In the scrap and metal recycling sector—where hard hats meet hard truths, and women have too often been overlooked — Amy Bird stands with clarity, conviction, and an unwavering sense of purpose.
The beginnings of Women in Recycling were small but electric. A message. Then a group chat. Then a gathering in a scrap yard—women from across the industry finally face to face, swapping stories, frustrations, and hard-won knowledge. From that moment of connection, Amy Bird built something extraordinary: a national network that brought visibility, solidarity, and strength to women shaping an industry that was never built for them.
As co-owner of Countrywide Metals and Connolley Metals, Amy Bird leads from the ground up—running thriving businesses while shifting a culture that too often sidelines the people doing the most to change it. Her leadership is not symbolic; it is lived, daily, in boots and high-vis, on yard floors and boardroom calls, in every decision that makes space for others to thrive.
The realities of this trade are not easy. The pressure, the assumptions, the exhaustion of being the only woman in the room—again. Amy Bird does not sugar-coat these truths. She speaks them plainly, so no one else feels alone in them. She leads not by polishing her presence, but by standing unapologetically in it.
Recognition followed. Amy Bird was named Businesswoman of the Year at the Birmingham Business Awards and ranked #2 on Recycling International’s Top 100 Most Influential People. But these titles, while earned, have never been the point. What matters more to Amy Bird are the spaces she’s built, the conversations she’s opened, and the doors she refuses to let close behind her.
Through Women in Recycling, Amy Bird has created a space where women speak freely, support one another, and lead without compromise. It is honest. It is vital. And it is changing the face of the industry from the inside out.
The family business she runs with her sister Sophie is a testament to legacy, collaboration, and a future led differently. Within it, Amy Bird proves that women don’t just belong in scrap—they are transforming it.
There is no blueprint for what Amy Bird has built. No precedent. No path she simply followed. She made it herself—with courage, with clarity, and with a deep commitment to making sure that no woman in this trade ever has to wonder if she belongs.
