Meet the team

Stuart has been involved in various business development, research, project and policy activities across the sustainability, resource efficiency and recycling sectors since 1999. He is Chief Executive Officer at RECOUP since 2011, and also the Managing Director of the consultancy PPS Recovery Systems. He holds various roles including Co-Chair of the CIWM East Anglian Centre, Chair of the Waste Compliance Taskforce (WACT), Director of the European Association of Plastic Recycling and Recovery Organisations (EPRO), and is a member of the Peterborough & Stamford Chamber of Commerce Committee. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (FCIWM) and The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA), and holds a BSC (Hons) degree in Environmental Sciences.

Sustainability & Circularity Team Katherine is Head of Sustainability and Circularity at RECOUP. Katherine has over 11 years’ experience working in sustainability functions within the plastics packaging industry and holds a BSc in Biology and Geography and an MSc in Environmental Science and Management. Previous experience includes work on corporate sustainability strategy, sustainability reporting and communications, and developing partnerships along the plastics value chain to address industry wide challenges. At RECOUP, Katherine will utilise her knowledge of sustainability and the plastic industry to support and drive RECOUPs aims to lead and inform the development of plastic recycling, co-ordinate the plastics value chain and to educate the public and businesses on the recycling of plastic.

Paul is a Chartered Environmentalist; a Fellow of IOM3 (formerly the Institute of Packaging) and has extensive knowledge of packaging materials and processes as a result of over 20 years of experience dealing with packaging from within the food industry as Packaging Buyer, Packaging Technologist and Packaging Innovation Manager. Work for RECOUP to promote plastic recycling includes writing, compiling and editing multiple versions of RECOUP’s ‘Recyclability By Design’ publication, also presenting facts on packaging recyclability and providing assessment and guidance for the recycling of packaging for RECOUP Members.

Steve is Head of Policy & Infrastructure at RECOUP. Recycling infrastructure and policy development for plastics are both focal areas of Steve’s remit. Both areas are centred around providing evidence that can be used by members, stakeholders and the Government to report on recycling performance, systems and structure needed to develop the policy and infrastructure in the UK. The UK is in a period of extensive consultations on a wide variety of areas, and Steve is responsible for developing RECOUP’s responses to these. He has researched and written technical reports around plastics with a diverse subject matter including collection systems, ‘Away from Home’ recycling, recycling infrastructure, strategic intervention, consumer behaviour change, and more recently the plastic packaging tax. This includes responsibility for the RECOUP UK Household Plastics Collection Survey and Plastic Sorting and Reprocessing Infrastructure reports, which provide an independent analysis about the collection and disposal of plastics.

Annila provides administrative support to everyone at RECOUP. Responsible for enquiries that come into the organisation, Annila provides excellent customer service to ensure responses are provided in a timely fashion.

Emily joined the Packaging and Recyclability Team as a project officer but works across teams to provide support to projects where needed. Prior to this she worked as a Recycling Education Assistant where she liaised with local waste management services and worked with the public to provide knowledge and guidance on recycling practices. With a BA (Hons) in Geography, Emily is passionate about promoting environmental awareness and stewardship.

Hannah has joined RECOUP as Communications & Marketing Manager. Hannah holds a BA(Hons) in Business Management and Marketing and an MA in Mass Communication, Media and Advertising. With 10 years’ experience in marketing and web design roles Hannah has worked across a variety of industries including Batteries, Time and Attendance, and Passive Fire Protection, and is looking forward to moving into the environmental sector. Hannah will work closely with the Membership, Communications and Engagement teams.

Irina has previously worked with a Spanish novel plastics/compostable plastic films producer, and is a winner of the Circular Material Challenge Award by Ellen MacArthur Foundation. She set up a start up investigating edible and compostable packaging solutions, completed various research grant funding proposals, and has been a Resource Officer for South Cambridgeshire District Council working across a range of related projects. Irina was a lab technician in Australia for 3 years, and also volunteers for Circular Cambridge, Cambridge Sustainable Food and Cambridge Womens Circle. She has completed other independent environmental and educational project work and has a Graduate Certificate in Waste Management and a degree in Environmental Sciences.

Kate is a Technician member of IOM3 and has a sound knowledge of packaging materials and the recycling process. As Packaging and Recycling Manager Kate is responsible for recyclability testing activities carried out by RECOUP. This includes both commercial and laboratory-based, controlled testing. Kate has provided support with data gathering and analysis activities for a range of RECOUP packaging design and recycling-related projects. She has written and complied various case studies for RECOUP and supports members with technical requests and enquiries relating to packaging.

Kate previously worked as a teacher, supporting students with learning related to climate change, resources and waste. Prior to this she worked as a community engagement officer for a local authority delivering grassroots campaigns and administering funding schemes.

Kerry provides administrative support to everyone at RECOUP. Collating data and information, she assists with research on many of the projects. Responsible for enquiries that come into the organisation, Kerry provides excellent customer service to ensure responses are provided in a timely fashion. During the RECOUP Conference season, Kerry is a key contact for delegates and works closely with Rebecca to ensure all the logistics and bookings run smoothly.

Laura joined the Policy & Infrastructure team with over four years of experience in data, insights, and research, bringing a wealth of expertise to RECOUP. Her skillset includes compiling workable data sets from multiple sources, managing comprehensive research projects, implementing new programs, writing a compelling commentary on performance, and presenting various insight outputs. With a BSc Joint Honours degree in Geology and Geography, and educated in Environmental Sciences, Laura brings background knowledge as well as an inherent interest in a range of relevant environmental topics to the role.

Mandy joined RECOUP in 2019 as Support Officer before moving over to her current role of Finance & Governance Officer. She works closely with Stuart and team members to co-ordinate and progress RECOUP’s project finance operations to ensure a smooth running.

Rebecca provides membership support to RECOUP’s existing members and is the first point of contact for new membership enquires. Working closely with the Communication and Engagement Team, Rebecca helps keep members up to date with RECOUP and wider industry updates.

As Technical Manager at RECOUP Richard provides guidance and testing services for members including sorting trials and laboratory testing. With a background in infrared spectroscopy, Richard can use his knowledge to advise how materials are identified and how they behave through the sorting process at a materials recovery facility. Richard also ensures that all of the testing at RECOUP is compliant with the standards set out in ISO17025:2017 and follows standards aligned with the OPRL Certified as Recyclable scheme and RECOUP’s Recyclability by Design guidance. Richard holds a BA in History and Creative Writing and a BSc in Natural Science and is a member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and The British Ecological Society.

Rob joined the Policy & Infrastructure Team with over a decade of experience in the waste & recycling industry, with a particular focus on local authority collections. His expertise includes leading on innovative projects such as flats recycling pilots, conducting in-depth presentations for diverse stakeholders and working on projects to influence UK waste & recycling policy, as well as managing quarterly recycling data for multiple councils and managing comprehensive waste crime enforcement cases with some significant success. Rob holds a BSc in Environmental Sciences and has a strong passion for sustainability and a commitment to improving recycling practices, with a particular interest in the plastics value chain and UK environmental policy. His skills in project management and stakeholder engagement especially, as well as his attention to detail, position him as a valuable asset to RECOUP.

Veronika joined the Policy & Infrastructure team bringing with her a variety of transferable skills from her 10 years’ experience in Recruitment. Having completed a Project Management Apprenticeship in 2019, she supports Laura and the Projects team with data entry, collecting materials and providing general project admin support to ensure a smooth and efficient delivery.