Before you book anyone
Who is washing your bins, and where does the water go?
Bin cleaning is easy to start. A pressure washer and a van is all some people need. Doing it legally and without polluting is what separates a proper service from a risk. Here is what to look for.
Bin wash water is not clean water
It carries food waste, bacteria, grease and cleaning chemicals. If it is washed off a driveway or the road, it goes down the nearest gully. Most road gullies and drains are designed to carry surface water directly to the nearest river or stream, so any contaminated water that goes into them causes pollution. That is different from the drain in your kitchen or toilet, which goes to a sewage works.
What the law says
A plain-English summary of Environment Agency guidance, not legal advice.
What the Environment Agency expects
The Environment Agency publishes guidance for anyone cleaning wheelie bins. In short:
Good practice
- Empty any leftover waste into a sealed bag first, and put it back in the bin afterwards.
- Use the minimum amount of water, and filter and reuse it where possible.
- Use as little detergent or disinfectant as possible, and biodegradable products where you can.
- Use a purpose-made cleaning vehicle that carries its own water and collects the wash water.
- Take all contaminated water to a licensed wastewater disposal site.
- Leave the area clean, tidy and litter free.
Never
- Let any wash water flow into a road drain or gully.
- Pour contaminated water into the nearest gully.
- Pressure wash the ground using chemicals.
- Take water from fire hydrants.
- Dump waste at the roadside or leave litter.
Seen someone washing bins into a road drain? Report it to the Environment Agency's free 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
Six questions to ask any bin cleaner
Are you a registered waste carrier?
Ask for the registration number and check it on the Environment Agency's public register. Ours is CBDL424195.
Where does the dirty water go?
The Environment Agency says contaminated wash water must never go into a road gully, and should be taken to a licensed disposal site. "It runs off" is not an answer. Ours is all disposed of properly.
Will you use my tap or my electricity?
You should not have to provide either. We never ask.
Where will you wash the bin?
If the answer is your drive, your path or the road, look elsewhere. We never do.
Are you insured?
For domestic and commercial work. We are fully insured.
How long have you been doing this?
We have cleaned wheelie bins around Ashford for 10 years.
How we do it
- We bring all our own water, power and equipment. You provide nothing.
- We never wash on your driveway, garden path or the road.
- All wash water is disposed of properly.
- Registered waste carrier CBDL424195, fully insured, and cleaning wheelie bins around Ashford for 10 years.
Book a proper bin clean
Regular cleans from £4 a bin. Check your postcode and book in under a minute.
Check my postcode