What Thames Materials does

Thames Materials Ltd is a London-based construction waste management and aggregates supplier, founded in 1995, operating across London and the Home Counties. The company runs an integrated service platform spanning waste collection, transfer, processing, and disposal; muck away (clean inert, hazardous, and non-hazardous); bulk excavation on a per-cubic-metre pricing basis; tipper and grab lorry hire from an owned fleet of 62 vehicles; land restoration from design through delivery; and the supply of both primary aggregates (sand, limestone, ballast, shingle) and recycled aggregates (Type 1, 2, 3, screened topsoil, shingle, fines). The Harefield, West London facility is a 12-acre Environmental Agency-permitted recycling yard with a state-of-the-art washing plant capable of processing 750,000 tonnes of construction demolition material per year, producing WRAP-approved, Highway-Spec certified outputs. Add-on services include UKAS-accredited soil testing (WAC and air-dried solid reports) and road sweeper hire.

The business is asset-heavy and operationally integrated: the owned fleet, in-house processing capacity, UKAS soil testing, in-house waste assessors, and a tip-licence network across the Home Counties allow Thames Materials to capture the full loop from waste intake through aggregate resale. The customer base is concentrated in enterprise construction contractors (Getjar, MPB Structures, Patterson Construction, Kier London, Oliver Connell), developers, and local authorities (Ealing, Harrow, Dagenham Councils), served via a sales-led B2B motion with quote-based, project-specific pricing and a customer account portal. Go-to-market is supported by a published case-study portfolio covering Battersea Power Station, Chelsea Manor Street, Westminster Bridge Road, and Shoreditch, plus community sponsorship and charity events. The company is FORS Gold, CLOCS, CHAS, BES 6001, Constructionline Gold, and ISO 9001/14001/45001 certified, with Crossrail-Approved and HS2-Approved driver status.

In December 2025, Thames Materials was acquired by Holcim UK as part of Holcim's circular construction strategy and a stated 2030 target of 6.5 million tonnes per year of construction demolition material processing. The company continues to operate under the Thames Materials brand as a subsidiary of Holcim UK.

Name

Thames Materials

Legal name

Thames Materials Ltd

Website

https://thamesmaterials.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Thames Materials is a London-based construction waste management and aggregates supplier operating a 12-acre, 750,000-tonne permitted recycling facility, 62-vehicle fleet, and integrated muck away, haulage, soil testing, and land restoration services for contractors, developers, and local authorities across the Home Counties; acquired by Holcim UK in December 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (562920), Waste Collection (56211), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)

SIC

Hazardous Waste Management (4955)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & Demolition (C&D) Debris Recycling (IMAIAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

C&D Waste Collection, Hauling & Container Services (Roll-off/Dumpsters) (EUAIAHAA), Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF)

Keywords

• Construction waste management
• Recycled aggregates
• Muck away services
• Bulk excavation
• Grab lorry hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Uxbridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Waste Collection and Disposal Services: Muck away services including clean inert muck away, hazardous muck away, non-hazardous muck away, concrete, hardcore, and tarmac breakout removal. Services provided across London and Home Counties.
2. Aggregates Supply: Supply of primary and recycled aggregates including Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 crushed concrete, screened topsoil, sand, limestone, and shingle. Both recycled and primary materials available.
3. Grab Lorry and Tipper Hire: Hiring of grab lorries and tipper lorries with drivers for muck away requirements. Fleet of 8-wheel grab lorries and 8-wheel tipper lorries capable of carrying up to 20 tonnes.
4. Road Sweeper Hire: Road sweeper hire services for sites and roads in London with minimum 4-hour periods available for hire.
5. Soil Testing Services: UKAS approved soil testing providing WAC and Solid based air dried soil reports, enabling cost-efficient disposal solutions.
6. Bulk Excavation Services: Fixed price bulk excavation services where job is priced based on cubic meter price once levels have been confirmed. Complete service from digging to disposal.
7. Land Restoration Services: Complete land restoration service from consultation and design through to full project delivery, partnering with landowners, developers, and local authorities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Thames Materials is a waste management company providing construction and demolition waste removal, transfer, and recycling, alongside the supply of primary and recycled aggregates. It offers muck away, bulk excavation, grab and tipper lorry hire, land restoration, and soil testing across London and the Home Counties.

