Hot 100 2013

100 (NEW) Mark H Durkan, Minister for the Environment, Northern Ireland Assembly: ”Northern Ireland will outstrip England on recycling performance – Mark Durkan is a strong leader who can get things done.”

99 (NEW) Andy Street, Director, SLR Consulting: ”For expertise in integrated waste management.”

98 (48) Peter Scholes, Managing Director, Urban Mines: ”Knows his stuff inside out.”

97 (96) Peter Laybourn, Chief Executive, International Synergies Ltd: ”For outstanding dedication to business resource efficiency over many years.”

96 (37) Nicola Peake, Managing Director – Environment, Kier:
“She’s committed to the waste hierarchy.”

95 (NEW) John Twitchen, Executive Director, Copper Consultancy: ”He’s everywhere at the moment.”

94 (57) Michael Chesshire, Director, Evergreen Gas: ”Highly influential pioneer in UK AD.”

93 (NEW) Dimitra Rappou, Waste Prevention Officer, North London Waste Authority: ”For running a great LFHW campaign and leading Londoners towards lower levels of waste. She’s passionate and smart – a killer combo!”

92 (NEW) Stuart Greig, Head of Zero Waste Policy, Scottish Government: ”Driving zero waste and circular economy policy.”

91 (NEW) Jenny Robinson, Recycling and Collections Advisor, WRAP: ”For her tireless support of local authorities. She offers the crème de la crème of collections and recycling advice and has done for many years.”

90 (NEW) Gev Eduljee, External Affairs Director, SITA UK: “An articulate spokesperson on waste who dares to question the status quo and speaks well on behalf of industry.”

89 (NEW) Geoff Hadfield, Managing Director, Hadfield Wood Recyclers: ”Making recycling pay by creating new markets.”

88 (30) Peter Mills, Operations Director, New Earth Solutions: ”He’s pushing the agenda forward.”

87 (79) Chris Coggins, Waste Management Consultant: “He knows everything.”    

86 (72) Paul Jones, Consultant, Eunomia: ”Clever and engaging.”

85 (17) Eric Randall, Director of Recycling, Bryson Recycling: ”Leading light for social enterprises and kersbide sort.”

84 (26) Andy Moore, Coordinator, Campaign for Real Recycling: ”For having the conviction to challenge the government over a single word that makes all the difference. And for the beret.”

83 (98) Michael Green, Managing Director, G&P Batteries: ”Best at batteries.”

82 (100) Esther Kiddle, Founder, Women in Waste: ”Giving women a voice.”

81 (NEW) Scott Butler, Managing Director, ERP UK: ”Scott is a positive and passionate voice of reason and promoter of quality and innovation in the UK WEEE industry.”

80 (33) Alan Whitehead MP, Chair, Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group: “APSRG is the top place for debate amongst the big players in the industry.”

79 (NEW) Graeme Vickery, Senior Policy Advisor – WEEE Team, BIS: “The man pulling all the WEEE strings at the moment.”

78 (NEW) John Woodruff, Chair, NAWDO: ”For leading local authorities’ response to waste.”

77 (51) Steve Read, Managing Director, Somerset Waste Partnership: ”Leading the way for partnerships.”

76 (66) Joe Papineschi, Director, Eunomia: “Unrivalled at making the complex seem obvious.”

75 (22) Jeremy Jacobs, Technical Director, Renewable
Energy Association: ”Still defending the interests of the organics recycling sector.”

74 (NEW) Keith Freegard, Director, Axion Recycling: ”Thinking about the future, not just today.”

73 (16) Peter Jones, Director, Ecolateral: ”A great expert to work with.”

72 (NEW) Jamie Oliver, Celebrity chef: “His latest cookbook sold more than 10 million copies and is all about how to waste less food, save money, and be frugal – this must qualify him as having done more
for waste prevention than just about any other this year.”

71 (NEW) Steve Burdis, Director, Dorset Waste Partnership: ”Leading big changes and achieving high recycling on the front
line, this former NAWDO Chair really knows his stuff.”

70 (NEW) Ian Matten, Waste Manager, Vale of White Horse District Council: ”Success breeds success – just ask the
rest of Oxfordshire, who are now following his lead.”

