First Mile

First Mile: commercial waste and recycling for UK businesses

First Mile is a UK waste management company focused on the commercial market. Its own presentation states that it has helped 30,000 UK businesses recycle more, and the site reports around 200 new customers joining each week. The service is built around business waste and recycling collections, complemented by technology for tracking, reporting and compliance.

Collection services and recycling streams

The core offer is commercial waste and recycling collection, available as sack or wheelie bin services on ultra-low or zero-emission vehicles. The company states it covers the whole of the UK and reports a 99.96% collection success rate. Customers can access more than 50 waste and recycling streams, with the stated aim of sending nothing to landfill.

• Waste and recycling collections for businesses
• Junk removal
• Secure shredding
• Product and packaging recycling
• Bins and supplies
• Deposit Return Scheme support
• Waste reduction and reuse services

Technology, data and compliance

First Mile combines collections with digital tools. RecycleID™ waste tracking and a reporting suite give customers real-time data and end-destination transparency, showing where waste goes. The online Customer Portal lets teams manage schedules across sites, place orders, sign compliance documents, pay invoices and generate waste and recycling data. The company also addresses regulatory changes, including Digital Waste Tracking legislation and the Simpler Recycling requirements for UK businesses.

Sectors and client partnerships

The company organises its offer around specific sectors: commercial real estate, national retailers, hospitality and venues, defence, NHS and healthcare, public sector, facilities management, cleaning companies, shops and offices. It describes partnerships with national retailers and groups such as Pret, The Office Group and Net-A-Porter, with dedicated account managers delivering waste reduction strategies, customer engagement initiatives and staff training. The site also cites work with Caffè Nero, ATG Entertainment, Inditex, Grosvenor Estate, GAIL's Bakery and Savills.

Documented results

First Mile publishes several figures from its own operations and client projects. It reports a carbon impact 45% lower than the industry average, 103,000 tonnes of CO2e avoided in 2024 and 20,000 collections made on zero-emission electric cargo bikes. Among customer stories, it cites itsu cutting costs by 15% and raising its recycling rate by 22 percentage points across 45 stores, and ATG Entertainment reducing front-of-house contamination by 77% and increasing front-of-house recycling by 59% across 35 venues. JPC by Samsic is cited with a 65% increase in recycling rate and a 15% reduction in contamination using RecycleID™ and bin sensors.

Circular economy products and recognition

Through a buy-back scheme, customers can purchase new products made from the recycled materials collected from them, including copier paper, coffee cup notebooks, stationery and refurbished consumer electronics. The company states it holds B Corp status and reports winning Independent Operator of the Year and B2B Business of the Year 2025. Its site also indicates an "Excellent" rating on Trustpilot.

Support and additional contact lines

Customer support is available 24/7 through the customer portal, by phone or live chat. Besides its main UK number, the site lists a London line on +442046029045 and an Irish number on +353 15392196.