Merton Council has launched a new and improved street cleaning and waste collection service, delivering on its commitment to put residents’ needs first. 

As of 1 April 2025, the Council will manage street cleaning directly—bringing the service closer to home and enabling improvements that reflect the needs of Merton’s communities. Every residential street in the borough will now be cleaned at least once a week, with town centres receiving more frequent cleaning.  

A new rapid response team will be introduced to address reports and issues swiftly, while a new dedicated graffiti removal service will help keep neighbourhoods clean and welcoming. 

Bin collections will continue to be delivered by Veolia, with improvements to the service. Our pop-up tip service, which was successfully piloted last year, is now a permanent feature to help tackle fly-tipping. As part of our pledges to make Merton cleaner, greener, and safer for all, we’re expanding the number of pop-up tips so that every neighbourhood has one nearby at least four times a year. 

 We have also introduced more frequent collections on our big estates. 

Next year, we will be rolling out food waste collections for flats above shops and for commercial properties that subscribe to our service. 

Councillor Stephen Alambritis, Cabinet Member for Transport and Cleaner Streets, said: 

Residents told us they wanted cleaner streets and better waste services – we have listened and taken action.  Weekly street cleaning is back for every residential street in Merton, and we’re introducing a range of improvements — from a new dedicated graffiti service to more frequent estate collections and the permanent roll-out of our popular pop-up tip service. 

“This is a fresh start for Merton’s Street cleaning services and an opportunity to build on the success of our waste collection service. These improvements show our commitment to making Merton a cleaner, greener, and safer borough for everyone.

Hannah Doody, Chief Executive of Merton Council said:  

This is a significant milestone for Merton. Clean streets are essential to a thriving community, and by managing street cleaning directly, we can ensure a higher standard of service for our residents. We are excited to see the positive impact these changes will bring.

Pascal Hauret, Managing Director, Municipal at Veolia, said:

We are delighted to announce that we are the recycling and waste collections and winter maintenance services partner of choice for the London Borough of Merton. Building on our experience, we will work closely with the Council to develop collection services whilst supporting them on their journey to net-zero by decarbonising our operations.

“We are looking forward to working in partnership with Merton Council towards a more sustainable future that will benefit residents across the borough.”

For more details and our latest updates on the changes to street cleaning and waste collection services click here.