Dr Jen Vanderhoven is CEO of the Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA), a biotechnology leader with 20+ years’ experience spanning R&D, commercial strategy, and sustainable innovation. She champions bio-based materials, circular bioeconomy policy, and strategic partnerships to drive positive environmental and industry transformation.

Sam has 15 years of experience creating, driving and leading sustainability programmes. He joined Coca Cola Europacific Partners in 2021 to lead on climate and sustainability in GB, having previously worked for the FTSE 100-listed DS Smith where he established their industry-leading ‘Now and Next’ sustainability strategy. Since joining, he has been instrumental in the introduction of attached caps to CCEP products and has spearheaded many industry-leading projects. Recognising the need to align internal efforts on sustainability with public advocacy, Sam’s role has evolved to take on more responsibility for CCEP GB’s public affairs activities, with an immediate focus on an interoperable GB Deposit Return Scheme. Sam has a background in Geography and is currently studying for an MSt in Sustainability Leadership with the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership.

Chairman Board member since 1999. More than 35 years experience in the plastics recycling industry in Europe, USA and the Far East, instrumental in both the setup of greenfield projects and also in restructuring existing businesses. Member of the Board of PRE (Plastic Recyclers Europe). Committee member of the BPF Recycling Group. Previous President of the French Recyclers. Jim believes that the success of plastic recycling in the UK can only come about through cooperation and dialogue between all parties in the packaging chain. He has supported RECOUP to grow a membership that creates a forum where constructive communications can take place.

Anna is an environmental criminal lawyer, specialising in defence work in the waste and recycling industry. She is dual-qualified, having completed a PhD in geochemistry and worked as an environmental consultant before qualifying as a lawyer. Anna represents waste and recycling businesses and directors who are prosecuted by the regulators (Environment Agency and local authorities) for environmental and waste offences. She is a Past President of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and a Trustee of the Board. She is also Co-Convenor of UKELA’s Waste Working Party and sits on ESA’s Waste Regulation Group.

Paul Vanston formally became Chief Executive of the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) in May 2017. That followed 26 years in central and local government including roles in recycling & waste management services for citizens and businesses. Paul is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Ministerially-appointed member of the Pack UK Steering Group. Elected Chair of the Pack UK Communications & Behaviour Change Advisory Group. Director of the UK Packaging PRO appointed in April 2026 as the UK producer responsibility organisation. Member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM). Member of the Green Alliance Circular Economy Task Force. Founder supporter of the original UK Plastics Pact.

Faye is a Director of Avalon Consultancy Services and Chair of the Board of Composites UK. In her Consultancy role Faye supports the materials sector in strategy, R&D, inward investment and business development. For 17 years she was a Materials Specialist for the Dept for Business & Trade and its predecessors. In her specialist area of composite materials, Faye helped develop two UK Composite Strategies, the first of which established the NCC. Faye is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and was awarded an OBE in 2022.

Stuart Lendrum is a senior leader with over 30 years’ experience in product, sustainability, packaging and global food supply chains. He is known for combining commercial results with measurable sustainability outcomes, driving innovation and large-scale change. As Director of Product, Process & Sustainability at Iceland Foods, he leads product, packaging, technical, ethical trade and regulatory functions, delivering faster private-label launches, major efficiency gains, a 51% reduction in plastic use and a 47% cut in food waste, while advancing digital and AI transformation. Previously at Sainsbury’s, he led global ethical sourcing across 70+ countries and helped shape sustainability standards. He holds qualifications in Packaging Science and Chemical Engineering and was a founding board member for OPRL and its first executive director ahead of stepping away after fourteen years supporting its journey to being the global benchmark it is today.

Currently responsible for a range of strategy, policy, commercial and innovation development activities for SUEZ UK. Stuart works across the whole value chain from collection to end of waste in SUEZ and across the value chain from working on how design influences waste outcomes to new products from waste such as repaired and reused items to fuels and chemicals from residual waste. Stuart uses data to help define and deliver waste prevention, reuse, circular and sustainable solutions, carbon or resource consumption reduction and insight for improvement across the full value chain. Stuart has over 30 years’ of experience in the environmental, resource and waste industry and has amassed wide technical and commercial skills and experience in the systems of management, markets, strategy, technologies and the environment. He is a fellow of CIWM.

Dr Margaret Bates has nearly 40 years experience in waste management and the circular economy, across academia, government, and industry. She led the establishment of the UK’s Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Scheme Administrator working across governments and the packaging value chain.  Previously she has held roles as  Managing Director of OPRL, Professor of Sustainable Wastes Management and President of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management.  Margaret is a Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Wastes Manager, International Wastes Manager, and a Fellow of both CIWM and IOM3 as well as a Founding Fellow of the Circular Economy Institute. 

