What Grist Environmental does

Grist Environmental Limited is a family-run waste management and recycling group headquartered in Devizes, Wiltshire, established in 1972 by founder and current Chairman Nigel with a £100 loan to start as a scrap metal merchant. The company operates a vertically integrated portfolio spanning skip hire (2-40yd), wheelie bin trade waste collections, grab lorry services, road sweeping, hazardous waste handling, confidential destruction, scrap metal processing, vehicle de-pollution, end-of-life vehicle scrapping, automotive servicing and MOT testing, agricultural cleaning, and event waste management. Core technical infrastructure includes a licensed Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Devizes that segregates and processes both non-hazardous and hazardous waste, a scrap metal yard with end-of-life vehicle de-pollution station at Littleton Panell, and a Frome, Somerset-based plastic granulation and cardboard recycling facility acquired through Moores Recycling Limited in 2026. The group operates under a Zero to Landfill policy, with residual waste directed to Refuse Derived Fuel for energy recovery.

Grist Environmental generates revenue through transactional, quote-based pricing across each service line: rental and disposal fees for skips and wheelie bins, market-rate scrap metal purchases, weighbridge-based aggregate and material sales, equipment hire for events, and professional services fees for agricultural cleaning. Go-to-market is direct sales-led, with seven dedicated phone lines and email channels covering skips, wheelie bins, scrap metal, vehicle parts, hazardous waste, events, agricultural cleaning, confidential destruction, and Moores Recycling. Customer segments are horizontally diversified across construction, manufacturing, automotive, agricultural, event organizers, retail/hospitality, healthcare, and households, with named enterprise relationships including Bowood Estate, Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems, Cross Manufacturing, and Great Dorset Steam Fair.

The group serves Wiltshire, Swindon, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and parts of Hampshire directly from seven operational sites in and around Devizes, with agricultural cleaning extended into a broader South and Eastern England footprint. Compliance certifications include Environment Agency waste carrier registration, ISO 14001 (via Moores Recycling), Recovinyl PVC accreditation, and AQSIQ accreditation for recyclable exports to China. Ownership is concentrated within the founding family, with Nigel as Chairman and his wife and three sons in leadership roles; the business has remained independent and bootstrapped with no external institutional investment.

Name

Grist Environmental

Legal name

Grist Environmental Limited

Website

https://gristenvironmental.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Grist Environmental is a family-run Devizes-based waste management and recycling group offering skip hire, wheelie bin collections, scrap metal processing, hazardous waste, automotive services, agricultural cleaning, and event services to households, construction firms, manufacturers, and event organizers across Wiltshire and South West England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (56211), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Hazardous Waste Collection (562112)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Commercial Waste Collection (Roll-off/Front-load) (IMAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial & Office Waste Collection (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAA), Special Waste Transfer (Tires, Mattresses, Appliances) (BPALABAG), Universal Waste Management (Batteries, Lamps, Mercury-Containing) (BPALAHAL), Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH), E-waste Collection, Aggregation & Reverse Logistics (BPALAIAB), Inert / Monofill Disposal (Ash, Sludge, C&D Fines, Contaminated Soils) (EUAIACAE)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Skip hire
• Wheelie bin collections
• Scrap metal recycling
• Hazardous waste disposal

Headquarters

HQ city

Devizes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Waste Collection Services: Skip hire, wheelie bin collections, grab lorry services, and man-and-van services for waste collection. Revenue generated through rental fees, collection charges, and disposal fees based on waste type and volume.
2. Scrap Metal Processing: Scrap metal yard purchasing metals from the public and trade customers. Revenue generated by processing and selling ferrous and non-ferrous metals to recycling facilities.
3. Automotive Services: Vehicle purchasing (scrap and damage repairable cars), spare parts sales, vehicle servicing, bodywork repairs, MOT testing, and vehicle recovery services.
4. Aggregate Supply: Quarried Type 1 aggregate supplied to homeowners, tradesmen, and commercial customers in various quantities from builder bags to bulk 29-tonne deliveries.
5. Event Services: Waste management services for events including skips, wheelie bins, cleaning teams, portable toilets, fencing, and road sweeping. Revenue from equipment hire and service provision.
6. Agricultural Services: Agricultural cleaning including shed clearances, pressure washing, waste removal, and chicken litter supply for fertilizer.
7. Recycled Products Sales: Sale of baled commodities (cardboard, plastics, metals), screened aggregates, car parts, chicken litter, compost, and damaged repairable vehicles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grist Environmental provides waste management and recycling services from its Devizes, Wiltshire base, including skip hire (2yd-40yd open, enclosed and roll-on roll-off), wheelie bin trade waste collections (240L, 660L, 1100L), grab lorry collections, road sweeping, hazardous waste disposal, and a Zero to Landfill Material Recovery Facility that processes segregated waste with residual stream converted to Refuse Derived Fuel. The portfolio also extends to scrap metal purchasing, confidential paper and hard-drive destruction, quarried Type 1 aggregate supply, agricultural shed clearance and pressure washing, event waste services for festivals, and automotive services (vehicle disposal, parts, MOT, bodywork and recovery).

