The platform was founded by Reece Dalgas, who was also named runner up in letsrecycle.com's 35 Under 35 at the same event. It was set up in response to a problem operators know well: the sector competes with transport, logistics, construction and energy for the same pool of licensed and qualified people, while generic job boards can't tell one licence or ticket from another.
WasteGrid matches on the qualifications the work actually needs. That includes HGV Cat C and C+E, Driver CPC National and International routes, ADR modules, and operator competence under both the CIWM/WAMITAB and EU Skills/ESA schemes. It covers the roles that keep sites and rounds running: HGV drivers, loaders, plant operators, weighbridge operators, site supervisors, TCMs, transport managers and compliance leads.
The platform is free for candidates. They get a licence wallet that keeps every licence and ticket in one shareable place, plus application tracking and job alerts based on the licences they hold. Employers subscribe to post roles, search candidates and manage applications. For larger operators, an API lets roles and applications flow through the applicant tracking systems they already use, so there's no extra platform to log into.
Key fact
- CIWM's Think Again campaign estimates the sector will need 68,000 additional employees by 2036.
Employers and candidates can register at wastegrid.co.uk.
"Waste is competing for the same licence holders as everyone else," said Reece Dalgas, Founder of WasteGrid. "If the sector wants to hold on to good drivers and operators, it needs recruitment that understands what a WAMITAB ticket or a CPC route actually means. That's what we've built."