UK Waste management company SUEZ has reported a sharp rise in abuse directed at its frontline staff, with incidents of serious verbal and physical aggression increasing by 42% over the past year.
The company revealed that 318 cases of aggression towards employees were recorded in 2024, more than 240 of which took place at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs). Devon & Cornwall and Greater Manchester saw the highest number of incidents with 64 each, closely followed by London and the South East, where staff faced 54 cases – including 35 at the Barrowell Green recycling centre in Enfield alone.
In response, SUEZ has launched a nationwide campaign, We Refuse Abuse, which will run throughout August to raise awareness of the almost daily violence and intimidation faced by recycling crews, street cleansing teams and HWRC staff.
As part of the campaign, the company has released a short film featuring CCTV and bodycam footage of real incidents, including a member of the public vandalising a manned street cleansing vehicle with a screwdriver and direct threats made against staff.
The film also highlights the personal impact of such abuse, sharing the experiences of two South West workers – Simon Collett, who had an unknown liquid thrown in his face, and his colleague James Maughn, who was told he would “have his throat ripped out” by a visitor to a recycling site.
SUEZ recycling and recovery UK chief executive John Scanlon said: “Millions of people use recycling centres every year – the overwhelming majority of these visitors are wonderful and the main reason many of our colleagues enjoy their front-facing roles.
“However, a very small minority of aggressive individuals have caused members of our team enormous stress and upset and we want to ensure this upward trend in verbal and physical assaults does not continue.”
