Closed loop collection programmes - AIP Panel Discussion
Presented by Lyn Mayes, Joe Foster, Julie Evans and Gaya Gamage
Lyn Mayes
Lyn established Mad World in 2011 to build networks and collaboration between the private sector, NGOs, and government to improve New Zealand’s environmental performance. Lyn set up Soft Plastic Recycling in 2015 for The Packaging Forum and manages the soft plastic recycling scheme. She supports the NZ Food & Grocery Council’s sustainability committee with particular focus on sustainable packaging and the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL). Lyn is project co-ordinator for the Plastic Packaging Product Stewardship scheme co-design process.
Lyn is an external appointee to the Board of the Association of Metal Recyclers, Trustee of Be a Tidy Kiwi and a member of the ANZPAC Plastics Pact Advisory Group and immediate past chair of the Auckland Conservation Board. Lyn is Vice President of Weightlifting New Zealand and competes for New Zealand at master’s level in Olympic weightlifting and holds NZ masters records in this sport.
Joe Foster
Joe Foster has recently accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Close the Loop Group, following the merger of innovation- focused O F Packaging and the market- leading circular economy business Close the Loop. The merged entity listed on the ASX at the end of 2021.
As of April 2022, the Group consists of 8 separate divisions across the packaging and resource recovery space, including the latest acquisitions of Oceanic Agencies (seafood packaging and commercial products) and Crasti & Co. (bulk handling products).
As a fellow of the Australian institute of Packaging (AIP) and winner of the Worldstar Packaging Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020, Joe has dedicated much time outside of Group responsibilities to the education and training space, working within in Australia, New Zealand, and South-East Asia in particular.
Julie Evans
Julie brings a broad experience in the food and beverage manufacturing sector, having worked her way up from a customer service position. During her 35-year career, she has been involved in product development, supply chain, production, communications, government relations, marketing, sustainability and customer management, working with many of New Zealand’s leading companies.
As Key Account Director at Tetra Pak, Julie Evans has been at the forefront of developing the highly successful UHT milk export business where NZ’s greatest raw material is delivered as a branded consumer-ready product to China and South East Asia.
As a thought leader, Julie takes a pragmatic approach to make things happen while considering the wide impacts of every decision. She takes the view that the primary function of a package - to protect and deliver its precious cargo in an efficient and consumer convenient format with a low carbon footprint - is as important as the management of its end of life.
Gaya Gamage
Gaya is an experienced LCA practitioner with over 10 years in the field and a broad range of interests in the sustainability arena. She regularly undertakes LCA studies and is involved in the development of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). She is also an independent reviewer of LCA studies.
She holds a BE in Engineering Science and a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Based in Auckland, she has spent 15 years at the University of Auckland studying, tutoring and lecturing. Gaya’s Masters studies involved her first LCA with Formway’s LIFE chair in 2004 which focused on finding materials with the lowest environmental impact and are now used in our main offices.
She is a member of the EPD Australasia Technical Advisory Group and the LCANZ Best Practice Working Group.
She credits a love of gardening as a gateway for her interest in the environment with a garden full of persimmons, pomegranates, lemons and loquat. When she is not working, Gaya can be found running around after her little boy.