69 (36) Maxine Perella, Waste Market Editor, edie.net: ”Remarkable level of output.”

68 (NEW) David Moon, Head of Resource Efficiency in Products and Services, WRAP: ”He puts the action into the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan and has a brilliant analytical mind.” 

67 (45) Barry Dennis, Director General, ESA: “He has 50 years in
the waste sector and still has the passion for it.”

66 (NEW) Andy Hill, Head of Organics & Alternative Fuels, SITA UK: ”What he doesn’t know
about compost and digestate isn’t
worth knowing.”

65 (NEW) Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, Mayor of London: ”Set up extra funding for flats recycling, biodiesel and food waste collections, thus making a big difference in our capital.”

64 (27) Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Scottish Government: ”Scotland’s certainly beaten the aulde enemy when it comes to winning the war on waste with innovative and ambitious policies.”

63 (47) Richard Swannell, Director of Design and Waste Prevention, WRAP: ”For always putting waste prevention first.”

62 (49) Lord Deben, Chair, Committee on Climate Change: ”He stands up for truth and science fact in difficult times.”

61 (50) Mal Williams, Executive Director, Zero Waste Wales: “He deserves better than the backbiting that’s going on. A luminary.”

60 (84) Nigel Harvey, Chief Executive, Recolight: ”Lobbies hard and forces change.”

59 (NEW) Lucy Siegle, Journalist, the Observer: ”She’s a green guru with a huge following who really influences public behaviour.”

58 (NEW) Jasper Roberts, Head of Waste & Resource Efficiency Division, Welsh Government: ”For his steely determination to address
resource efficiency.”

57 (18) Julie Hill, Associate, Green Alliance: ”For all her hard  work on the Circular Economy Taskforce.”

56 (60) Michael Warhurst,
Senior Campaigner – Economics and Resource Use, Friends of the Earth: ”Michael has had significant influence on the shape
of the EU’s Roadmap to a Resource
Efficient Europe.”

55 (70) Stuart Foster, CEO, Recoup: ”For encouraging people to recycle plastic.”

54 (46) Colin Kirkby, Outgoing Executive Officer, LARAC: ”For radiating competence.” 

53 (68) Stephen Gee, Resource Event Director, UBM: ”The new event Resource could help transform the old waste market.”

52 (35) Marcus Gover, Director of Closed Loop Economy, WRAP:
”As the circular economy becomes more significant, so does
this man.”

51 (53) Dick Perry, Programme Area Manager for Collection and Quality, WRAP: ”Where would we be without this gentle giant of the recycling world?”

50 (NEW) Chris Holmes, Managing Director – Waste and Bioenergy, Green Investment Bank: “Green Investment Bank has more clout than most with billions on offer for the right projects.”

49 (BACK) Lee Marshall, CEO, LARAC (from April 2014): ”He kept soldiering on and has now got a chance to really make a difference. He’s a heavy-weight figure in the industry with loads of experience.”

48 (NEW) Owen Paterson, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Defra: “Like or loathe it, he is in charge.”

47 (63) Lindsay Boswell, CEO, FareShare: ”His group’s work has shot up the agenda and political radar this year.”

46 (59) Jane Beasley, Director, Beasley Associates: ”Brains.”

45 (99) Wayne Hubbard, Chief Operating Officer, LWARB: ”Playing an important role in developing London’s waste infrastructure.”

44 (52) Caroline Lucas, MP, Green Party: ”She’s the only MP to take sustainability seriously, and she’s brave enough to put herself at risk for her values.” 

43 (32) Colin Church, Director of Resource, Atmosphere and Sustainability, Defra: ”Surely he’s the most influential and powerful person in waste now – the only one who can change policy.”

42 (91) Nick Brown, Associate Director – Recycling, Coca-Cola Enterprises: ”For creative thinking in new areas and collaboration with all the key stakeholders.”

41 (BACK) Ian Wakelin, Chief Executive, Biffa: ”Phoenix from the ashes.”

40 (58) Shlomo Dowen, National Coordinator, UK Without Incineration Network:
”For standing up for more recycling and
less burning! Tenacity is a strength that needs its just reward.”

