with deeper coverage in hospitality, education, healthcare, and charity retail.

Operationally, the company reports 1,536,652 bins emptied and 366,060 bags collected in the trailing twelve months across 35+ UK counties serving 1,000+ business customers. The workforce numbers 50+ staff across sales, commercial, operations, corporate accounts, business development, compliance, hazardous waste, waste audit, customer services, and finance functions. Ownership is founder/management-led, with no external PE or VC capital recorded; the leadership team includes Managing Director Richard Groome and Chairman Steve McClafferty. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

1st Waste Management

Legal name

1st Waste Management Consultants Ltd

Website

https://1stwaste.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

1st Waste Management is a UK-based commercial waste management broker founded in 1999, intermediating between 1,000+ business customers and a nationwide network of waste collection providers across general, clinical, hazardous, recycling, food, and skip services, supported by a customer portal and carbon offset scheme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Waste Management Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (5621), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112), Solid Waste Collection (562111)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Office Waste Collection (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Commercial waste collection
• Waste management brokerage
• Clinical waste disposal
• Hazardous waste services
• Recycling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bournemouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Waste Management Brokerage Services: They act as a broker managing all waste collection and disposal needs for business customers. They use a trusted network of service providers, handle contracting, scheduling, compliance, invoicing, and price negotiations. Revenue comes from the margin between negotiated supplier rates and client billing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

1st Waste Management operates as the UK's leading commercial waste management broker, acting as a single point of contact for businesses to manage all waste collection and disposal needs. The company contracts, schedules, and coordinates waste collection through its trusted network of service providers, handling general waste, clinical waste, hazardous waste, recycling, food waste, skips, and site clearances. Revenue is generated from the margin between negotiated supplier rates and client billing, supported by compliance management, a customer portal, and a carbon offset scheme.

Product overview

1st Waste Management operates as a waste management broker offering a comprehensive suite of waste collection and disposal services for UK businesses. The core offering consists of General Waste Services, Clinical Waste Services, Hazardous Waste Management Services, Dry Mixed Recycling Services, Skips and RORO Services, Food Recycling Services, and Site Clearances. These are complemented by the Customer Waste Portal for monitoring/analytics and the Carbon Offset Scheme for sustainability. The company manages contracting, collection scheduling, compliance, and invoicing through a trusted network of service providers, positioning itself as a single point of contact for all waste management needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Waste Services Comprehensive general waste collection and processing service for businesses, including various bin sizes from 240L to 1100L and Front/Rear End Loader containers.
• Clinical Waste Services Safe collection and disposal of clinical waste including offensive waste, sharps, pharmaceutical units, cytotoxic waste, feminine hygiene units, and denaturing kits.
• Hazardous Waste Management Services Safe and compliant disposal of hazardous commercial waste including chemical waste, bulk liquids, paints, batteries, WEEE items, pesticides, diesel/fuel, fluorescent tubes, and aerosols.
• Dry Mixed Recycling Services Collection and reprocessing of cardboard, paper, plastic, and metal waste streams for recycling.
• Skips and RORO Services Skip hire services (mini-skips to 12-yard skips) and roll-on/roll-off containers (20-40 yard) for larger waste disposal needs, available nationwide.
• Food Recycling Services Separate food waste collection services to help businesses comply with food waste separation regulations, diverting food waste for anaerobic digestion.
• Site Clearances One-off and complex site clearance services for bulky items, WEEE, clinical waste, and hazardous materials, with 24-48 hour collection.
• Man in a Van Clearance Service Small, medium, and large van clearance services for waste removal from premises, starting from £89 exc VAT.
• Carbon Offset Scheme Carbon offset program in partnership with carbonfootprint.com using Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) certified projects to offset CO2 emissions from waste collections.
• Waste Portal Customer portal providing performance monitoring, compliance management, and cost control with real-time analytics and service tracking.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Low Carbon DorsetminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Grant recipient from Low Carbon Dorset and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for energy efficiency improvements including 225 LED lighting panels and 68 PV panels, saving 3,000 kgs CO2 annually.
• BiffaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Biffa hosted WasteAid gala dinner where 1st Waste provided sponsorship. Biffa described as a key business partner.
• Keenan RecyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist supplier partner for food waste collection services. Partnership with Busy Bees Nurseries to reduce waste across various waste streams, particularly diverting food waste from landfill through anaerobic digestion.
• carbonfootprint.comcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental consultants providing certified carbon offset schemes. Partnership enables businesses to compensate for emissions by funding CO2 savings through Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) projects.
• WasteAidminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity partnership supporting waste management education. 1st Waste attended and sponsored gala dinner raising over £100,000 for WasteAid's work in Cameroon, Gambia, and South Africa.
• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)coreOthersVCS is a certification standard for carbon projects and credits. 1st Waste has adopted VCS to offset CO2 emissions through certified carbon reduction projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Biffa: One of the UK's largest waste management companies operating collection, treatment, and disposal infrastructure. Functions as both a key upstream supplier to 1st Waste and a broader competitor offering overlapping services directly to large customers.
• Suez Recycling and Recovery UK: UK operations of Suez, offering commercial waste collection, recycling, and treatment services. Comparable broad incumbent competing for the same UK business customers that 1st Waste serves.
• Veolia UK: UK arm of global environmental services giant providing waste collection, treatment, and recycling at municipal, commercial, and industrial scale. A broad incumbent with overlapping commercial waste capabilities that larger 1st Waste customers could migrate to.

Emerging players

• Recorra: UK waste and recycling services provider targeting commercial customers with office and multi-stream recycling. Comparable in serving UK businesses with consolidated recycling and waste contracts, though at smaller scale.
• Stericycle UK: Specialist provider of clinical waste, hazardous waste, and compliance services in the UK. Comparable to 1st Waste's hazardous and clinical waste streams, with deeper specialization in regulated healthcare-adjacent waste.

Direct peers

• Reconomy: UK-headquartered waste management and circular economy services company acting as a broker/aggregator for commercial waste, recycling, and reuse. Comparable in serving multi-site UK enterprises with compliance-led services.
• Waste Managed: UK-based commercial waste management broker offering comparable multi-stream collection, recycling, and compliance services to businesses. Closest direct competitor to 1st Waste's brokerage model and customer segment.
• CSG (Commercial Services Group): UK provider of waste management, washroom, and facilities services to commercial customers. Comparable in offering managed multi-stream waste services to UK business customers through similar channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/1stwaste
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1st-waste-management
• Instagraminstagram.com/1stwaste
• Xx.com/1stwaste

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 1st Waste Management