WasteMINZ

WasteMINZ Board election 2023

Congratulations to the following new Board members for 2023:

​​Dr Alec McNeil 

Christchurch City Council

Manager Resource Recovery

 

Alec is standing for his third term on the WasteMINZ Board and has recently changed job to become the Manager Resource Recovery at Christchurch City Council.

 

Having been involved in the waste sector since the 1990s, in both private and public sector senior leadership roles, he is keen to continue serving the WasteMINZ membership on the Board.

 

Alec notes that the 2023 General Election will change the makeup of the government which makes it all the more important to ensure that WasteMINZ continues to represent the views of its membership to elected and Ministry officials. There is significant change ahead for the waste sector and WasteMINZ and its members continue to be in a strong position to provide essential thought leadership that will inform decision makers.

 

Alec is a waste sector thought leader and has demonstrated this through his involvement with multiple WasteMINZ working groups, industry working groups, Ministry reference groups, and international working groups. He holds a Doctor of Professional Practice where his research area was product stewardship.  

 

​​Chris Purchas

Tonkin+Taylor

Sector Director, Waste + Resource Recovery

        

Chris is a resource recovery and strategy specialist working across the waste & resource recovery sector in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific.  For almost 30 years he has worked closely with local authorities, government and the private sector across New Zealand to identify, evaluate and implement a range of options to maximise resource recovery and effectively manage residual waste.

        

In the last 15 years he has also been active in Australia and the Pacific providing a unique perspective on key issues and opportunities for our sector in New Zealand. Chris loves working in this sector because of the great people, the positive impact we can have on people and the environment, and the complex challenges we have to navigate.

        

Chris is an active participant in the waste and resource recovery sector, regularly presenting at conferences and workshops and contributing to WasteMINZ projects. He chairs the WasteMINZ Organic Materials Sector Group Steering Committee, working on a range of key issues included Clopyralid, compostable plastics, biosolids and market development. In that role, he has regularly provided a sector perspective for the media.


For the WasteMINZ Board, Chris can bring:

  • A detailed understanding of the New Zealand waste and resource recovery sector including understanding where we have come from and where aim to get to.
  • Strong relationships across the sector – Chris works with the community sector, local government (staff and politicians) and commercial players.
  • A track record in finding ways to get things done – supporting decision making, engaging with diverse stakeholders, thinking outside of the box.
  • Enthusiasm for what we can achieve through effective collaboration across the sector.

        

As current chair of the Organic Materials Sector Group Steering Committee, Chris has seen first-hand the value of sector collaboration to address issues of common interest to the community, stakeholders and government. He would love the opportunity to bring this experience to the WasteMINZ Board alongside his extensive knowledge of waste and resource recovery in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific. 


With so much happening at a community, sector and government level it is more important than ever that we have a united voice and holistic approach to removing barriers and realising the opportunities in front of us. 

​​Sandy Botterill 

Foodstuffs NZ

Head of Environmental Social Governance

 

Sandy Botterill started her career as an environmental lawyer and has an extensive background in strategy, transformation and change. Sandy is the Head of Environmental Social Governance (ESG) at Foodstuffs NZ.

 

Prior to her current role, she was working as the Circular Economy Lead with Plastics NZ helping Aotearoa to adopt circular economy principles for plastic, working closely with industry and the Ministry for the Environment on this programme of work.

