Ward was established in 1940, specialising in the recycling of ferrous metals in Woodville near Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.  

The ISO9001 quality accreditation was granted to the company in 1990 and during the following years the directors realised the potential to develop and grow Ward Recycling by responding to the waste management needs of modern business and industry.  

In 2002 the company expanded to its second location, a 10 acre site at Ilkeston in Derbyshire, representing a total investment of over £5m.

 February 2004 saw continued investment with the installation of the £1m Redox waste recycling plant at the Ilkeston site. This ensured Ward Recycling’s full compliance with European Union waste management and recycling directives.  2010 saw Ward Recycling expand to a third site and continue to expand the metal and waste processing activities.  In 2015, Ward Recycling purchased a site in Chesterfield, Derbyshire which further expanded the coverage over the UK offering metal recycling solutions for the North of the country.  In 2018 Ward opened a dedicated deep sea export dock facility at Associated British Ports (ABP) in Immingham to further expand its metal export business.  

Today Ward has an annual turnover in excess of £140m, employs over 400 people and operates a fleet of over 100 vehicles. The company is now managed by third and fourth generation family members who continue their commitment to developing waste management and recycling techniques, saving their customers money and helping them to meet and exceed their recycling targets.