This week on Rubbish Talk, Alasdair is joined by Victoria Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Probe Industries Ltd — a family-run business specialising in odour and dust control across the waste and water sectors.

Victoria shares her journey into the industry, which started unexpectedly when she stepped in to help the family business before university. What began as a short-term role quickly turned into a career, as she gained hands-on experience across waste sites and built her knowledge from the ground up. She went on to take over the business in 2011 and today leads a company with three generations of family involvement.

A key focus of the episode is the challenge of odour control in waste management. Victoria explains that effective solutions go far beyond masking smells — instead targeting and breaking down odour compounds at a molecular level. This is particularly important on complex sites where traditional containment or extraction systems aren’t always practical.

Innovation runs throughout the conversation, with Probe taking a strong R&D-led approach, developing new technologies and exploring smarter systems that can detect and respond to odour issues in real time. The discussion also highlights the human side of waste operations, with Victoria emphasising how site conditions — including odour and dust — can impact staff wellbeing, morale and productivity.

Victoria also reflects openly on the realities of running a business, from securing major contracts to navigating setbacks like international fraud. Her message is clear: resilience, learning from mistakes, and adaptability are key to long-term success.

Looking ahead, Probe is focused on international growth, with expanding markets across Europe, North America and the Middle East. The episode also touches on wider industry challenges, particularly regulation, with Victoria calling for a more joined-up and supportive approach between regulators and operators.

Finally, Victoria shares her thoughts on careers in the sector — encouraging more people, especially young people, to consider waste and resources as an exciting and rewarding field. With growing opportunities across science, engineering, and sustainability, it’s an industry that offers far more than many expect.

A fascinating conversation that blends innovation, business insight, and real-world experience — and a reminder of the important role that specialist technologies and passionate people play in keeping our waste systems running.