Waste King Women’s Perspectives on Waste Management
The UK-wide waste management specialist and equal opportunities employer, Waste King has revealed that a substantial number of its growing workforce are women – and these include Jordan Poulter, one of the company’s driver loaders, and Tracey Bower, one of Waste King’s office-based account managers.
- (1888PressRelease) March 19, 2025 - While working in waste management may be, traditionally, considered a role for men, a growing proportion - currently some 27% - of the UK’s waste management workforce are female.
According to the international network of waste professionals and experts, The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), “Women make a strong contribution to the waste management sector. Women are out there but are just not very visible.”
The ISWA adds, “But women still face challenges. The range of barriers to women’s full participation is broad: from persistent bias in legislation, culture and gender roles to harassment and even physical assault at dumpsites.”
As an equal opportunities employer, Waste King - the UK-wide waste management specialist - keenly embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. A substantial number of its growing workforce are women – and these include Jordan Poulter, one of the company’s driver loaders, and Tracey Bower, one of Waste King’s office-based account managers.
A former teaching assistant who left to start a family and then wanted to return to the workplace to do ‘something completely different’, Tracey joined Waste King some eight years ago and now – as an account manager - works with many Waste King clients at local, regional and national levels, ensuring the waste management services they buy are used in the most cost-efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly ways.
Acknowledging that, in doing her job, she encounters some ‘stereotypical prejudice’ as a matter of course, Tracey said, “It’s mostly along the lines of men insisting on impractical and impossible waste solutions – such as asking for 12 yard skips for removing soil, when lorries can only cope with lifting eight yard skips full of soil. You have to remain professional, being polite but assertive – and be interested in engaging with them to help solve their issues.
“That way, you can soon build a good rapport with the clients,” added Tracey.
Jordan’s job involves collecting and transporting waste materials. A former fleet and car mechanic, Jordan joined Waste King at the beginning of 2024, and works primarily on contracts with care homes and gyms.
Agreeing with Tracey, Jordan said that, typically, the ‘stereotypical prejudice’ she encounters tends to involve comments about her not lifting heavy items and then asking where the ‘real’ driver is. Jordan commented, “Sometimes, you have to have an awkward conversation to clear the air – and then you can show that women are just as good as men in getting the job done, even though they may use different methods.
“Men just want to get the jobs done but women tend to have more empathy with customers and can give a higher degree of customer care,” she added. “In addition, a female perspective on waste management – especially when it comes to the recycling of waste materials – can prove to be extremely efficient, effective and eco-friendly.”
Waste King’s Operations Director, Andy Cattigan, commented, “Both Tracey and Jordan have experienced how, even these days, women are regarded and treated differently from their male counterparts. As waste management professionals who aim to continue operating in as environmentally friendly a way as possible, we believe the female perspective is vital in changing society’s attitude to waste – especially, but not exclusively, in championing eco-awareness.”
About Waste King Ltd
As a specialist collections operator, formed in 2007 by Glenn Currie and Andy Cattigan, Waste King serves the domestic and commercial markets. It focuses not only on providing a friendly, efficient, cost-effective service but also one which is environmentally friendly. In particular, Waste King’s uniformed, Environment Agency-licensed staff take time to ensure that the maximum amount of waste can be recycled and that all the waste it collects is disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. Waste King aims to create a professional and environmentally responsible solution for both homes and businesses alike by creating the environmentally friendly solution to waste removal and recycling.
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