Heritage
Bywaters has been providing waste management services to London and the UK since 1952. We started from humble beginnings and now operate facilities that lead the way in the waste management industry.
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It’s Been Quite a Journey
Bywaters started life long before being incorporated as a limited company in 1952. It all started at the end of the First World War with one man operating from a horse and cart in North London. Over time the business developed from this small-scale operation, eventually becoming one of London’s most well-established waste management companies, with a long-standing commitment to sustainability.
Today, Bywaters is still family-owned, serving thousands of businesses across the UK. Have a quick scroll through our timeline to find out the story of how we got here…
1918
John Glover, a farmer, leaves Lincolnshire for London due to work drying up after the First World War and starts operating as a sole trader collecting waste in Highbury, North London.
1952
John Glover’s sons acquire the business of Henry Bywater, and Bywaters (Leyton) Ltd. is incorporated as a private limited company.
1965
John S. Glover (son of founder John Glover) buys Bywaters outright from his brother and starts trading as Bywaters (Leyton) Ltd., trading from Skelton's Lane, E10.
1966
As England lifts the World Cup, Bywaters buys our first skip vehicle - a Commer Maxiload, MHV138D.
1967/8
Our fleet and equipment provision increases in size as roll-on vehicles and portable static waste compaction units are introduced.
1983
Bywaters leaves its Skelton's Lane site, home of the company since 1965, and moves to a nearby 1.5-acre premises at Gateway Road.
1997
After expanding throughout the 20th Century, Bywaters invests in a new 6.5-acre site at Marshgate Lane, E15 from Queen Mary and Westfield College.
1998
To drive business expansion looking into the new millennium, Bywaters acquires a 3-acre site at Ruckholt Road, E10.
2000
Bywaters purchases a 0.5-acre site at Marshgate Industrial Estate to increase the size and scope of our operations.
2005
London is successful in its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, with Bywaters' sites falling within the proposed Olympic Park.
2006
Our premises are required for the Olympic Park's development, and Bywaters' operations move to a new site in Bow, where our state-of-the-art MRF is constructed.
2011
Bywaters overhauls our fleet, upgrading all trucks to meet Euro 5 emissions standards.
2015
Our vehicles attain FORS Gold certification, the highest possible accreditation for safety and environmental sustainability.
2016
4,000 solar panels are installed on the roof of our MRF in Bow, significantly reducing the carbon emissions associated with Bywaters' operations.
2018
Bywaters carries out a £7m investment in our fleet to ensure all vehicles are either hybrid Euro 6 models or fully electric.
2021
London’s electric dustcart is here, as Bywaters launched our first-ever electric dustcart as part of our goal to reach net zero by 2030.
2023
Bywaters has elevated the Euro 6 Dustcart vehicle fleet to the superior Euro 6 Plus Dustcart.
A Family Company that Dreams Big
We are very proud still to be a family company. The business continues to be run by the descendants of John Glover, and the Glover family’s commitment to sustainable waste management in London has never waned.
Bywaters now provides a comprehensive range of tailor-made recycling and waste management services, sending zero waste direct to landfill.
We never stop driving forward and are always investing in our operations and facilities to keep building on our proud history.