39 (25) Linda Crichton, Head of Collections and Quality, WRAP: “For the sane continuity she brings to the sector.” 

38 (65) Steve Simmons, Managing Director, Waste Dynamics: “Steve’s knowledge is just amazing – technical information second to none.”

37 (21) Adam Read, Practice Director for Waste Management & Resource Efficiency,  Ricardo-AEA: ”He keeps it real, challenges the norm, and helps make the right decisions for his clients.”

36 (NEW) Alun Davies, Minister for Natural Resources and Food, Welsh Government: ”This vote is for the whole Welsh Assembly for having the balls to have a more aggressive target-based approach to recycling, which clearly works better than the laissez-faire approach of the Coalition in Westminster.”

35 (64) Keith James, Special Advisor – Environmental Research, WRAP: ”Knows his stuff!”

34 (NEW) David Allen, Development Manager, Recycling Lives: ”An excellent supporter and developer of third-sector reuse and recycling initiatives.”

33 (39) Tony Breton, UK Coordinator, Novamont: ”A man who genuinely believes in looking after the planet. He stands out in the organic waste sector as someone who knows all there is to know, from the highly scientific to the everyday fact.”

32 (15) Jane Stephenson, CEO, Resource Futures: ”She is a great listener, as well as a thinker and a doer.”

31 (71) Dee Moloney, Managing Director, London Remade Solutions: ”For services to the circular economy. Dee’s a great role model and advisor in the waste industry.”

30 (38) Margaret Bates, Manager, Centre for Sustainable Wastes Management, Northampton University: “For her work in Africa, leading the developing world’s WEEE revolution.” 

29 (96) Richard Featherstone, Development Manager, London Re-use Network: ”For his outstanding commitment and dedication to reuse. Richard has been, and still is, a pioneer of reuse in London and deserves recognition.”

28 (NEW) Richard Barker, CEO, Biogen: ”King of AD.”

27 (8) Jonathan Short, “Managing Director, ECO Plastics: “Not afraid to speak his mind.”

26 (41) Philip Morton, Chief Executive, Repic: ”Main man in the WEEE world.”

25 (55) Craig Anderson, Chief Executive, Furniture Re-use Network: “For that speech at the CIWM Presidential Dinner. Passion and gravitas.”

24 (4) Andy Doran, Senior Manager – Sustainability and Recycling Development, Novelis Recycling: ”For his devotion to assuring the quality of UK recycling output.”

23 (NEW) Tristram Stuart, Campaigner, The Pig Idea and Feeding the 5,000: ”For making sure everyone is aware of food waste and  giving us bold, innovative ideas to solve the problem. He’s an inspiring campaigner who has single-handedly gotten a huge amount of PR into waste.”

22 (61) Russell Owens, Waste Strategy Officer, Welsh Government: ”A behind-the-scenes mover and shaker. No one has done more – ever, and he’s a legendary figure in Wales.”

21 (40) Rick Hindley, Executive Director, Alupro: ”MetalMatters is now the UK’s largest and most successful recycling campaign and a model for bringing private funding to LA communications.”

20 (NEW) Estelle Brachlianoff, Director of UK and Northern Europe, Veolia: “She’s calling the shots at the nation’s biggest waste firm.”

19 (42) Phillip Ward, Independent Consultant: ”For telling it as it is now that he’s free. The waste industry is definitely better off when he speaks his mind.”

18 (28) Steve Eminton, Editor, letsrecycle.com: ”For offering professional journalism in a choppy sea of tabloid
waste stories.”

17 (2) Joy Blizzard, Former Chair, LARAC: ”She’s taken LARAC on to a new level and works tirelessly to make sure local authority voices are heard.”

16 (13) Chris Dow, Managing Director, Closed Loop Recycling: ”For promoting quality and doing great things with plastic.”

15 (9) Andy Rees, Head of Waste Strategy, Welsh Government: ”Wales is streets ahead of the rest.”

14 (NEW) Anna Scott, Community Engagement Manager, Keep Britain Tidy: ”A fantastic force behind so many successful waste prevention and recycling local behaviour change campaigns for local authorities across England.”

