SUEZ reports 42 per cent rise in waste worker violence
SUEZ records 318 incidents of verbal and physical abuse against waste workers in 2024, as the company launches an awareness campaign to combat rising violence in the sector.
SUEZ recycling and recovery UK has launched a 'We Refuse Abuse' campaign this week in response to escalating violence against collection crews, street cleansing workers and staff at household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).
The waste management company recorded a 42 per cent increase in serious verbal and physical abuse directed at their waste workers, with 318 reported incidents in 2024 compared with 224 in the previous year.
Of the 318 reported incidents, around 76 per cent occurred at recycling centres, with Devon and Cornwall and Greater Manchester recording the highest number of attacks at 64 each. London and the South East experienced 54 incidents, with 35 occurring at the single Barrowell Green recycling centre in Enfield.
Street collection crews faced the remaining proportion of incidents, with Doncaster topping the list at 37 cases of abuse from dangerous drivers and aggressive members of the public.
The company's campaign video features CCTV and bodycam footage showing real attacks, including a member of the public vandalising a manned street cleansing vehicle with a screwdriver.
The film documents the experiences of two South West workers. Simon Collett had an unknown liquid thrown in his face and James Maughn was threatened with having his "throat ripped out" by a visitor to a household waste recycling centre.
"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," said John Scanlon, CEO of SUEZ recycling and recovery UK.
"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."
The increase aligns with national workplace violence trends, with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain's workplace health and safety regulator, identifying waste collection as a 'higher-risk profession'. Waste and recycling workers face the second-highest workplace fatality rate at 2.76 per 100,000 workers, according to HSE data.
SUEZ operates recycling centres on behalf of local councils, providing these publicly funded facilities free of charge for household waste disposal. However, flashpoints can occur when trade waste is refused, or during busy periods when queues move slowly and staff inspect bag contents to ensure materials that could be reused or recycled are not disposed of incorrectly.
Industry response and support measures
SUEZ is implementing enhanced training programmes, improved reporting mechanisms, and closer collaboration with local authorities and law enforcement.
"The people driving the refuse collection vehicle or standing next to a bay at a recycling centre don't make the rules, but they are very often on the receiving end of unacceptable behaviour," Scanlon added.
"We are committed to supporting our employees and working with local authorities and the police to ensure that all incidents are taken seriously and appropriate action is taken against offenders."
Local authority partners have expressed support for the campaign. Dan Swaine, Executive Director of Place at City of Doncaster Council, said: "Any instance of aggression towards our waste and recycling workers is one too many. These men and women are simply doing their job, and it cannot be accepted, in any type of workplace, that you get abused simply for enforcing the rules and regulations."
