Recycling companies near me: how to find a registered collector or buyer by postcode
Type your postcode and the directory shows the waste and recycling companies in your area, grouped by what they do: collection, recycling and recovery, scrap and waste dealers, and treatment and disposal. Before you use any of them, three checks take two minutes and keep you on the right side of the duty of care.
Recycling companies near you: key facts
| What the directory holds | Every active UK company registered at Companies House under the waste collection, recovery, dealing and disposal codes, placed by the postcode area of its registered office |
|---|---|
| How it is grouped | Collection, recycling and recovery, scrap and waste dealers, treatment and disposal |
| Check one | The company is a registered waste carrier, broker or dealer |
| Check two | The site your waste goes to holds an environmental permit or a registered exemption |
| Check three | You get a waste transfer note for every load and keep it for two years |
| Scrap metal | A scrap metal dealer also needs a council licence and may not pay in cash |
How the directory works
The directory is built from the public Companies House register. Every active company whose registered activity is the collection, recovery, dealing or disposal of waste is listed under the postcode area of its registered office, which is how it comes to hold several thousand companies across more than a hundred areas of the UK. Companies that have claimed their page have added their phone number, website and the materials they collect or buy; for the rest you will see the registered details and the activity code, and a link to open the company for its registered address and map.
A registered office is not always where the lorries are kept, so a company listed in your area may operate from somewhere else, and a national firm may serve your area from an office listed elsewhere. Treat the lists as the starting point, open a few companies, and ask.
The three checks before you hand anything over
1. Are they registered to carry waste? In England the Environment Agency's public register lists every registered carrier, broker and dealer; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland keep their own registers through SEPA, Natural Resources Wales and the NIEA. A company that collects waste for others without registration is breaking the law, and if your waste is later found dumped, the duty of care puts you in the frame too. Our guide to the waste carrier licence explains the tiers.
2. Where does it go? The site that receives your waste needs an environmental permit or a registered exemption for that type of waste. Ask the collector for the site name and look it up. A recycler that will not tell you where your material ends up is telling you something.
3. Do you get a waste transfer note? Every load that leaves a business needs one, describing the waste with its code, the quantity, who handed it over and who took it, and it is kept for two years. Hazardous waste needs a consignment note instead. The note is your proof that you did things properly; without it you have none.
For scrap metal there is a fourth: the dealer needs a scrap metal dealer licence from the local council and is not allowed to pay in cash, as our guide to finding a scrap yard near you explains.
Which kind of company for which job
Collection companies supply bins and skips and run rounds. They suit mixed waste and dry mixed recycling, and they charge. Recycling and recovery companies run the plants that sort and process material; many buy clean, sorted recyclables direct and some collect them. Scrap and waste dealers buy metal, cardboard, plastic and other materials by weight and pay for them. Treatment and disposal companies run the energy from waste plants, landfill sites and hazardous waste facilities that collectors deliver to; you rarely deal with them directly. If you have clean material in quantity, start with the dealers and the recovery companies, because that is where payment rather than a charge is likely.
Make them compete
Phoning round is slow. The faster route for anything you have in quantity is to post a listing describing the material, the amount and how often it arises, with a photo. Registered recyclers, dealers and collectors across the UK can see it and ask for your contact details, which means several quotes without a single call. Our price guides tell you what a fair offer looks like this month before you take one.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find recycling companies near me?
Enter your postcode in the search on this page. The directory lists the waste and recycling companies registered in your postcode area, grouped by what they do, with the materials each one handles where the company has told us.
How do I check a waste collector is legitimate?
Look them up on the public register of waste carriers, brokers and dealers for your part of the UK, ask which permitted site your waste goes to, and insist on a waste transfer note for every load. A scrap metal dealer also needs a council licence.
What is a waste transfer note?
A document that records what waste was handed over, how much, by whom and to whom, with the waste code. A business needs one for every load that leaves its premises and keeps it for two years. Hazardous waste uses a consignment note instead.
Will a recycling company pay me for material?
For clean, sorted material in quantity, often yes: scrap metal, baled cardboard, clean plastic film and the like are bought by weight. Mixed waste and small amounts are collected for a charge.
Why is a company listed in my area when it operates somewhere else?
The directory places companies by the postcode of their registered office, which can be an accountant's address or a head office. Open the company for its details and ask where it actually works from.