Meet the Board

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 European Association of Plastic Recycling and Recovery Organisations. Member of the Management Committee 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.

Now retired, having spent 40 years in packaging product innovation and development for several major packaging producers (Metal Box, RPC Containers, MWV, Solocup/Dart). Held positions within businesses responsible for championing environmental considerations through material selection and design. Director and Trustee for RECOUP on several occasions since mid-1990’s, and now Vice Chairman, recognising RECOUP’s unique ability to represent complete material chain for plastics.

Chief Executive at RECOUP and Director of EPRO. Member of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management and has a degree in Environmental Sciences. Experienced in producing technical, research and demonstration projects to improve and develop UK plastics recycling activity, with a particular focus on sustainable plastic design, collection systems, and sorting technologies. He has previously worked within the waste and recycling sector for local government, the Environment Agency, and the Waste and Resources Action Programme. Recent work includes recyclability by design, material quality assessments, communications, pack reviews, recycle on the go, non-bottle plastic packaging recycling and UK plastic recycling strategy development.

Adrian Hawkes is Director of Policy at the compliance scheme Valpak, where he is responsible for all aspects of policy development and liaison with relevant enforcement agencies, Governments and wider stakeholder groups. He has been involved with Valpak since 1996 and was instrumental in establishing the market-based compliance system for packaging in the UK. He has also played a key role in the development and implementation of both the WEEE and battery producer responsibility regimes. He regularly participates in expert working groups to advise local, national and European Government on all aspects of the operation of producer responsibility and is a member of the UK Government’s Advisory Committee on Packaging. Adrian is a Chartered Engineer, M I Mech E and previously to Valpak gained over 15 years of industrial experience in a variety of leading manufacturing and consulting companies including Procter & Gamble and Coopers & Lybrand.

Circular economy focused Chief Executive with over 15 year’s professional industry experience across UK, Middle East and Singapore. Industry specialism span across the Sustainability and Technology arenas with a deep rooted focus on plastics recycling. Graduated from Cambridge University and Lancaster University Management School and holds an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology. Supported international campaigns including the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (UNCDP) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Highly networked within the UK Government entities and corporate sector and championing the development of recycling methodologies and best practice in the United Kingdom. Established two recycling plants focusing on consumer electronics, corporate technologies and print cartridge materials. Established international plastic waste trade deals and developed the first PET plastics recycling plant in the UAE prior to setting up Enviroo. Currently establishing a series of PET Plastics Recycling plants in the North West region of England which will be supported by a Plastics Recovery Facility (PRF) and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) with a trial DRS launch by Enviroo in 2023.

Adrian has 37 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 15 years he has combined his experience within these roles to help minimise the impact of society’s behaviour on the environment by specialising in the area of Resource Efficiency.

A dual Greek – Belgian citizen, Ermis Panagiotopoulos holds a bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Water Management and Agriculture Engineering (Greece), a master’s degree (MSc) in Environmental Science from Wageningen University (Netherlands) and an MA in International Politics (Belgium). Ermis has been living and working in Brussels since 2006. He has worked in environmental NGOs, the European Commission and industry associations. He is currently the Head of Sustainability Advocacy for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for Indorama Ventures PCL. His expertise is diverse and includes issues such as agriculture, energy, trade, water, waste and circular economy.

Gareth is a member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM). He has 20 years of experience covering local authority recycling and waste disposal and collection services. Gareth is a national representative for LARAC, The Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee, including being a member of the association’s H&S & Policy Team. As the Head of Waste for West Sussex County Council, Gareth is responsible for disposal contracts, waste infrastructure and strategy.

UK Country Head for PlasticsEurope. Fellow of the Inst of Directors, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institute of Environmental Management & Accounting. A member of the UK Trade and Business Commission. Trustee of Lantra, the Society of the Chemical Industry, and the Association for Science Education. Chair of CAPE – Climate Adaptive Pathways for Education For over 20 years Geoff worked within BASF, the world’s largest chemical company including a decade on the plc board, with roles including communications, EHS, sustainability and corporate affairs. Geoff’s passion is to close communication gaps, especially those between policymakers, industry and education and ensure a sustainable future for all, with future business needs to the fore.

Helen is the Sustainability Manager at the British Plastics Federation (BPF). Helen oversees all of the BPF’s many sustainability activities including Net Zero and Operation Clean Sweep. 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, waste shipment regulations, legacy additives and promoting the development of recycling infrastructure within the UK. Helen is leading on the BPF’s work on Chemical Recycling. In 2021 Helen worked with a consultant to produce the BPF Recycling Roadmap which provided a forecast for what plastic recycling could be like in 2030. Before working at the BPF Helen spent 7 years in local government working within the Waste and Recycling Team.

Ian established the Laytons Private Client and Charities Team in 1989 and is a recognised leader in both fields. A regular writer, lecturer and broadcaster, Ian was Chair of the London Central Branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners from 2007 to 2011 and was a Committee member for 20 years. Ian sat on STEP’s Mental Capacity Working Party and the Deceased Lloyd’s Names Working Party, acting for one of the defendants in Stone v Chataway and others, a case which revolutionised how the estates of deceased Lloyd’s Names were administered. Ian has contributed to numerous periodicals over the years and is a co-author of Tolley’s Administration of Estates, the leading textbook in the field of estate administration. His particular specialisms are: – Estate planning for high-net-worth individuals, particularly those not domiciled in the UK. – Probate and succession, including contentious probate and trust issues. – Charity law including trading and commercial activities and governance.

