Speakers & panelists

Dr Jonathon Hannon is currently the Waste Services Manager for the Kawerau District Council. Prior to this role he was Coordinator of the Zero Waste Academy at Massey University - which involved teaching, industry training, researching and consulting around sustainable city/campus management. Jonathon’s research & programme experience encompasses: municipal zero waste methodologies, circular (bio) economy, plastic pollution, Product steawardship/Extended Producer Responsibility, rural waste issues & the community enterprise sector’s critical role in innovation and change making.

Mike Joy MSc, PhD (Ecology) is a freshwater ecologist, academic and environmental champion. He has won numerous awards from many scientific organisations for both his research and his outspoken advocacy for environmental protection in New Zealand. Mike's research includes ecological modelling, freshwater bioassessment, environmental policy, biophysical limits to growth and the role of energy in society.

Dr Paul Smith is a leading voice in the Aotearoa repairability movement. He advocates for a Right to Repair to prevent so many ‘durable’ products being sent to landfill. He works with businesses and community organisations to develop practical solutions that make repair more accessible and economically viable. Paul moved from the UK to Aotearoa in 2004. As the Head of Product Testing at Consumer NZ, he ensured the organisation’s independent advice included repair and durability measures, and he championed the introduction of repairability labelling. Previously, Paul worked in automotive design and educated design engineers at Massey University.

Chris Gingell is Vice-President, Public Affairs (Pacific) for TOMRA, the world’s leading reverse vending technology provider. TOMRA’s aim is to transform how society obtains, uses, and reuses the planet’s resources to enable a world without waste. Globally, TOMRA collects over 46 billion containers for recycling and reuse every year through its 80,000+ reverse vending installations. Chris works with governments and key stakeholders throughout the Pacific region, providing expert advice on best practice Container Return Scheme (CRS) design and wider circular economic policy, stemming from TOMRA’s 52 years-experience operating in all the world’s modern CRS markets.

Geoff is the chief economist at the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. He has worked as an economist for the Productivity Commission, the UK Home Office and New Zealand Treatsury and served as general manager at Toi Mai Workforce Development Council and the Morgan Foundation. Geoff has also co-authored four books, two of which included a focus on environmental economics issues.

Gina is a dedicated advocate for zero waste with a background in economics, communications and behaviour change. She is the General Manager of Wastebusters in Wānaka, leading a fun and passionate team of 50+ employees who work in the district’s resource recovery and behaviour change programmes. Gina has worked in pretty much every team at Wastebusters since joining the organisation in 2007. She also supports the transition to a circular economy in the wider community, serving on the board of Lake Wānaka Tourism and supporting the Zero Waste Network with strategic communications and behaviour change expertise where she can.

Hannah is a zero waste practitioner and researcher focused on source reduction strategies to the waste crisis, including waste prevention, reuse and other circular business models. Having lived without a rubbish bin since 2015, Hannah has direct experience of how current economic settings make zero waste living and business practices difficult, but also, what could be changed to remove these barriers. In 2023, she completed a working paper on the laws and economic instruments that could help shift business models up the waste hierarchy, and she has completed several research projects into what is needed to make reusable packaging systems viable in New Zealand.

Laurie Foon is Wellington’s Deputy Mayor, a circular economy enthusiast, committed bike-rider, and pioneering champion of sustainable, local business. It was through the fashion industry that Laurie came to understand concepts of waste minimisation and circularity: in the 90s, she founded Starfish, an ethical, eco-fashion label (before ethical, eco-fashion was a thing). Starfish was the first fashion label to win a NZ Sustainable Business Award, and the first eco-fashion show to open New Zealand Fashion Week. Laurie later became Wellington Regional Manager for the Sustainable Business Network, and was elected to council in 2019. In her first-term she lovingly held the zero waste vision for the city, from successfully advocating for new sewage solutions, to championing Wellington’s first Zero Waste Strategy.

Liam is a composter, and a zero waste researcher, advocate and practitioner. He has lived without a rubbish bin for almost a decade, with his partner Hannah, with whom he co-founded The Rubbish Trip. He is also the Chair of the Aotearoa Plastic Pollution Alliance, part of the Zero Waste Network research team, and Compost Manager at Wellington-based Kaicycle.

Nadine Anne Hura is a creative non-fiction writer and poet of Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi, and Pākehā whakapapa, who works in the intersection between policy, evaluation, advocacy and the arts. As a columnist for The Spinoff, Nadine has been covering climate issues with a Te Tiriti justice lens for several years, representing the stories of Māori communities across Aotearoa as they continue to work to restore and protect their whenua as the climatic impacts of colonialism intensify. Through her work at The Deep South National Science Challenge, she was one of two Kaitakawaenga, supporting Māori-led climate adaptation researchers across a range of interconnected kaupapa.

Sam Gray is Founder and Director of Ethical Waste Limited, located in Ohakune township on the south side of Mount Ruapehu. Before Ethical Waste, Sam was Co-founder of Beyond the Bin, which specialised in Zero Waste events and delivering workshops for event organisers in Tauranga. Ethical Waste has for five years managed the Resource Recovery Centre located in Ohakune for the Ruapehu District Council. Sam's goal is to value resources by stopping them going into landfill and returning them into the community's hands. Ethical Waste is now looking for the next step in their Zero Waste journey.

Sei is a Senior Advisor with Localised, and still considers himself a newbie after over 13 years in the zero-waste movement. Sei joined us after 20 years in human resources. In that time, he held a number of roles with the Zero Waste Network; a former Trustee, Project Manager and just recently as Acting GM. At Auckland Council he led the Community Wastewise team and worked as Resource Recovery Specialist. One of the founding directors of Pacific Vision Aotearoa and is currently a Director at Waiuku Zero Waste and a Trustee with The Beautification Trust.

​Sue has been involved in reuse, recycling and zero waste advocacy since starting work at Wastebusters in Wānaka in 2002. She joined the national and international zero waste crew at the Life with Waste Hui in Raglan in 2003. As Wastebusters GM, Sue worked on local operations, business and network development, influencing policy, and campaigning for change. She began working on external affairs with the Zero Waste Network in 2020. Sue has a social sciences background and a deep interest in community enterprise and the role of local-scale action for a just transition to a zero waste, zero carbon Aotearoa.

Valerie Bianchi is the Waste Prevention Advisor at Waikato Regional Council. Her focus is on developing cross agency collaboration, community skill development and research that will transition our economy from a linear to a circular model for the wellbeing of our people and planet.

Waveney is a consultant in the zero waste sector, a tutor for the Zero Waste Network, a podcaster and, according to presenter and journalist Miriama Kamo, the “OG of zero waste living” in Aotearoa. In 2008 she and her husband Matthew undertook a trailblazing “rubbish free" 12 month challenge which was followed by the 2018 -2021 podcast series with awarding winning comedian Tim Batt, How to Save the World. Through her reach online and over a decade of speaking on waste and sustainability Waveney has supported many thousands toward sustainability.