Introduction
From Overflowing Bins to Business Success: How Eric McBean Turned a Local Nuisance Into a Thriving Enterprise
Eric McBean never imagined that his frustration with rubbish would lead to a life-changing business venture. Living on the 19th floor of a high-rise in Eccles, Greater Manchester, he watched as the building’s waste bins overflowed weekend after weekend. Dumped furniture, discarded televisions, and growing piles of rubbish turned his home into an unofficial landfill.
But McBean wasn’t just another frustrated tenant—he was also the Lead for Enterprise and Innovation at ForHousing, the housing association that owned the building. Determined to find a solution, he experimented with a mobile rubbish-compacting service in 2020. The results were promising. Yet, when his role was made redundant a few years later, he found himself at a crossroads at 59.
“Starting over at my age felt overwhelming. But I realized I had more confidence in building something of my own than job-hunting,” McBean recalls.
With his small private pension and redundancy package, he invested in a vehicle and compacting machinery. At 60, Squosh was born—a company that crushes waste, maximizes bin space, and helps communities keep their surroundings clean.
An Entrepreneurial Spirit from the Start
McBean’s journey into business wasn’t new. At 17, he rented a minibus to shuttle clubgoers from Nuneaton to Great Yarmouth. He later launched an employment agency helping job seekers move to London. Then came a food distribution business, serving clients like Aston Villa’s youth team and Coventry Airport—until his partner’s bankruptcy brought it to an end.
“I’ve spent my life wondering, ‘Is this the one?’” he says.
His father, a Jamaican immigrant who worked in the coal mines, always told him:
“You can have anything you want—if you work for it.”
That mindset stuck. While juggling family responsibilities, McBean earned his HGV license to support himself between ventures, much like an out-of-work actor waiting tables.
A Life-Altering Wake-Up Call
McBean’s ambitions weren’t just about financial success. As a boy, he was mesmerized by luxury cars, setting his sights on owning a Porsche 911. Eventually, he made that dream a reality, buying a secondhand model for less than the price of a new Ford.
But life took an unexpected turn. While on holiday in Gambia, a fatal car accident left him with a broken hip and pelvis. Months of hospitalization forced him to sell his Porsche—now too painful to drive.
Yet, the setback didn’t deter him. Instead, it fueled his drive to make Squosh a success.
Turning Trash into Triumph
Today, McBean splits his time between driving the Squosh compactor van, pitching to new clients, and exhibiting at business events. His first major contract came from Pennine Care NHS Trust, followed by two housing associations. The company has even been shortlisted twice for a British business award. Now, McBean is ordering his second van.
Not everyone immediately understands what he does.
“People sometimes shout, ‘What are you doing with our bins?’ But when they see the lids closed, the space tidied, and the rubbish gone, they get it. That’s all people want.”
Now 60, McBean believes he may have finally found “the one” business that sticks. His parents never got to witness his success, but he hopes his journey honors their belief in him.
“Maybe I’m going through life seeing what I could be—and giving it a go.”
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