J&B News & Updates

06.02.26

At J&B Recycling, we’re proud to support apprenticeships and the role they play in developing skills, confidence and long-term careers. As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we’re celebrating the apprentices across our business who are learning on the job while contributing to the important work we do every day.

From customer service and administration to marketing, our apprentices support teams across the business while gaining recognised qualifications and real-world experience.

Brooke – Business Administration Apprentice

Brooke is currently completing a Business Administration Apprenticeship through Hartlepool College of Further Education, which she began in July last year. Her role supports both our customer service and sales teams, where she helps manage customer emails, answers phone calls, and assists with preparing and sending contracts.

Brooke also supports the sales team with key documentation, including Duty of Care forms and contract amendments. If you’ve ever called J&B Recycling, there’s a good chance you may have spoken to Brooke!

As part of her college course, Brooke also delivered a contamination awareness campaign, creating social media content focused on educating people about what can and cannot be placed in recycling bins. Through this, she learned just how important it is to think carefully about what goes into the bin, as even small mistakes can have a big impact once materials reach the recycling facility. If you would like to see the campaign click here. 

“During my investigations on site, some items really stood out, including a full, unopened packet of nappies and a teddy bear. While these items aren’t suitable for recycling, they could have been donated instead. It really highlights how important it is to think about alternative options before throwing things away.”

Lucy – Customer Service Apprentice

Lucy works within the customer service team, where a typical day involves supporting customers with enquiries, managing emails and phone calls, and helping ensure everything runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. As a first point of contact for many customers, Lucy plays an important role in providing clear, helpful advice and enjoys helping customers find the right solutions for their waste services.

Lucy has been part of the J&B Recycling team for nearly four years and has gained valuable experience across different areas of the business. During this time, she has worked within the accounts team and on the weighbridge, giving her a strong understanding of how the business operates and how different departments work together. This experience helped her develop a well-rounded skillset and ultimately led her to find her passion within the customer service team, where she has now been for over a year.

Through her Level 3 Customer Service Apprenticeship with Hartlepool College of Further Education, Lucy has developed strong communication and customer service skills, alongside increased confidence in handling a wide range of customer queries. The apprenticeship has supported her professional development, particularly when working independently, resolving issues, and supporting different teams across the business.

What Lucy enjoys most about her role is the opportunity to help customers while being part of a supportive and encouraging team. She feels this positive working environment has played a key role in her development and has helped make J&B Recycling a great place to learn, build confidence, and grow within the business.

“Completing my Customer Service Apprenticeship has helped me build strong communication skills and a lot more confidence in my role. It’s been a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience, work towards a recognised qualification, and learn in a real working environment.”

Izzy – Degree Marketing Apprentice

Izzy is part of our marketing team and manages J&B Recycling’s social media channels, with approval from Ingrid, our Sales and Marketing Manager. She also updates the website with blogs and news stories, supports the planning and delivery of marketing campaigns, and creates design work across our digital channels. Izzy also plays a key role in our school tours, organising and running visits and speaking to children about the recycling process. Seeing how interested and engaged young people are when learning about waste and recycling is a highlight of her role.

After completing her Level 3 Content Creation Apprenticeship, Izzy is now continuing her development through a Level 6 Marketing Management degree through Staffordshire university and TDM. Her apprenticeship has helped her build strong time management and organisational skills, as well as balance work alongside study. It has also supported her professional and personal development, building confidence, communication skills and the ability to apply classroom learning directly into real-world marketing activity. 

Izzy advises anyone considering a career in marketing to stay organised, keep up with trends and be open to learning, as the industry moves quickly and offers a wide range of creative opportunities.

“Completing my Level 3 Content Creation Apprenticeship gave me a strong foundation in marketing and helped me build confidence in my abilities. Moving on to a Level 6 Marketing Management degree has allowed me to continue developing my skills, apply what I learn directly into real projects, and grow both professionally and personally. It’s been a great opportunity to learn while working in a fast-paced and creative industry.”

Supporting Apprentices across the Business! 

Across the business, our apprentices bring fresh perspectives, and valuable support to our teams. Whether they’re getting stuck into day to day operations or bringing new ideas to the table, apprentices play a key role in helping us deliver great results for our customers.

In return, we’re proud to offer opportunities that help individuals develop meaningful skills, gain recognised qualifications, and build lasting careers.

This National Apprenticeship Week, we’re especially proud to celebrate Brooke, Lucy and Izzy, three fantastic apprentices who have already made a real impact at J&B Recycling. Through commitment and hard work, they’re growing their knowledge every day and shaping positive futures, both for themselves and for our business.

Apprenticeships Across the FCC Environment Group

We’re also proud to be part of the wider FCC Environment, which has a long-standing commitment to apprenticeships and early careers development. FCC Environment runs a comprehensive apprenticeship programme designed to help individuals earn while they learn, gain practical experience, and build career momentum in a forward-thinking organisation.

Whether it’s apprenticeships in engineering at their Energy from Waste facilities, workshops supporting their fleet of vehicles, business administration roles, or even structured Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeships, the programme offers a diverse range of pathways for people looking to start or grow their careers.

At FCC Environment, apprentices are supported with on-the-job training from experienced professionals, real responsibilities, and opportunities to develop confidence, skills and qualifications that set them up for success in the waste and resource management sector.

You can find out more about the full range of opportunities available on the FCC Environment early careers and apprenticeships page here.