Any London Waste Any London Waste
Menu
08 00 599 99 96
08 00 599 99 96
Fixed priceconfirmed before we arrive

Event Waste Management Plan

Get a Quote WhatsApp Photo Quote
Or call us free08 00 599 99 96
Licensed waste carrier – CBDU527690 DBS-checked teams GPS-tracked vans No hidden charges
Event Waste Management Plan
Written Under Our Waste Carrier LicenceCBDU527690
Site Walk IncludedBin plan drawn to scale
Council licensing

Writing a Waste Management Plan That Passes a London Council

Most London boroughs now require a written waste management plan as part of the event licence or parks hire agreement. Plans get rejected for the same three reasons every time – vague volume estimates, no bin map, and no named waste carrier.

First-time event organisers often think the plan is a long document. It isn't – it's a short, specific one. Two pages done well usually passes; ten pages of copy-paste usually fails.

Licensing officers at Westminster, Camden, Hackney, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Islington and Kensington & Chelsea all look for the same six things, and they're all checkable against objective evidence.

Park authorities – Royal Parks, Lee Valley, the GLA and individual borough parks teams – add a seventh requirement: a post-event site restoration commitment with a handover timeline.

This page explains the six-point structure every London council waste plan needs, gives a worked example, and links to the service we offer to write and sign the plan for you under our waste carrier registration.

The template

The Six Sections Every Plan Needs

1. Expected Waste Volumes

State the attendance, event duration, and kg of waste per attendee (a defensible London average is 0.5–1.2kg). Break by stream: residual, mixed recycling, food waste, glass. A festival estimate should also include build-up and de-rig waste separately.

2. Bin Specification and Placement

Types (240L, 1100L, FEL, recycling station), total count, stream allocation, and a site map showing each bin location. A written bin list without a map is the single most common reason for plan rejection.

3. Collection Schedule and Frequency

Show collection timing aligned to event peaks – not fixed route times. Include a contingency for overflow: who responds, how quickly, and from where. Reference any out-of-hours permits needed for early-morning collection.

4. Recycling Targets and Measurement

Set a realistic percentage diversion target (60–85% is credible; 98% is not), explain how streams will be kept segregated, and name the recycling facilities. Evidence in the post-event report – weighbridge tickets per stream.

5. Licensed Waste Carrier

Name of the registered carrier, EA licence number (ours is CBDU527690), insurance certificates, and a copy of the duty-of-care transfer note template. Councils can and do verify the licence number on the day.

6. Contingency and Post-Event Restoration

Overflow response, extreme weather, equipment failure. Post-event: handover window to the venue or park ranger, and commitment to restore the site to pre-event condition with photo evidence.

Worked example

Worked Example: 8,000-Capacity Park Event

  • Event:Single-day music event, Victoria Park, 8,000 attendees, 4pm–10pm, four bars and five food traders.
  • Expected volume:8,000 × 0.9kg = 7.2 tonnes. Residual ~35%, mixed recycling ~25%, food ~15%, glass ~15%, compostables ~10%.
  • Bins:18× 1100L wheelies, 6× 3-stream stations, 4× green-lid 240L glass bins (one per bar), 5× food caddies (one per trader), 2× 20L oil drums. See attached site map.
  • Schedule:Pre-event place 09:00. Mid-event empty at 19:00 (pre-headliner peak). End-event clearance 22:00–01:00. Overflow response: on-site crew, sub-30-minute response.
  • Recycling target:75% diversion from landfill; streams listed and named destination facilities provided.
  • Carrier:Any London Waste, Environment Agency licence CBDU527690.
  • Restoration:Park ranger handover 06:00 day after event; photograph set attached to post-event report within 10 working days.
Avoid these

Common Reasons Plans Get Rejected

✗ Vague Volumes

"Several bins" or "waste will be collected regularly" doesn't pass. Give specific kg-per-attendee, stream percentages and bin counts.

✗ No Site Map

A bin list without a map showing placement gets sent back. The map lives alongside the stewarding plan.

✗ Wrong Carrier Licence

Upper-tier licence needed for commercial waste; lower-tier carriers are refused on larger events. Verify the level before submitting.

✗ Unrealistic Targets

Claiming 95%+ recycling on an outdoor public event is almost never credible. Set defensible targets you can actually evidence.

✗ Food Waste Missing

Simpler Recycling now requires food waste to be segregated. A plan that lumps it into residual fails compliance check.

✗ No Contingency

Councils want to see the failure mode covered – overflow response, equipment breakdown, weather. One paragraph is enough if it's specific.

Where you need one

Which London Boroughs Require a Waste Plan?

In practice, every borough and Royal Park authority does – though the format and strictness vary. Events at the following locations almost always need a full written plan signed by a registered waste carrier:

  • Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Regent's Park, Greenwich Park, St James's Park)
  • GLA-managed spaces and Trafalgar Square
  • Victoria Park, Finsbury Park, Alexandra Palace (Tower Hamlets, Haringey)
  • Westminster, Camden, Hackney, Southwark, Lambeth, Kensington & Chelsea, Islington, Tower Hamlets
  • Private-hire venues with a council premises licence (e.g. ExCeL, Olympia, O2, Tobacco Dock, Printworks successors)
Event Waste Management Plan
What you get

Our Waste Management Plan Service

  • Written Under Our Waste Carrier LicencePlans are written and signed off under CBDU527690, which satisfies the "licensed carrier" section automatically.
  • Site Walk IncludedWe visit the venue to draw the bin plan to scale – not a free-hand sketch.
  • Turnaround Within a WeekFrom site walk to licence-ready document, typically within a week for standard events.
  • Council Format MatchingPlans are formatted to match the receiving council's template – Westminster, Camden, Hackney, Southwark and others all have their own preferred structure.
  • Revisions IncludedIf the licensing officer comes back with questions, we handle the revision at no extra cost.
  • Included Free With Booked EventsPlans are free when you book the event waste operation with us. Stand-alone write-ups are priced per event, fixed before we start.
Request a Plan WhatsApp Us
FAQ

Event Waste Management Plan FAQ

Can’t see your question? Send us a photo on WhatsApp or call – we reply in minutes.

Ask on WhatsApp 08 00 599 99 96

For any event on council land, in a Royal Park, or on a GLA-managed space, yes. Private-hire venues with premises licences often require one too. Smaller weddings inside a private licensed venue usually don't, but the venue will still expect waste-carrier duty-of-care paperwork.

Two to six pages is the sweet spot for most London events. Under two pages tends to miss detail licensing officers look for; over six pages is usually padding that dilutes the important content. A festival plan plus appendices (maps, risk assessment) may be longer.

Credible targets for London events: 55–75% for outdoor public events, 70–85% for indoor corporate with catering, 85%+ only if strong front-of-house segregation is already proven. Set something you can evidence in the post-event report, not a marketing number.

Licensing officers typically return plans with specific feedback rather than outright refusal – usually missing elements or unrealistic numbers. If we wrote the plan, we handle the revision for you at no extra cost. Many councils expect one revision cycle.

Yes – almost always. The bin plan sits on the same site map as your stewarding plan and stage layout. It shows bin locations, access routes for the collection vehicle, and overflow response points. Licensing officers treat missing maps as an incomplete submission.

Yes. Westminster and Camden have detailed templates. Hackney and Tower Hamlets tend to accept free-form plans. Royal Parks have their own operational requirements layered on top. We format plans to match the receiving council's preferences – it cuts revision cycles significantly.

Yes – the six-section structure on this page is complete and free to copy. You'll still need a registered waste carrier's licence number to name in section 5, and verified volume estimates. If we provide the collection service, we can supply both without you writing the plan.

Events producing food waste must now show separated food-waste collection. Plans that lump food into residual or mixed recycling will fail compliance. See event food waste collection for the stream detail.

For a standard licensed event, work backwards from the licence deadline: allow one week for the site walk and draft, one week for a possible council revision cycle. So engage the waste-plan process at least 4–6 weeks before the licence submission date.

Yes – stand-alone plan write-ups are available, priced per event and fixed before we start, though most clients bundle it with the full events service, which includes the plan free. Stand-alone plans still carry our waste-carrier sign-off.
Events

Other Event Services

Event Waste Management
Event Bin Hire
Festival Waste
Food Waste Collection
Event Cleaning
Event Recycling
Guides

Latest Guides

Practical tips on waste removal, recycling, and keeping your London property clear.

View all guides
2 September 2026

How to Dispose of Plasterboard in London

Why plasterboard can’t go in a skip with everything else, which London tips accept it, what collection costs, and how to handle board in a pre-2000 property.

Read guide
Same-day collection across London

Book Your Event Waste Management Plan Today

Tell us what needs to go and get a fixed price before we arrive. We do all the lifting, load the lorry and sweep up after.

Get a Quote WhatsApp Photo Quote
Or call us free08 00 599 99 96
Any London Waste crew carrying a sofa from a London terrace to our branded lorry