In any fast-growing business, there are people whose evolution mirrors the organisation’s own – people who grow with the business and shape it in return. At North West Recycling, Beccie is one of those people.
I joined in April 2009 after relocating to Cumbria. I was already working in the waste industry and wanted to find a small, friendly business where I could grow. I met Rick for an informal interview at Warren House Farm and was shown around our Rockcliffe site before we moved here. It was only about 40% built at the time! It felt like the start of something important, and I’ve been part of it ever since.
I’ve done a bit of everything. I’ve worked on the weighbridge, been involved in customer service, audits, supply chain management, and systems development. Although I’ve not worked directly in accounts or transport, I’ve always worked closely with both because they’re such key parts of the business. Every role I’ve had has helped me learn more and see how everything connects. That’s what’s shaped me into the right person for the role I have today.
I don’t think there is a typical day. I might come in thinking I’m working on accounts reports, but end up doing customer service training, heading onto site, or reviewing contracts. My job is mostly about supporting other areas and making sure everyone has what they need. Sometimes that includes compliance, just to make sure it’s embedded across the business and not sitting with just one person.
I got into it by chance, like most people do. I started at a family-run company in Sunderland during university. Nobody wants to work in waste, it’s something you happen into, but once you’re in, you realise it’s so much more interesting and complex than people think. There’s logistics, compliance, software, environmental risk, customer service, finance, admin – it’s not just about sorting bins. There’s real opportunity in it.
I enjoy learning and understanding how the moving parts of the business link together. That understanding helps you make better decisions and support others more effectively. Over time, I’ve also become more confident in my instincts and my ability to problem-solve. I like taking time to listen, understand what people need, and work out the best way to help them while improving things for the wider team.
I like to pass on what I’ve learned. After 20 years in the industry, I hope I’m sharing little bits of knowledge every day. I enjoy empowering people — giving someone the tools and watching them succeed. That’s more rewarding to me than doing something myself. I believe in letting people try things and giving them space to grow, even if I could step in and do it faster.
Waste still has an image problem, but there’s so much potential here. At NWR, we’re investing in technology, making SRF, and working on renewable energy initiatives. We’re not just cleaning up waste, we’re working on solutions that benefit the environment and the economy. Waste isn’t going anywhere, so we have a responsibility to manage it better and make the industry more forward-thinking.
It’s full-on and always busy, which I like, but it’s the people that make it worthwhile. I’ve been here through a lot of change, and the business has grown massively. I think the fact that we’re still moving forward, still solving problems, and still focused on creating opportunities for our team – that’s what makes it special.
Celebrating 30 years of North West Recycling 30 Years of Building From What You Left Behind This year marks a proud milestone for North West Recycling as we celebrate 30 years of service to Cumbria — and we think that strapline says it all. Because that is exactly what we do: we build something valuable […]
And How We Can Help Prevent Tragedies Refuse not refuge! As temperatures drop and winter approaches, many people experiencing homelessness face increasingly harsh and dangerous conditions. In desperate attempts to stay warm, some rough sleepers seek shelter inside refuse containers such as bins and skips. While it may feel like temporary protection from the cold, […]
We’re proud to announce that North West Recycling (NWR) is now an official Club Partner and Waste Management Partner of Carlisle United Football Club for the upcoming season. Founded in 1995 as Brampton Skip Hire, we’ve grown over the past 30 years into the region’s largest privately owned waste management provider, serving Cumbria, South West […]
What are aggregate materials used for and what are their main benefits? Construction aggregates are often referred to as simply “aggregates,”. They are a group of materials that are used in construction to form the foundation of roads, buildings, and other structures. Indeed, there are several benefits to using construction aggregate materials in construction projects: […]
A simple guide to gasification and its benefits Gasification is a process that converts solid or liquid fuels into a gaseous fuel called “syngas”. This is done by oxidizing the fuel, creating a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and other volatile gases. The syngas produced can then be burned as a fuel in a gas […]
Hiring a skip is an excellent and convenient way of getting rid of waste in your home. During home and garden clean or clear outs, you will realize that you have different types of waste to dispose of. Before you embark on disposing of any waste, it is important that you understand what type of […]
Courage in business is rarely dramatic. Sometimes it simply looks like a family in Brampton choosing to do things differently. It started with a straightforward observation: the stone and soil arriving at a family farm inert landfill back in 1990 still had value. That instinct – to find opportunity in what others leave behind – […]
Thirty years on, the values Pam Allan brought to a kitchen table in Brampton still run through North West Recycling. Before the wagons and the processing lines, before the Rockcliffe site and the 133 -strong workforce, there was a kitchen table in Brampton and a woman answering the phone. When Rick Allan founded what was […]
Thirty Years of Partnerships. There is a version of North West Recycling’s story that focuses on the infrastructure – the 30-acre site at Rockcliffe, the 40+ vehicle fleet, the 150,000 tonnes of waste processed every year, with 98% diverted from landfill. Those numbers matter. But they don’t fully explain how an independent family business in […]
At North West Recycling, supporting our community means supporting the people in it — and that’s exactly what our sponsorship of Carlisle Reivers FC is all about. A Sponsorship Close to Home Grassroots football relies on the time, energy and commitment of volunteers, coaches and local businesses who believe in what a club can do […]
North West Recycling (NWR) is proud to confirm its official sustainability partnership with Carlisle United Football Club for the 2026/27 season. As the club’s waste management provider, NWR already plays an active role at Brunton Park – collecting and processing the ground’s food waste, glass, mixed recycling, and general waste at NWR facilities right here […]
When three local businesses come together for a good cause, the results speak for themselves. North West Recycling recently joined forces with Story Contracting and Heidelberg Materials to support a community improvement project at Eden Valley Hospice — helping create a new surfaced pathway that will make a real difference to patients, families and staff. […]
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is a diverse and intricate category of recyclable waste that poses unique challenges in the recycling process. This category of waste consists of various electronic devices, making it a challenging waste type to handle. Our primary goal is to achieve the best possible outcome for the waste we receive, […]
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