35 Under 35 awards – bigger and better than ever before

The 2026 35 Under 35 awards programme, sponsored by Grundon and celebrating the brightest future stars of the environmental sector, attracted a record-breaking number of entries this year.

A total of 180 applicants vied for success, with the names of the top 35 being announced at the Future Talent Hub at the Resource & Waste Management Expo (RWM), part of the ESS Expo, on Wednesday 16 September, at Birmingham’s NEC.

The event was hosted by Savannah Coombe, editor of LetsRecycle, part of the RoarB2B Group which organised the awards; and Grundon chairman Neil Grundon, who paid tribute to all those who had participated.

Calling it one of her “favourite events” Savannah thanked Grundon for its support, while Neil said: “This is our ninth year of sponsoring these awards, to see so many people here gives me great confidence in the future of our industry and well done to all the winners.”

With entries reviewed by a panel of independent judges, 35 individuals were chosen as best representing the talent, ambition and innovation coming through the environmental sector.

The first 32 were invited to collect their framed certificate from Neil, while the names of the top three were read out in reverse order as:

After the event, we caught up with each of them to find out more about their success and how they see their future roles in the waste industry.

Taking top honours was Emily Bussey, Social Mobility & Inclusion: Resourcing Business Partner at SUEZ, whose passion for supporting disadvantaged groups and enabling career opportunities really shone through with the judges.

Before joining SUEZ, Emily had spent several years undertaking careers coaching with NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), young people in poverty and care leavers – all skills sue now uses in her current role.

Speaking about her awards success, Emily says: “It was an amazing and emotional experience – feeling validated, recognised and celebrated all at once.

“I think ‘imposter syndrome’ is a common experience and something I often struggle with, so to receive first place out of all the talented and hardworking young people in the industry was really affirming and encouraging.”

She goes on: “I hope that the recognition I have received in the sector via this award will help me to scale projects further and wider. My future goals are to become an industry leader with a tangible societal and environmental impact – for me, success isn’t measured solely by how many vacancies I fill, but by how many people I can help access careers they may never have thought possible.”

Taking second place was Reece Dalgas, founder of WasteGrid, a purpose-built recruitment platform for UK waste and resource management. He believes the award brings recognition of his determination to fill an important gap in the sector and says feedback from frontline operators, trade bodies and others in the sector all helped to shape WasteGrid.

“I founded WasteGrid in December 2025 and it’s an infrastructure platform built specifically for the UK waste, recycling and environmental services sector,” he says. “I came into the industry just over a year ago through my freelance LinkedIn growth agency, and that is where I saw the hiring problem up close. As founder I cover a bit of everything: product direction with our developer, conversations with operators and trade bodies, and making sure what we build reflects how the sector actually hires.”

He adds: “Coming runner up out of 180 told me that the problem WasteGrid is tackling is one the sector recognises. It also landed the same week we launched the platform at ESS, so it has been quite a week.”

Completing the top three was Millie Parsons, who has worked in the waste and resource sector for six years across a range of people-focused initiatives. She is currently Employee Talent and Engagement Lead at SUEZ in the UK and says she was “incredibly proud” to be named in the top three.

Asked to choose one thing she believes stood out in her nomination, Millie highlighted her involvement in launching and embedding the company’s High Performer Programme, which focuses on the development of future leaders and building the skills and capabilities required.

“What I’m most proud of isn’t any single programme though, it’s creating opportunities for people who may not always put themselves forward,” she added. “Whether that’s through talent programmes, mentoring, development initiatives, or encouraging colleagues to apply for opportunities like the 35 under 35 awards, I’ve always been passionate about helping people recognise their own potential and take the next step in their careers.”

Congratulations to all those who were named on the day. The 2026 35 Under 35 winners are: