Compare · Commercial waste
Biffa vs First Mile for commercial waste.
Biffa and First Mile compared for business waste and recycling: national scale against a central London recycling specialist. For commercial waste across London, FJL Waste Services is the independent that beats both on terms.
Commercial and trade only. Not a domestic service.
The short answer
- For most London businesses, neither. FJL Waste Services collects across London, Surrey and the Thames Valley on rolling contracts with 100% landfill diversion, Environment Agency upper tier registration and a named local contact.
- The two companies below are not really competing for the same customer anyway. Biffa is a national operator; First Mile is a London recycling company built around sustainability certification.
- First Mile is B Corp certified, operates a zero to landfill policy, and uses electric vehicles and cargo bikes for central London collections.
- Biffa has the national footprint, with roughly 100,000 UK business customers and depots across the country.
- If your sites are in central London and a tender asks specifically for B Corp certification, that is First Mile's niche. For commercial waste across London more broadly, plus Surrey and the Thames Valley, FJL Waste Services is the independent alternative to both, with 100% landfill diversion and rolling contracts on plain terms.
The three options, side by side.
FJL Waste ServicesUs
Independent and family run since 2013, collecting across London, Surrey and the Thames Valley from a depot in Uxbridge on rolling contracts.
- Own fleet and employed drivers on fixed rounds, no subcontracting
- Collects across London plus Surrey and the Thames Valley, densest in the west
- Every hazardous and confidential stream either collected or arranged in house
On the record
- Environment Agency upper tier carrier, broker and dealer, CBDU91900, valid to March 2028
- Registered as FJL Recycling Ltd, company number 08359299, incorporated 2013
- 100% landfill diversion across the streams FJL collects
- Around 190,000 collections and about 10,000 tonnes handled a year
- Rolling contracts with no automatic annual price rises and no fuel surcharges
Registration and company number are public records and linked from the hazardous waste page. Collections and tonnage are self reported by FJL, not independently audited.
Biffa
One of the largest integrated waste companies in the UK, serving both household and commercial customers at national scale.
- National coverage for multi-site or out-of-London operations
- Handles heavy and industrial waste streams at scale
- Operates across every commercial sector
On the record
- Serves roughly 100,000 UK business customers and around 2 million households
- Handles in the region of eight million tonnes of material a year
- Over 100 years in the UK waste industry
- Taken private by Energy Capital Partners in January 2023
Company and investor statements, checked August 2026.
First Mile
A London-focused recycling company built around sustainability certification and access to congested central sites.
- B Corp certified, which some tenders ask for directly
- Uses electric vehicles and cargo bikes on central London collections
- Offers seven-day collections in its core central London area
On the record
- B Corp certified
- Operates a zero to landfill policy
- Uses electric vehicles and cargo bikes for central London collections
- Offers collections seven days a week in its core area
Company published material, checked August 2026.
Neither of the other two companies is linked from this page. This is a comparison, not an advert for either of them, and you should check what they say for yourself. FJL’s own registration and company number are public records, so check those too.
Where an independent fits.
FJL is the third option on this page and, for most London businesses, the right one. Independent and family run since 2013, collecting across London plus Surrey and the Thames Valley from a depot in Uxbridge, with 100% landfill diversion, Environment Agency upper tier registration CBDU91900, and rolling contracts carrying no automatic annual price rise and no fuel surcharge. Local responsiveness a national cannot offer on a single site, without giving up the licensing or the paperwork.
When we are not the right answer
If a tender names B Corp certification as a hard requirement, that is a certification FJL does not currently hold, and we would rather say so than waste your time. On the waste service itself, across London, Surrey and the Thames Valley, we will put our licensing, diversion and terms up against either of them.
Who published this
This comparison is published by FJL Waste Services, an independent commercial waste company that competes with both of the companies above. We are telling you that up front so you can weigh it accordingly. Every claim we make about ourselves is checkable: waste carrier registration CBDU91900 is on the public register, and we will show you a sample report before you commit to anything.
FAQ
Biffa vs First Mile, common questions
Is First Mile only available in London?
Its service is built around London and concentrated in the central zones, where its low-emission fleet and frequent collections are designed to work. FJL collects across London as well, plus Surrey and the Thames Valley, so if your sites run outside the centre you do not need a second provider to cover them.
Does B Corp certification matter for waste?
It matters if your customers, investors or tender processes ask for it, and increasingly some do. It is a certification of the whole business rather than of any specific collection, so it sits alongside rather than replaces the diversion and tonnage figures you should be asking any provider for.
Can I get zero to landfill from a local operator?
Yes, and you should ask for the evidence rather than the claim. What matters is where the material actually goes and whether the provider will show you a diversion figure. Ask for a sample report before you sign anything, from anyone.
Other comparisons
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