 

Sandy is very proud of a number of initiatives she’s had the privilege to lead, namely:

  • Good Caps Programme – a pilot programme in primary schools aimed at the recovery of lids and caps, and teaching tamariki about the circular economy and why materials should be valued, and not seen as rubbish
  • Chair of Expanded Polystyrene Product Stewardship Steer Co – aligned to the development of Plastic Packaging Product Stewardship, a material specific group focused on product stewardship across B2B and B2C systems
  • Facilitator of Expanded Polystyrene Working Group – a group focused on research into EPS in the NZ context, including material flow as well as connecting to the wider region (via APCO) from a market perspective
  • Facilitator of Polypropylene Working Group – aimed to reduce the amount of #5 PP going to landfill across both post-consumer and post commercial channels
  • CircularConnect – a fund established to connect businesses to consultants who encouraged businesses toward product design that would enhance a low emission circular economy

 

Sandy also participates in a number of groups and committees:

  • Current Member of NZ Food Waste Champions 12.3
  • Current Member FGC Sustainability Committee
  • Previous Member of NZPPI Plastics Advisory Committee

 

Sandy is passionate about ESG – people, place and prosperity. She has strong experience in the circular economy, behavioural change, product labelling, design principles aligned to sustainable outcomes, resource recovery and product stewardship.

 

Sandy believes in WasteMINZ’s purpose, and would love to be part of the incredible mahi that’s enabled through WasteMINZ’s diverse membership.

 

Sandy has a Masters in Environmental Law with Honours and Post Graduate Diploma in Business from University of Auckland. 

FAQs

Voting process

How many votes does my organisation get?

Each membership level is eligible for a different number of votes, which will be outlined in the email sent to your primary contact, with your organisation's voting papers. 

To learn about the different levels of membership and how many votes each membership level receives, go to our Membership Options page. 

When will I receive voting papers?

Voting papers will be sent out to the primary contact of all paid-up financial members of WasteMINZ on Wednesday, 20 September. You will have until Friday, 6 October to cast your vote.


If your organisation pays its membership invoice during the voting period, your organisation's primary contact will receive voting papers within a week of payment. 

Why haven't I received voting papers?

If you haven't received voting papers, it may be as a result of two things:

  • Your organisation might not have paid this financial year's invoice for membership, or
  • You aren't your organisation's primary contact. 

If you're in an organisation with a number of votes, you'll need to contact your primary contact to discuss your preferred candidate. If you want to know who your primary contact is or want further information about payment details, contact cj@wasteminz.org.nz. 
When will the Board members be announced?

The new Board members will be announced at the WasteMINZ AGM on Wednesday, 18 October. This will be a hybrid event, with the in-person location (yet to be finalised) in Auckland. 

Nominating a Board candidate

Who can be nominated?

Anyone who is a paid-up financial member of WasteMINZ (i.e. anyone who has paid their 2023 membership invoice) can be nominated for the WasteMINZ Board. 

The only exception to this is for those who are under Student Memberships, as students are not eligible to be nominated for the Board. 


The Board elections process is determined by the WasteMINZ Rules, as adopted 20 October 2020. 

I want to stand for the Board - what do I need to do?

That's great! Make friends with another member of WasteMINZ, who has also fully paid their membership invoice, and ask them to nominate you. 


You, or your nominator, will need to fill out this nomination form, and have the following details handy:

  • The nominator details (including contact details, position and organisation)
  • The nominee details (including contact details, position and organisation)
  • Nominee bio and headshot. 

Your nominee bio should give WasteMINZ members a good understanding of who you are and why they should vote for you. 
What do Board nominees need to know?
Role of the Board: The role of the Board is to provide governance and strategic direction to WasteMINZ, monitor the organisation's performance, and protect the integrity of the organisation. You can read more about WasteMINZ's strategy here. 

Time commitment: We ask that any nominees consider the time commitment required to be an effective member of the Board. This will usually involve four Board meetings a year, as well as other WasteMINZ business which is conducted by email and video calls.

Overall, a minimum commitment of approximately one day every two months may be required. WasteMINZ Board members volunteer their time but are reimbursed for relevant expenses.


Board charter: The Board is guided by the Board Charter. Please read this if you are considering nomination – it provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the Board.







@ 2022 by WasteMINZ

Address

2/5 Orbit Drive, Rosedale,
Auckland 0632

Email

cj@wasteminz.org.nz

Media enquiries: leeana@wasteminz.org.nz

Phone

09 476 7162