Product overview

Grist Environmental is a family-run waste management and recycling specialist based in Devizes, Wiltshire, established in 1972. The company operates a multi-service portfolio organized around waste management (including skip hire, wheelie bins, grab lorries, hazardous waste, confidential destruction, and material recovery), automotive services (vehicle sales, parts, servicing, MOT, recovery), agricultural cleaning, and event services. The portfolio includes acquired brand Moores Recycling (plastic granulation and cardboard). The company maintains a Zero to Landfill policy, processing all waste at its licensed Material Recovery Facility before sending residual waste to Energy Recovery. Services are delivered through a specialist fleet of vehicles across Wiltshire and surrounding counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skip Hire Skip hire with sizes from 2yd to 40yd including open, enclosed and roll-on roll-off options, supplied to construction, industrial and commercial customers across Wiltshire and the South West with road licence procurement for skips placed on public highways.
• Wheelie Bin Trade Waste Collections Wheelie bin collection service in 240L, 660L and 1100L sizes with weight limits and flexible collection options for cardboard, dry mixed recyclables, food waste, general waste, glass, paper and plastics.
• Grab Lorry Services Grab lorry collection using a vehicle-mounted crane that loads over walls and fences and carries loads up to 16 tonnes, used for site clearances, excavations and bulk waste removal.
• Quarried Type 1 Aggregate Supply Supply of quarried Type 1 aggregate made from hardstone basalt for construction sub-bases, available from builder bags through to bulk 29-tonne deliveries.
• Road Sweeper Services Road sweeping service using high-powered water jets, brushes and vacuums for pre- and post-event cleaning, construction sites and agricultural cleaning of roads and car parks.
• Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Services Licensed Material Recovery Facility in Devizes, Wiltshire, for segregating and processing waste to maximise recycling and recovery, with residual waste directed to Refuse Derived Fuel routes; open to public and trade customers Monday-Friday and Saturday mornings.
• Scrap Metal Yard Scrap metal yard at Littleton Panell accepting ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the public and trade customers, with weighing, market-based pricing and a fully licensed end-of-life vehicle de-pollution station on site.
• Hazardous Waste Services Safe collection, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste including contaminated soils, chemicals, fridges and freezers, with industrial cleaning, site decommissioning and technical support.
• Man and Van Waste Collection Flexible waste collection service for restricted access locations and one-off collections, with materials processed at the MRF to maintain zero waste to landfill.
• Confidential Destruction Confidential destruction of waste paper, hard drives and prototype materials using a mobile shredding vehicle with onboard camera viewing and an industrial shredder, providing certificates of destruction and recycling.
• Specialist Vehicle Hire Specialist vehicle hire including grab lorry, road sweeper and confidential paper shredding vehicles for trade customers and the general public.
• Moores Recycling Acquired recycling brand specialising in plastic granulation and cardboard recycling, processing PVC, PET, polystyrene, LDPE, polypropylene, HDPE, ABS, polycarbonate, PMMA, MDPE, Nylon, Acetal and cardboard into consumables and resale commodities.
• Event Waste Management Services Specialist event waste management for festivals and outdoor events including on-site coordinators, litter picking teams, wheelie bins, skips, cleaning teams, portable toilets, fencing and crowd control barriers.
• Agricultural Cleaning Services Specialised agricultural cleaning service providing shed clearances, pressure washing, waste removal, and chicken litter supply for use as fertilizer, with mobile teams covering southern and eastern English counties.
• Automotive Services Automotive services including scrap car purchase, damage repairable vehicle sales, spare parts, vehicle servicing, bodywork repairs, MOT testing and vehicle recovery from the Devizes location.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero waste to landfill achieved across all waste and recyclable materials collected
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Moores Recycling LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoores Recycling Limited, based in Frome, Somerset, was welcomed into the Grist Environmental family run group of companies. Moores Recycling has over 50 years of experience in recycling plastics and cardboard, specializing in plastic granulation and cardboard baling. This acquisition enables Grist Environmental to offer next-step recycling processes, broaden markets, and increase business capacity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Biffa plc: National UK waste management company offering municipal, commercial, and industrial waste collection plus recycling and energy recovery. Overlaps with Grist's core collection and recycling services but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Veolia UK: Global environmental services operator with UK waste collection, recycling, and treatment/disposal capabilities. A broad incumbent comp that competes with regional operators like Grist for large commercial and municipal contracts.
• FCC Environment (UK): UK arm of FCC Environment providing waste collection, treatment, disposal, recycling, and energy recovery. Comparable in service scope to Grist but operates nationally and competes for regional council contracts.
• SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK: Major UK waste and recycling company operating collections, MRFs, and treatment facilities. Direct competitor for commercial waste accounts and recycling contracts in regions adjacent to Grist's coverage.

Direct peers

• Hills Waste Solutions: UK regional waste management operator providing skip hire, waste collection, MRF, and recycling services primarily in the South West of England. Direct comp to Grist given similar service mix, regional scope, and family/independently owned heritage.
• Countrystyle Recycling: Privately held South East England waste management and recycling company operating MRFs and providing commercial waste, skip hire, and materials recovery. Closely comparable to Grist's vertically integrated regional model.
• Cawleys: Independent UK regional waste and recycling company offering skip hire, trade waste, hazardous waste, and recycling services across the South/Midlands. Comparable to Grist on size, regional concentration, and breadth of waste services.
• Wastecare: UK waste collection and recycling services company offering skip hire, trade waste, hazardous waste, and confidential destruction. A close comp to Grist on service mix and target SMB/industrial customer base.

Others

• Severn Trent Green Power: UK operator of food waste anaerobic digestion and waste-to-energy facilities that accepts residual and organic waste streams. Comparable as the downstream operator that handles residual tonnage Grist is unlikely to landfill under its Zero-to-Landfill policy.

Emerging players

• Recorra: UK office-focused waste and recycling provider serving commercial customers with collections and recycling services. Comparable niche overlap with Grist's wheelie bin/office trade waste business in a specific customer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grist-environmental-ltd

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Grist Environmental