Adrian has 45 years’ International experience in the speciality chemicals and plastics industry, in roles ranging from pure R&D to New Product Development, Manufacturing, Technology & Knowledge Transfer, Innovation Leadership and International Marketing & Communications. Over the last 20+ years he has combined his experience within these roles to help minimise the impact of society’s behaviour on the environment by specialising in Innovation and Resource Efficiency.

Helen is the Sustainability Manager at the British Plastics Federation (BPF). Helen oversees all the BPF’s many sustainability activities including Net Zero and Operation Clean Sweep (a scheme to ensure plastic pellets do not escape into the environment). Helen also manages the activities of the BPF recycling group which she was previously the executive for. The Recycling Group focuses on issues such as food contact regulations, market conditions, legacy additives and promoting the development of recycling infrastructure within the UK. Helen is leading on the BPF’s work on Chemical Recycling and mass balance. Helen worked with a consultant to produce both the first and second edition of the BPF Recycling Roadmap. The roadmaps include a forecast for the future of plastic recycling and the key changes needed to achieve this. Before working at the BPF Helen spent 7 years in local government working within the Waste and Recycling Team.

Adrian Hawkes is a mechanical engineer with a background in the FMCG manufacturing sector. He has worked in producer responsibility for over 25 years, 20 of which as Policy Director at the compliance scheme Valpak. He was instrumental in establishing the producer responsibility regime for packaging in the UK and regularly participates in expert working groups to advise Governments and others on EPR. He was a member of the Advisory Committee on Packaging for over 10 years.

Catherine set-up the first version of Unpackaged in 2006 as the world’s first modern zero waste shop and her passion for developing reuse systems within various sectors has enabled many other businesses to create real and lasting change. Catherine’s focus at GoUnpackaged is split between consultancy work driving real world reuse solutions, as well as collaborating with NGOs and governments to shape the policy needed for a reuse economy to thrive. Catherine sits on DEFRA’s Circular Economy Taskforce designing reuse into England’s national Circular Economy Strategy.

David Bargery, known in the industry as “Plastic David,” is a UK-based machinery specialist with over 30 years’ experience in plastics recycling and extrusion. As Director of Regis Machinery, he has played a key role in delivering major bottle-to-bottle PET recycling infrastructure across the UK. David works closely with leading European technology partners AMUT, STARLINGER, NORDSON & KREYENBORG, focusing on sorting, washing, extrusion, filtration and food-grade recycling solutions. He is now focused on transforming MRF operations through mini-PRF upgrades within existing plants – because as PET bottles move into DRS, the real opportunity is unlocking higher value from HDPE, PP and LDPE by producing a range of high-purity bales at MRF level.

Leyla is a Principal Consultant, senior modeller, and senior project manager, with extensive experience in the plastic and wider waste markets. With almost a decade of experience at Eunomia, she has conducted numerous plastic packaging mass flows and market assessments for public and private sector clients, and jointly leads Eunomia’s supply and demand modelling, forecasting tailored waste flows and capacity levels to assess the capacity gap and need for investment.

Jon Brookes is Chief Partnerships & Growth Officer at Ecosurety, where he leads the commercial and sustainability teams and is responsible for strategic partnerships and growth across the organisation. He works closely with Ecosurety’s customers, helping major brands and retailers navigate compliance requirements and leverage data to make smarter, more sustainable packaging decisions. Jon also collaborates with industry partners across the value chain to accelerate the transition towards a more circular packaging system, including acting as an advisory member of the RECOUP board.

Polly Knight is Head of Projects at Behaviour Change, where she leads programmes that help businesses, governments and organisations inspire more sustainable behaviours. Before joining Behaviour Change, Polly held corporate affairs and sustainability-focused roles at Mars and Tate & Lyle, giving her first-hand experience of the opportunities and challenges facing brands, manufacturers and the wider supply chain. Drawing on this cross-sector perspective, she works at the intersection of strategy, behaviour change and circularity to help organisations turn ambition into action. Polly brings a practical, systems-based view of shared responsibility and what it really takes to drive lasting behaviour change.

JEREMY BLAKE started his career in Shell Research before opportunity led him to Crime Scene Science. His interest in solving problems using science led him to move into the recycling industry. With time spent developing and operating MRFs and sorting operations through to reprocessing of glass and polymers, he has gained a wide knowledge of the practical functions required to unlock the circular economy of packaging. Previously held positions include Chief Operating Officer of Enval, followed by Managing Director and later Director of Circular Economy for Berry Global (now Amcor). Currently he is the Chief Executive Officer of PackUK, and is leading the development and operations of the UK’s packaging extended producer responsibility scheme.