Compare · Commercial waste
Biffa vs Veolia for commercial waste.
Biffa and Veolia compared for UK business waste, with the facts on each and what changed when Veolia sold its Suez UK assets back in 2024. For London, Surrey and the Thames Valley, FJL Waste Services beats both on service and terms.
Commercial and trade only. Not a domestic service.
The short answer
- For a business in London, Surrey or the Thames Valley, FJL Waste Services is the stronger answer than either: an independent running its own fleet from a depot in Uxbridge, Environment Agency upper tier registered, 100% landfill diversion, on rolling contracts with no automatic annual price rises and no fuel surcharges.
- Both of the companies below are national operators. Biffa carries the larger commercial book, with roughly 100,000 UK business accounts.
- Veolia owns treatment and energy recovery infrastructure and runs large local authority contracts alongside its commercial book.
- A waste estate spread across several regions needs a national contract, which is what both companies are built around.
- The one thing neither of them gives you is a named local contact who knows which round your site is on, which is the usual reason businesses move.
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.
- Around 100,000 UK business customers, weighted toward small and mid-sized commercial accounts
- A national depot network, structured for multi-site contracts
- Over 100 years operating in the UK waste industry
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.
Veolia
The UK arm of a French multinational, built around municipal contracts, treatment infrastructure and energy recovery.
- Owns treatment and energy recovery infrastructure in the UK, so end destinations are documented in-house
- Runs large local authority contracts alongside its commercial book
- Reporting built for organisations with formal ESG obligations
On the record
- Runs large local authority contracts alongside commercial collections
- Operates its own treatment and energy recovery infrastructure in the UK
- Acquired the former Suez UK waste business in 2022, then sold it back to Suez in September 2024
Company press releases, 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.
For a single site or a cluster anywhere in London, Surrey or the Thames Valley, the comparison changes and FJL is the better answer. Own fleet out of a depot in Uxbridge, so a bin swap or a frequency change is a phone call rather than a ticket. Rolling contracts with no automatic annual price rise and no fuel surcharge. 100% landfill diversion, Environment Agency upper tier registration CBDU91900, and a named contact who knows which round your site is on.
When we are not the right answer
If you need one contract covering sites in Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, FJL is not the answer. National coverage is what the nationals are for, and it is worth saying plainly. Within London, Surrey and the Thames Valley the reverse is true.
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 Veolia, common questions
Is Biffa or Veolia cheaper for commercial waste?
Neither publishes standard commercial pricing, and any site claiming to know is guessing. Both price on volume, material, frequency and location, and both negotiate. The more useful question is what happens to the price after year one, because automatic annual increases are where national contracts tend to get expensive.
Did Veolia buy Suez in the UK?
Veolia acquired the former Suez UK waste business in 2022 as part of the wider merger between the two groups. In September 2024 Suez bought that UK business back and reintegrated it. If you were a Suez customer, then a Veolia customer, you may now be a Suez customer again without having changed anything.
Which is better for a single site?
Honestly, often neither. Both are built for scale, and a single site tends to get standard terms and a shared service desk. A local operator running its own rounds usually gives you a named contact and faster changes. That is the trade you are making.
How do I switch away from either of them?
Check your notice period and your contract end date first, because that is what determines timing rather than anything the new provider does. Most commercial waste contracts need written notice inside a defined window. Get your current terms out before you start collecting quotes.
Other comparisons
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Tell us your postcode and what you throw away. You will have a clear price back today, not next quarter.