Wastewise
Wastewise is a UK waste management and resource recovery operator running three composting and recycling facilities in the North of England, serving nine local authorities and 8.5 million residents with over 300,000 tonnes of annual processing capacity and 99% recycling/recovery rates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersKingston upon Hull, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Wastewise does
Wastewise (legal entity Biowise Limited) is a UK-based waste management and resource recovery operator headquartered in Willerby, East Yorkshire, founded in 1964 and acquired by Urbaser Ltd (now part of FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente) in May 2022. The company operates three purpose-built waste treatment facilities in the North of England — Willerby (90,000 tpa IVC), Crewe (75,000 tpa IVC/ASP), and Esholt (75,000 tpa OWC on a Yorkshire Water site) — with combined annual processing capacity exceeding 300,000 tonnes and a 99%+ recycling and recovery rate.
The technology stack is centred on GICOM In-Vessel Composting (sourced from the Netherlands) for mixed garden and food waste, supplemented by Aerated Static Pile (ASP) and Open Windrow Composting (OWC) systems, plus mechanical recycling lines and RDF/SRF fuel production for residual waste. Outputs include BSI PAS 100 and Compost Quality Protocol certified peat-free compost in 0-10mm and 0-25mm grades, marketed under the SupaGrow brand through Vital Earth Sales. The asset base is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, UKAS, CMS, ABPR, and BSI PAS 100 standards.
Revenue is generated through four streams: long-term municipal waste processing contracts (3-15 years, gate fees per tonne, £600K-£30M total contract value) with nine local authorities serving 8.5 million residents; commercial waste collection and skip hire in Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire; B2B total waste management services for manufacturers and enterprises (e.g., Swift Group since 2012); and certified compost product sales. Customer acquisition is enterprise field sales for councils combined with direct sales for commercial accounts. The 40+ employee operation generated over £13M in revenue in 2021 and is now embedded within the Urbaser/FCC group structure.
Wastewise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wastewise
- Legal name
- Biowise Limited
- Website
- https://wastewise.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wastewise is a UK waste management and resource recovery operator running three composting and recycling facilities in the North of England, serving nine local authorities and 8.5 million residents with over 300,000 tonnes of annual processing capacity and 99% recycling/recovery rates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wastewise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Integrated Waste Management
- NAICS
- Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Collection (5621), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Yard Waste, Land Clearing & Green Waste Processing (Mulch/Compost Feedstock) (BPALAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Wood Waste Processing & Recycling (Mulch/Biomass) (BPALAJAE)
Keywords
Where Wastewise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kingston upon Hull
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Wastewise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Municipal Waste Processing Contracts: Long-term contracts with local authorities for processing household organic waste (food and garden waste). Revenue derived from gate fees per tonne of waste processed. Contracts typically span 3-15 years with annual values ranging from £600,000 to £2.5 million.
- Commercial Waste Collection and Processing: Waste collection services for businesses including single stream recycling, food waste collection, general waste collection, and skip hire. Revenue from service fees and waste processing charges.
- Compost Product Sales: Sale of BSI PAS 100 certified compost products (0-10mm and 0-25mm grades) to horticulture, agriculture, landscaping and land remediation markets. Five-year contract with Vital Earth Sales for 40,000+ tonnes per annum supply.
- Total Waste Management Services: Comprehensive 'one-stop shop' waste management solutions for commercial customers including segregation, collection, recycling, recovery, and reporting services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise pricing for local authority contracts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Skip hire services with multiple container sizes |
| Other | Monthly | Business waste collection services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Wastewise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wastewise provides integrated waste management services across the North of England, including commercial waste collection, total waste management, in-vessel composting (IVC), open windrow composting (OWC), recycling and recovery, and skip hire for businesses, local authorities and households. It operates three treatment facilities (Willerby, Crewe, Esholt) processing 300,000+ tonnes of waste annually and produces BSI PAS 100 certified peat-free compost products for horticulture, agriculture and landscaping markets.
Product overview
Wastewise operates three state-of-the-art waste treatment facilities across the North of England (Willerby, Crewe, and Esholt) offering a comprehensive suite of waste management services. The core offering combines waste collection with advanced treatment technologies including In-Vessel Composting (IVC) for mixed garden and food waste, Open Windrow Composting (OWC) for garden-only waste, and Recycling & Recovery operations. Products include BSI PAS 100 certified peat-free compost in two grades (0-10mm and 0-25mm). Services extend to skip hire, bins & containers (RORO, compactors, FELs, wheelie bins), and a Total Waste Management 'one-stop shop' solution. The company processes over 300,000 tonnes of waste annually with a 99%+ recycling and recovery rate, serving local authorities and commercial customers across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire and Cheshire.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Total Waste Management
Quantifiable outcome
- 99%+ recycling and recovery rate achieved in 2019
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Wastewise
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Wastewise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Wastewise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.
- J&B Recycling LtdminorJ&B Recycling was involved in the acquisition of waste management contracts from Amey and J&B Recycling Ltd during 2021. Partnership for waste management services in the Humberside region.
- Vital Earth Sales LtdmajorFive-year contract signed December 2020 to supply over 40,000 tonnes per annum of BSI PAS 100 certified compost to Vital Earth Sales. Products sold under SupaGrow brand nationwide in builders' merchants, garden centres and retail outlets.
