Top 100: celebrating the women in scrap

It’s inspiring to see more women making their mark as global recycling innovators. Their growing presence is evident at international conferences, trade shows, and in our 2024 Top 100 list.

Having just wrapped up the Top 100 edition, I can confirm that a total of 31 women made the list this year. It’s a steadily growing number—representing recyclers from 15 different countries, with most hailing from the US, Belgium, and the UK. Other nations include:

• Australia
• Chile
• Columbia
• Indonesia
• Italy
• Ireland
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Spain
• UAE
• Ukraine

I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight seven remarkable women making waves in the scrap industry. While they’re newcomers to our list, most have spent years earning their stripes and building impressive careers in the field.

#2 Amy Bird

Amy Bird is a determined and energetic UK-based recycler. Her smile is hard to miss. Don’t make the mistake to underestimate this former fashion model, though. Bird runs not one but two recycling businesses; Countrywide Metals Recycling and Connolley. She grew up in scrap and is using her unique experiences in the ‘toxic’ fashion industry to read the room and make tough decisions at a moment’s notice.

Bird started organising seminars this year dedicated to helping other women in scrap build their confidence. She’s been amazed and touched at the positive response. The once introverted entrepreneur observes there is clearly a need for guidance and inspiration in the women in scrap space. She is more than willing to rise to the challenge. Bird is also eager to help young talent discover the recycling industry as a possible career move.

#13: Rose Mock

Mock is the co-owner of Allied Scrap Processors in Florida (alongside her brother Frank). ‘My attitude is very practical: I go where my business takes me naturally,’ she says. Her career spans over 40 years in scrap. ‘At 15, I got my first hand at the scale weighing scrap for clients,’ Mock recalls.

A self-proclaimed ‘worrywart’, the practical and hands-on entrepreneur is all too aware that scrap life is full of ups-and-downs. ‘Recycling will always be impacted by world events. In a sense, we mirror what’s happening, like a heartbeat. If there are disruptions, we are the first to notice it and the last to recover from it.’

#26: Dawn Dungate

Dungate was the director of sustainability at East London Textiles for over a decade and has just stepped down to start her own environmental consulting agency. This builds on her work at the UK’s Textiles Recycling Association.

Dungate laments that there are only a handful of sorting players left in the UK. To make matters worse, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Austria have proposed a ban on the export of used textiles within the EU. ‘This signals a significant shift in policy – one that is going backwards.’

She is eager to bang the drum on behalf of textiles recyclers, urging it is now or never. ‘Without proper legislative support and financial backing there may not be a UK textiles recycling industry next year.’

#47: Natalia Altadill

Altadill is the ceo of family-owned metals and e-scrap recycling firm Grupo Altadill. Her team processes upwards of 100 000 tonnes of material per year, with bold plans for the future. Altadill is a hard-working optimist who doesn’t let herself be discouraged by unfavourable scrap prices.

‘We can’t change the market. It’s better to put your energy towards things that are under your influence,’ she reasons. Making good use of the opportunities that present themselves is a mindset the ceo gets from her grandparents.

They turned to scrap in the hard times following the Spanish Civil War (1938) and managed to earn an honest living while cleaning up the military scrap scattered along the nearby mountains.

#78 Julia Ettinger

Ettinger is a lawyer and was named the secretary general of EuRIC, based in Brussels, at the start of the year. A familiar face for many in the industry, she played an important part in setting up the trade organisation’s Ship Recycling Working Group in September. ‘We call on policymakers and stakeholders to join – because we need all hands on deck to make a real impact,’ Ettinger urges.

Ettinger was previously the deputy, dedicating her time to paper and textiles recycling as well as legal matters. She is eager to ‘weave new opportunities’ for the recycling industry going forward.

#86 Mariska Boer

Boer is a textiles recycling specialist at the Dutch Boer Groep, one of the largest textiles recycling firms in Europe. She also serves as the president of EuRIC’s textiles division and isn’t afraid to voice her opinion on major recycling issues.

‘The prospect of incineration becoming the only remaining option if sorting discarded textiles becomes financially unviable is deeply alarming,’ Boer warned in April. She recently underlined the negative impact fast fashion has on recycling during a national news broadcast.

#99 Jessica Alexanderson

Alexanderson is a writer and founder of Recycling Is Like Magic. She uses her creativity to make a difference. How? Alexanderson creates books meant to teach elementary school kids about recycling in a fun way. Youngsters have responded with enthusiasm to ‘The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans’.

This colourfully illustrated tale is part of the ‘Scrap University’ series. It has demonstrated that the power of storytelling can help spread a circular message to the next generation.

Curious to find out who else made the 2024 Top 100? Read the complete list here or check our latest issue >>