Sandra McCluskey, who runs a waste collection company serving the Milton Keynes area from her home in Bedfordshire, says she is working to keep usable items out of landfill and off the roadside by redistributing them to people in need. The founder of "The Firm" says she has faced scepticism for entering a male-dominated industry but remains committed to running her business responsibly and diverting reusable goods to vulnerable people.
McCluskey made an earlier attempt to establish a waste clearance business several years ago, but the venture struggled once the Covid pandemic hit. After restrictions eased and normal life resumed, she relaunched her efforts and built "The Firm" into its current form.
"I've been warned a couple of times that it's definitely a man's world and I shouldn't be involved," she said.
"Just because I'm a woman, it doesn't mean that I can't do the job efficiently," she added.
Figures from the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management show that women make up just 19% of the waste management workforce nationally, underlining how unusual McCluskey's position is within the sector.
The challenge of women breaking into industries not traditionally associated with them extends well beyond waste management. In an earlier report on Lucy Wall's journey from McDonald's to NHS midwifery, a decade of retail experience proved unexpectedly valuable in helping her move into a demanding healthcare career. Separately, concerns have been raised about AI recruitment tools disadvantaging mid-life women job seekers, with more than 60 women, along with experts and employers, warning that automated hiring systems may be creating fresh barriers to employment.
McCluskey says her own difficult past has shaped her drive to help others through the redistribution of waste materials.
"I was homeless myself, I've suffered hardship, I've been on benefits, I've lost my son, I'm a single parent now and I've seen things," she said.
"I could see how things could help people - mattresses for single mums, or dishwashers or washing machines, clothes for the homeless, bottled water from event clearances," she added.
What obstacles has she faced running the business?
McCluskey says she has encountered direct hostility for opposing operators she believes are working without proper authorisation. She says bricks were thrown through a window at her home after she took a firm stance against a company she suspected of operating without the necessary waste-carrying licences.
"As registered waste carriers, we're being undercut by unlicensed people who aren't being responsible about where the waste goes, and that's why there's so much fly-tipping," she continued.
Is fly-tipping improving in the area?
Fly-tipping incidents in Milton Keynes have dropped by more than 25% over the last five years, according to the local council, though officials acknowledge that further progress is needed.
"Being a woman, I do have that bit of emotional attachment as well to the fact that I would like to see greener spaces and stronger communities," McCluskey said.
She argues that licensed, responsible operators like herself are unfairly lumped together with rogue traders, despite the fact that she covers the costs of proper licensing, insurance and tip fees that unauthorised firms often avoid.
What motivates her to keep going?
For McCluskey, the satisfaction of the job comes from witnessing the direct impact on people who benefit from items that would otherwise have been discarded.
"If you can see a child of maybe five who's never had a scooter in their life, and I've managed to give that child a scooter through a donation I picked up in a tonne bag, and it hasn't ended up on the side of the road, and it's made someone really happy, I believe that's a really good thing to do," she said.
Key Facts
- Sandra McCluskey runs "The Firm", a waste collection business serving the Milton Keynes area from her home base in Bedfordshire.
- Women make up only 19% of the UK waste management workforce, according to the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management.
- McCluskey says bricks were thrown through her window after she challenged an allegedly unlicensed rival operator.
- Fly-tipping in Milton Keynes has fallen by more than a quarter over the past five years, the local council reports.
- McCluskey redistributes reusable items such as mattresses, appliances, clothing and toys to people facing hardship.
