From large music concerts and parades to sporting events and huge street carnivals, there is always something new to discover in Westminster.
In particular, Westminster sees the highest amount of special events compared to any other area in the UK. In the first half of 2019 alone, it has already helped to host large-scale events such as the New Year’s Eve festivities and Pride in London, with Notting Hill Carnival just around the corner.
When street events occur, many local businesses will see changes in the way their waste and recycling is collected due to closed streets and traffic diversions. At the same time, many special events will see businesses producing more waste than normal as a result of increased trade.
So how can Westminster businesses mitigate the impact of events on the management of their waste?
How to manage your commercial waste during special events
With such events occurring regularly across Westminster, it’s important for businesses to take a responsible approach when putting out their waste for collection.
- Do not place waste or recycling bins and bags out on the street when it is affected by a special event. This can cause obstructions which can have an impact on public safety. We take the wellbeing of event-goers very seriously and any risk to public safety or damage to property caused by waste bags being left out during the event will lead to repercussions for the business.
- Those businesses who use the City Council’s commercial waste service (via Veolia) will have their waste bags and bins collected during the event clean-up.
- Please do not use ordinary black bags for commercial waste. Make sure the waste is segregated and presented appropriately in the official red and blue bags. Our ‘what waste goes where’ guide will help you to properly segregate your waste.
- If your business produces more waste during the event due to being busier than normal, make sure to be proactive and order extra bags or arrange additional container collections to deal with any extra waste that might be produced.
Road closures during upcoming events
For a full list of events happening in Westminster head to the main Westminster website.
Closing roads during events is usually inevitable. We advise businesses located in Westminster to look at the TfL planned road closures page to help organise your business’ deliveries and servicing accordingly.
The next big event is Notting Hill Carnival taking place between Sunday 25th August and Monday 26th August.
Businesses who use private waste collections
Businesses that use private commercial waste collectors will be responsible for making the proper arrangements for waste collection. Due to the road closures during special events, waste cannot be placed on the street and private contractors will not have access to the closed-off areas. Please make alternative collection arrangements with your collector when your street is affected by event road closures. Alternatively, please contact us to help you.
Event waste management services
If you are an event organiser, you shouldn’t have to worry about the implications of the waste generated by your event. This is where our unrivalled experience in dealing with events and event waste management can help you. Events can produce large amounts of waste, all of which has to be managed throughout the event and quickly cleaned up afterwards. The waste created can come in all types and sizes, and that makes Westminster City Council Commercial Waste Services the perfect partner for large events as we can deal with every waste type on behalf of event organisers. We are proud that we are able to overcome the challenges that arise from such a diverse and populous city, offering event waste management services which few others can match.
Information on commercial collections during special events [leaflet]
This leaflet provides you with all of the information you need to know about commercial waste collections during large events in Westminster such as:
- Where to find information on special events in Westminster
- How to manage your business’ waste correctly during events
- What to do if you’re expecting extra waste to be generated during an event
- Waste and recycling collection arrangements during special events
Get your copy by clicking on the image of the leaflet