- Yorkshire WatercoreWastewise entered into agreement with Yorkshire Water for operation of an open windrow composting facility at its Esholt wastewater treatment site. Wastewise operates the seven-acre site for an initial three-year period for recycling of circa 50,000 tonnes per annum of household garden waste from West and South Yorkshire areas.
- Swift GroupmajorLong-term partnership since 2012 providing total waste management for Swift Group's caravan manufacturing operations. Approximately 5,000 tonnes per annum handled with 'one-stop shop' solution enabling cost savings of nearly 40%.
- GICOMcoreDutch GICOM technology provider for In-Vessel Composting systems. Wastewise uses GICOM IVC systems at both Willerby and Crewe facilities. The GICOM system is proven globally for converting organic waste into quality BSI PAS 100 certified compost products.
- Stobart EnergyminorPartnership for waste transfer facility supporting Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council contract. Wastewise established the transfer facility in conjunction with Stobart Energy, the UK's leading provider of biomass fuel.
- AES Ltd (Alliance Environmental Services)minorAES Ltd operates on behalf of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council for organic waste collection. Wastewise handles transportation and treatment of the organic material collected by AES to the Crewe IVC facility.
- Derby City CouncilmajorLong-term organics contract with Derby City Council for processing approximately 19,000 tonnes per annum of mixed kitchen and garden waste. Extended to 2026 with annual value of approximately £1 million.
- Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)majorPartnership for processing organic waste from ten GMCA councils. Wastewise processes 20,000 tonnes per annum with additional 25,000 tonnes under new contracts. Material transported to Crewe IVC facility for treatment.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Wastewise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Biffa plc: Biffa is one of the largest UK waste management companies, offering waste collection, recycling, treatment and disposal services to local authorities and commercial customers nationwide. Directly comparable to Wastewise on municipal organics contracts and commercial waste collection.
- FCC Environment: FCC Environment is the UK subsidiary of FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente and is the parent/related party of Wastewise following the 2022 Urbaser acquisition. It operates waste treatment, recycling and disposal services across the UK and directly competes on municipal contracts in overlapping geographies.
- Envar Composting: Envar is a UK specialist in-vessel and open windrow composting of food and garden waste, producing PAS 100 certified compost for local authorities. Closely comparable to Wastewise on composting technology, customer base (UK councils) and end products.
- Olleco: Olleco is a UK food waste collection and recycling specialist serving hospitality, food manufacturing and retail customers, with material routed to anaerobic digestion. Comparable to Wastewise on commercial food waste collection and organics diversion services.
Broad incumbents
- Veolia UK: Veolia is a global environmental services group with substantial UK operations across waste collection, recycling, composting and energy-from-waste. It competes with Wastewise for local authority organics and total waste management contracts but operates a much broader portfolio.
- SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK: SUEZ operates a large UK network of recycling and recovery infrastructure, including composting and MBT facilities serving local authorities. Directly comparable on municipal organics processing with a broader UK waste portfolio than Wastewise.
Emerging players
- Biogen (UK): Biogen is a UK operator of anaerobic digestion plants that process food waste into renewable energy and biofertiliser. Comparable to Wastewise on the food waste processing value chain, but uses AD rather than IVC and represents a potential substitute technology.
- J&B Recycling Ltd: J&B Recycling is a North East England waste management firm involved in Wastewise's 2021 acquisition of Humberside contracts. Comparable on municipal waste contracts and recycling operations in overlapping northern UK regions.
Regional players
- Amey plc: Amey operates waste and environmental services contracts for UK local authorities, including organic waste collection in the Humberside region. Comparable to Wastewise on municipal contract work, with regional overlap in northern England.
- Hills Waste Solutions: Hills Waste Solutions provides skip hire, waste collection, recycling and treatment services in the South West of England. Comparable to Wastewise on collection services and skip hire, but operates in a different region without direct head-to-head competition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wastewise social profiles
Digital presenceWastewise compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Wastewise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wastewise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Wastewise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wastewise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wastewise
What does Wastewise do?
Wastewise provides integrated waste management services across the North of England, including commercial waste collection, total waste management, in-vessel composting (IVC), open windrow composting (OWC), recycling and recovery, and skip hire for businesses, local authorities and households. It operates three treatment facilities (Willerby, Crewe, Esholt) processing 300,000+ tonnes of waste annually and produces BSI PAS 100 certified peat-free compost products for horticulture, agriculture and landscaping markets.
Is Wastewise a public or private company?
Wastewise is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Wastewise founded?
Wastewise was founded in 1964. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wastewise based?
Wastewise is headquartered in Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Wastewise make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Municipal Waste Processing Contracts are the primary driver. The others are commercial Waste Collection and Processing, compost Product Sales and total Waste Management Services.
Who are Wastewise's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Biffa plc, FCC Environment, Envar Composting and Olleco. Broad incumbents are Veolia UK and SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK. Emerging players are Biogen (UK) and J&B Recycling Ltd. Regional players are Amey plc and Hills Waste Solutions.
Does Wastewise have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wastewise.
What industry is Wastewise in?
Wastewise's product category is Integrated Waste Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAEAG, Yard Waste, Land Clearing & Green Waste Processing (Mulch/Compost Feedstock), with a secondary code of BPALAJAE, Wood Waste Processing & Recycling (Mulch/Biomass). Its NAICS code is 562111 and its SIC code is 4953.