King Charles honours recycler Burrage

UK recycler Susie Burrage, md of Recycled Products, has been recognised in the first set of official honours since King Charles III ascended the throne.

She has been awarded an Order of the British Empire for her services to recycling and to the environment.
Burrage said she now planned to use the honour to ‘shine a light’ on the important role the recycling industry has in our future, and to encourage a whole new generation of young people to join the sector.

‘I am overwhelmed to have been awarded this honour and proud that it is for services to recycling, which is requisite to the future of our planet’ she said.

‘I dedicate this accolade to my family, past and present, who have supported me and encouraged me, especially my late father Tom, who brought me into this industry and encouraged me to take a seat at the boardroom table when it was predominantly men who were doing so.’

Robert Ellis, operations manager at Recycled Products, added: ‘Susie is the third generation of the Burrage family I have worked alongside, and I know her father and grandfather would be extremely proud. The team at Recycled Products and I are delighted that Susie has been recognised for her hard work and dedication to the recycling industry.’

As well as running her business based in Chesham, Bucks, Burrage is also president of the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), president of the European Metal Trade and Recycling Branch of EuRIC, UK Ambassador for the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), Ambassador for the Global Recycling Foundation, and patron of the Bureau of Middle East Recycling. All roles are voluntary.

In 2014 Burrage was the first woman appointed to the board of the 100-year-old BMRA and became the association’s first female president when she was elected in 2016 – she has subsequently been re-elected for an unprecedented four times since.