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Press release
London’s Construction and Demolition Waste Market at a Tipping Point
A new opinion piece from our Managing Director, PJ Chippendale, makes the case that London’s construction and demolition (C&D) waste sector has outgrown its own commercial model, and that fixing it matters for everyone from site managers to policymakers.
Skips, roll-on roll-off containers and clearance vehicles rarely get much attention, until they stop turning up. In his latest opinion piece, "London's C&D Waste Market at a Tipping Point," PJ Chippendale argues that this quiet, essential infrastructure is now under real strain. Prices, contracts and procurement habits, he writes, have not kept pace with volatile disposal markets, tighter regulation, new digital reporting requirements, shrinking treatment capacity, rising fleet costs, and increasingly restrictive access and traffic rules across the capital.
The piece is a practical, plainly presented read aimed at customers, operators, policymakers and the wider construction supply chain. Rather than simply flagging a problem, it sets out where the pressure is really coming from and what a more sustainable commercial model could look like.
Among the themes PJ explores are the following.
- A mismatched commercial model. Customers buy collection services at a fixed price, while operators are exposed to a moving market in gate fees, fuel and outlet availability, leaving operators absorbing costs that were never priced in.
- London's price paradox. Despite higher property, labour and compliance costs, London skip prices often run below the national average, a legacy of a fragmented, price-led market that hasn't caught up with today's realities.
- Capacity as a strategic risk. From site fires to tightening acceptance criteria, the industry's real question is shifting from "what will disposal cost?" to "is there a lawful outlet at all?"
- Compliance as core service, not overhead. With fly-tipping incidents up and Digital Waste Tracking arriving in October 2026, PJ makes the case that traceability and legitimate capacity carry real, necessary costs.
- A practical roadmap. The piece closes with concrete steps operators can take in the next 30 days and over the next year, and what customers can do to help keep pricing fair and services reliable.
It's a considered, and at times provocative, perspective from someone who deals with these pressures daily, and a useful read for anyone who relies on London's waste and recycling infrastructure to keep their projects moving.