13 (95) Paul Vanston, Manager, Kent Resource Partnership: “This is a guy who will define the local government relationships of the future. He challenges what most people consider the norm.”

12 (69) Ellen MacArthur, Founder, Ellen MacArthur Foundation: “For her ability to mobilise the private sector on the circular economy.”

11 (24) Rachelle Strauss, Blogger, My Zero Waste: ”For being an authentic eco-Womble par excellence. She has worked like a demon to get zero waste on the agenda and her blog inspires others to take action, too.”

10 (3) Liz Goodwin, CEO, WRAP: “WRAP continues to be the centre of all things good in the industry, despite big budget cuts.”

9 (1) Ray Georgeson, Chief Executive, Resource Association: “He remains the voice of reason and common sense on quality issues in the face of a lot of nonsensical noise from other parts of the industry!”

8 (12) Dominic Hogg, Director, Eunomia: ”Working at the heart of the European Commission on their 2014 review of waste targets – he IS the man in the middle.”

7 (87) Karen Cannard, Blogger, The Rubbish Diet: ”For her boundless enthusiasm for slimming those bins – she doesn’t preach, she inspires! Hers is truly a world-saving approach.”

6 (11) Janez Poto˘cnik, European Environment Commissioner: “A rare thing: a politician who speaks in facts and makes a difference.” 

5 (5) Jonathan Straight, Chief Executive, Straight plc: “Think about it – without his boxes and bins, there would be no recycling industry at all!” 

4 (20) Steve Lee, CEO, CIWM: “A fantastic, passionate and approachable advocate for the sector. He has contacts into the upper echelons of the real corridors of power and knows all the big names in the industry.”

3 (14) David Palmer-Jones, CEO, SITA UK: “He knows the industry inside out and is working hard to ensure we’re helping to drive the circular economy.”

2 (44) Emma Marsh, Head of Love Food
Hate Waste, WRAP:
”She’s out on the front line, actually changing behaviour – not just talking about it.”

And the winner is....

1 (7) Iain Gulland, 
Director, Zero Waste Scotland.  


There’s no doubt about it: 
our top performer Iain Gulland has many fans in the waste and resources audience, who this year lauded his exploits in Scotland – highlighting his ‘determination’,  ‘forward thinking’, ‘hard work’, ‘never-ending sphere of influence’ and many other admirable attributes. Here, in his own words, is how he got to where he istoday, and where he hopes we are going…

Age: 49

Occupation: Director of Zero Waste Scotland

Location: Stirling

Education: Alloa Academy; St Andrews University (BSc in Environmental Biology); and Stow College (HNC in Wastes Management)

Route to present job: After university, I moved to London for five years, where I managed pubs and bars (I did learn something at uni!), before returning to Scotland to work with East Lothian 
Council as Waste Management Officer.

My first real sojourn into recycling was offering a glass recycling service to East Lothian pubs to help reduce trade waste costs – yes, even back then, it was more economical to recycle than dispose.

This article was taken from Issue 75

I later moved to Orkney Islands 
Council to head up its waste management division before helping to roll out 
kerbside recycling schemes in Edinburgh, 
working for LEEP (now Changeworks), 
and in Clackmannanshire for Alloa Community Enterprises.

My next move was to take up a role in the newly-formed Community Resources Network Scotland (CRNS), and four 
years later I started with WRAP as 
Director for Scotland.

There, I helped to establish Zero Waste Scotland as the Scottish Government’s delivery programme to help achieve its zero waste plan – the new organisation amalgamated seven previous programmes into one.

Best thing about the job: Working with a passionate and committed team both in Scotland and in Banbury – it doesn’t get much better.

Main disadvantage: I don’t think there
is one.

Vision for the future: I believe there 
is a real sea change in terms of the resource agenda. In Scotland, thanks 
to the commitment of the Scottish Government, there is real momentum 
to maximise the economic and environmental opportunities that recycling 
and the circular economy can offer. The agenda has broken out of the ‘waste sector’and is making inroads into mainstream business. With it comes scale and a whole new cast of players broadening the opportunity.

Advice to others: The new resource industry in Scotland looks set to offer 
lots of great opportunities over the 
coming years. Come to Scotland 
and make the most of these whenever 
you can.