ght years ago Joe joined NWR with experience from scrap metal and a clear ambition to go further. He's worked every rung on the way up — and he'd be the first to tell you he's still learning.
Busy — and very hit and miss. Ideally it’s going around making sure everyone is okay, jumping between machines, helping with breakdowns, keeping things organised. In reality it can be breakdown to breakdown. People might be surprised at just how much is going on at any one time. But that’s the job, and I wouldn’t change it. The variety is part of what keeps it interesting.
ILM Management has been really valuable — a lot of good information about how to manage different types of people and making sure I’m the best manager I can be for everyone in my team. I’ve got fifteen people, and everyone is different. Everyone needs something slightly different from their manager. I’ve also done LEAN training around streamlined processes, which has changed how I think about efficiency on site
I really wanted to work here. I felt I had relevant experience to bring — the basics are similar to scrap metal in a lot of ways: take material in, process it, send it on. But I wanted to understand the detail of what happens in between, why materials need to leave in a certain way, the whole process. I started as a wagon driver, moved to machine driver, then senior MPO, and then Site Supervisor. That progression is something I had to prove myself to earn — and that means a lot to me.
I’m a lot calmer than I used to be. Managing people teaches you that — you can’t approach every situation the same way, and you can’t let the pressure show all the time. I’ve learned to read people better, to think before I react, and to focus on getting the best out of whoever is in front of me rather than just getting the job done. That shift has made me better at everything.
I like the people I work with. They’re a good laugh — and if you can have a laugh with your team, it takes half the battle out of the day. I’ve only had three jobs in my life and this one stands out. I’d stay here until I retire, genuinely. Let’s do thirty more years.
Training people is hard but it’s rewarding. The thing I love most is getting people to think for themselves — not just showing them what to do, but helping them understand why. The better someone becomes at their job, the easier mine gets. That’s not a selfish thing — it’s just how a good team works. Watching someone improve and grow is one of the best parts of this role.
Even if we just keep doing what we’re doing, I’ll be happy — because what we’re doing is good. But I’d love to keep advancing and learning more about waste processes. Coming from scrap metal, I already understood the broad principle, but the depth of what happens here — why things are processed the way they are, where materials go and why — that still fascinates me. There’s always more to learn, and that’s exactly how I like it.
Be proactive, and take the advice of the people around you. Don’t come in thinking you know everything — nobody does. We all want to learn and grow here, and that’s why I love this team. The ones who get on fastest are the ones who understand that from day one.
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, […]
Trade accounts