Iain is an experienced Environment Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the retail industry. Skilled in Food & Beverage, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), and Sustainability. Iain runs an independent consultancy (ILFEC) after stepping down from his role at the Co-op in 2021. Iain is passionate about improving the recyclability of packaging. He has contributed to projects including introducing PET carbonate bottles with recycled content, numerous glass light-weighting projects. Iain is regularly invited to Government forums advising on issues of packaging and the environment. In 2019, retail bible The Grocer named Iain as one of the “Ten Most Powerful People in Packaging”, which was followed by him collecting a prestigious Grocer Gold award for The Green Initiative of the Year in June.

James has worked for the last 25 years in delivering transformation initiatives across the Tesco business, currently leading the Packaging team. Committed to removal, reduction, reuse and recycling of packaging used across the Tesco global supply chain, ensuring we only use packaging with a purpose and everything we use can be reused or recycled. Focused on accelerating the exit of hard to recycle materials, increasing the use of recycled materials and helping customers make environmentally responsible decisions. He has worked with industry to influence the improvement of retrieval and recycling in the UK moving towards progressively closed loop systems for packaging.

James represents Alpek Polyester UK and has been based at their PET resin production facility at the Wilton International Site, Redcar since 2017. He holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Birmingham and has a background in various Process Engineering roles. As the Site Technologist for Alpek Polyester UK, James is responsible for the evaluation and implementation of sustainable process development including recycling and decarbonisation for the UK’s only virgin PET resin production facility. Key areas of interest include mechanical and chemical recycling.

James joined Nestlé in 2015 having worked in Packaging and Packaging sustainability for 25 years, and possessing a variety of experience working with SME’s and larger Corporate Companies. James is Nestlé’s Senior Packaging Specialist supporting all categories on the journey to the Nestlé 2025 packaging sustainability commitments and beyond. He is passionate about packaging sustainability and delivering on making Nestlé’s packaging sustainable whilst delivering great products to delight their customers.

JEREMY BLAKE started his career in Shell Research before the opportunity led him to Crime Scene Science. He worked in Crime Scene Investigation for Kent Police eventually becoming Head of Crime Scene Investigation. He then joined the Home Office Forensic Science Service leading the effective use of forensic science in policing. Throughout this period, he was a senior lecturer in Forensic Chemistry at the University of Kent and deputy chair of the Forensic Science Society Awards Committee. His interest in solving problems using science led him to move into the recycling industry, specialising in polymers. Having spent a number of years leading the recycling operations of the largest recycler in the UK he moved to become the Chief Operating Officer of Enval. There, he led the commercial and operational development of their cutting-edge process that converts waste plastics back to oil. Following that period, he is now employed by Berry Global as Managing Director of their plastic recycling and reprocessing company, Berry Circular Polymers. Jeremy also acts in an advisory capacity to many groups to drive the development of the Circular Economy. This includes trade bodies, government groups and even on TV when they cannot find anyone more interesting.

Packaging and Sustainability Manager for Ocado Retail Ltd. Laura is experienced in packaging development, sustainability and innovation. Laura is a Board Member of the Industry Council for Research on Packaging and the Environment (INCPEN) and EcoPack at Packaging Innovations and has been a judge for UK Packaging Awards since 2016. An avid promoter of the circular economy. Laura is driven to ensure we leave the planet better than we found it.

Luke has been with Viridor since early 2020. He has responsibility for customer relationships, feedstock supply chain and new project developments. Luke sits on the Viridor Executive Team as the lead for the Polymers business. Prior to joining Viridor Luke held senior management positions in the oil & gas and industrial sectors, including as managing director of a major services company in Abu Dhabi.

Retired from Unilever after 30 years as head of packaging development for all personal products. Owner of MBA Packaging, a consultancy majoring on the impact of all types of packaging materials on the environment.

Senior Manager across BPI and various industries, since 1988 including polythene extrusion, printing, conversion and recycling. Currently responsible for External Affairs representing BPI at UK and European Governmental levels plus trade associations including PRE, the British Plastics Federation and EuPC. Mike is also a Director of BPI’s Recycled Products business with responsibility for the Company’s range of Plaswood Recycled Rigid products.

Steven joined Tomra, the market leader in the supply of Sensor Based Sorting equipment to recycling industry, in 2017. Drawing from his 10 year experience of managing Materials Recycling Facilities and Collection fleets, Steven works with Recycling companies in developing sorting solutions to cope with legislative and market changes, while meeting ever increasing quality demands. Steven continues to support Recoup utilising the Tomra Test Centre and diverse customer base to aid Packaging Manufacturers in the development of product design to ensure recoverability.

Stuart Hayward-Higham is responsible for non-bidding emerging development activities in SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, delivering tools, techniques and information to meet customers’ business imperatives. His focus is on delivering new solutions or making successful niche activities mainstream through to market intelligence, market modelling and forecasting. Stuart has experience in working with others to identify waste as a resource, producing energy and bio-fuels manufacture. He understands the sorting, extraction and value enhancement for waste mix resources and the increasing introduction of circular economy based products and solutions.