Product overview

Thames Materials operates as a single integrated platform providing construction waste management, recycled and primary aggregate supply, and haulage services across London and the Home Counties. The core offering spans five interconnected service lines: Waste Management Services (collection, transfer, processing, and disposal of construction and demolition waste), Muck Away (removal of spoil and inert waste using tipper lorries), Grab Service (grab lorry hire for material transport and muck away with a modern 8-wheel fleet), Bulk Excavation (large-scale excavation on a per-m3 price), and Land Restoration (end-to-end restoration from design to delivery). These services are supported by a state-of-the-art Recycling Facility in Harefield that processes construction waste into WRAP-approved Recycled Aggregates, which the company also supplies alongside Primary Aggregates (virgin sand, limestone, ballast, shingle). Add-on services include Road Sweeper hire and UKAS-accredited Soil Testing. The company was acquired by Holcim UK in December 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waste Management Services Comprehensive construction and demolition waste management services including collection, transfer, processing, and disposal for public and private customers across London and the Home Counties.
• Recycled Aggregates Construction materials produced from recycled demolition waste, including Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, screened topsoil, and various fines and shingle products processed at the Harefield washing facility.
• Primary Aggregates Virgin construction materials including sharp sand, building sand, limestone in various specifications, ballast, and washed shingle in multiple sizes supplied to construction projects.
• Muck Away Removal and disposal of construction waste including clean inert muck, hazardous and non-hazardous materials, concrete, hardcore, and tarmac breakout, using 8-wheel tipper lorries carrying up to 20 tonnes.
• Grab Service Grab lorry hire service operated by qualified drivers from a modern fleet of 8-wheel grab lorries for muck away and material transport, equipped with tracking management systems and auto easy sheet covers.
• Bulk Excavation Large-scale excavation services for removal of spoil on a per-cubic-metre price basis, undertaken with the company's own machinery and qualified workforce for projects of any size.
• Land Restoration End-to-end land restoration services from consultation and design through to full project delivery, including brownfield site restoration, farmland improvement, and habitat regeneration, with integrated muck away supply of materials.
• Road Sweepers Road sweeper hire service for keeping construction sites and surrounding roads clean during material transport, available for minimum 4-hour periods or full-day and long-term project engagements.
• Soil Testing UKAS-approved soil testing service providing WAC and solid-based air-dried soil reports, with in-house waste assessors who evaluate reports and advise on cost-efficient muck away solutions.
• Tipper and Grab Lorry Hire Modern fleet of tipper and grab lorry hire for construction material delivery and waste removal, managed through a state-of-the-art tracking management system with comprehensive in-house maintenance and rolling replacement programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 750,000 tonnes annual processing capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Holcim UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2025Thames Materials acquired by Holcim UK to support Holcim's sustainability ambitions and circular economy goals, including a target to process 6.5 million tonnes of CDM (Construction Demolition Materials) annually by 2030.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Holcim UK: Parent company following December 2025 acquisition. Operates aggregates quarries, ready-mix concrete plants, and cement operations across the UK; Thames Materials is now an internal platform rather than an independent competitor.

Direct peers

• Brett Group: UK aggregates and construction waste recycling operator with washing plants, haulage fleet, and recycled aggregate production across southern England. Closest direct competitor to Thames Materials with similar integrated model and London/South East footprint.
• Day Aggregates: London and South East construction aggregates and waste recycling company operating tipper/grab lorries and recycling facilities. Directly comparable in customer base (London contractors, developers) and service offering (muck away, aggregates, haulage).
• Enovert (formerly Cory Environmental): UK operator of waste transfer, recycling, and landfill sites serving construction and commercial customers. Comparable in operating C&D and inert waste facilities with haulage logistics in London/South East.
• Hills Waste Solutions: South West England-based waste management and C&D recycling company with own transfer stations and aggregates processing. Comparable integrated recycling, aggregates, and haulage model though regional rather than London-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Grundon: Major UK family-owned waste management provider offering construction waste collection, recycling, skip hire, and aggregates across southern England. Larger and broader than Thames but directly overlaps in London/South East C&D services.
• Biffa: One of the largest UK waste management companies, providing C&D waste collection, recycling, aggregates, and skip hire nationwide. Overlaps with Thames on London construction services but operates at much greater scale with a diversified portfolio.
• Veolia UK: Global environmental services firm with major UK presence in C&D waste collection, recycling, and aggregates supply. Competes with Thames in London but offers a much broader municipal and industrial waste portfolio.
• FCC Environment UK: UK arm of FCC Environment (FCC Group) operating waste transfer, recycling, and landfill sites including construction waste streams. Comparable in C&D handling capacity though much larger and more diversified than Thames.
• SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK: UK division of SUEZ providing recycling, waste treatment, and materials recovery including construction and demolition streams. Directly competitive on recycling outputs but operates at significantly larger scale across wider geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Thames Materials