It is understood that Justin Widdowson, CEO of Total Waste Management, plans to continue running the company under the name Total UK Recycling.
The sale included £150,000 of goodwill and a promise to pay essential creditors a total of £123,507.80.
Widdowson filed a notification to creditors on 20 July 2026 stating his intention to act as director of Total UK Recycling.
This is a legal process which alerts creditors that a director intends to become involved or continue involvement with a company that carries a similar name to an insolvent company.
Director Widdowson was appointed as the Director of Total UK Recycling on 30 May 2022, the same day the company was incorporated.
It was first named Total Global Commodities Limited before changing its name in December 2023.
Total UK Recycling was marked as a dormant company on Companies House with a turnover of £1 from 2023 until at least last week.
The sale of the assets of Total Waste Management, which were made to a “party connected with the Company”, included customer contracts, office equipment and intellectual property rights.
Most employees were also transferred to Total UK Recycling.
Total Waste Management appoints administrators
Total Waste Management appointed administrators from FTS Recovery on 3 July 2026, according to records on Companies House.
The waste company and metals recycler recorded a 32.35% decrease in turnover between the 2024 and 2025 financial years, according to its 2025 financial records.
In a letter to its unsecured creditors, exclusively seen by letsrecycle.com, it was revealed that the company owes a total of almost £6.5 million to more than 200 organisations.
The list includes major waste organisations, reprocessors, government bodies, HMRC and utility companies.
The companies are owed debts in a range between 3p to £2.65 million.
The company also has outstanding payments to two employees, amounting to a nominal amount of £2,400.
Total Waste Management, which previously traded as G D Metals Limited and Luteyear Limited, specialised in ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling and end-of-life vehicle (ELV) disposal. It was first incorporated in 1989.
Director Widdowson was appointed in November 2010.
Prior to entering administration, the company operated from a number of sites across the UK and employed 38 employees, 36 of which have been transferred to Total UK Recycling.
Why are so many metals recyclers shutting down?
The past year has seen a wave of closures across the UK metals recycling sector, with rising operating costs amongst the most visible pressures facing recyclers.
Explaining its appointment of administrators in January, metal recycler CF Booth cited “significant trading difficulties” exacerbated by high energy prices and copper price volatility, alongside increases to the National Living Wage, environmental compliance costs, VAT and health and safety penalties.
James Kelly, CEO of the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), explained: “BMRA is saddened by the news of recent closures following a year that has proven to be very challenging for metals recycling businesses.
“Global uncertainty, combined with a lack of scrap and the high cost of running a business in the UK have all contributed to this difficult operating environment – this looks likely to continue well into 2026.”
This has been coupled with a steep drop in domestic demand that has left many metals recyclers reliant on fluctuating exports markets.
Read our full analysis here.
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