Our committee

We are a non-profit, volunteer-driven organisation dedicated to empowering the community to reduce waste and embrace sustainable living practices.

Our current Committee

Kirsty

PRESIDENT

Kirsty Bishop-Fox is a sustainability educator and consultant at Sustainability Pathways inspiring people to rethink waste and make better environmental choices. She works with councils, businesses, and communities to transform the approach to waste, recycling, and sustainable living. Kirsty is a co-founder of Zero Waste Victoria and the Zero Waste Festival

Petra

VICE PRESIDENT

Petra Staiger loves working with others to create positive “green spaces” in the community. She is a member of Bush Heritage and has worked with Parks Victoria to create “green spaces” in highly populated areas. She is also a researcher whose area of research is in understanding behaviour change and developing interventions that assist people with achieving their positive health goals. She is passionate about working with others to help reverse the damage done to our natural environment.

Serena

SECRETARY

Serena Jackel has a background in Biochemistry and International Relations. As a student, she has worked hard to reduce her personal impact on the environment and encourage others to do the same. 

Serena is excited to join the growing movement of people striving to reduce waste and pursue action towards positive change.

MJ

Treasurer

Lover of stubborn sausage dogs and reality TV, MJ has a keen interest in making a positive impact on the environment through connecting with individuals on what they think is achievable for them.

Kristeen

MEMBER

Kirsteen is a passionate advocate for the environment in both her professional and private life. She has an extensive knowledge of all things plants and will chat about compost with anyone for days. Kirsteen has a background in Chemistry / Biochemistry and Environmental Science and lives with her husband and dogs.

Zippi

MEMBER

Zippi Bryan is passionate about finding small hacks and larger scale changes in her personal and professional life to reduce impact on the planet and make these areas more sustainable than when she found them. She hopes to influence her friends and colleagues by having upbeat conversations about what they find sustainable and hearing different ideas on how to make lasting change together.

Chelsea

MEMBER

Chelsea Hayes is a communications and marketing professional. Her personal passion for waste reduction has led her to working on behaviour change campaigns with a focus on sustainability, promoting positive action at the individual and household level.

Where it started

Zero Waste Victoria was founded as a not-for-profit association and charity by a group of passionate and committed individuals who envisioned a world with less waste.

Spearheaded by Kirsty Bishop-Fox, Emily Hui, and Erin Rhoads, the organisation aimed to inspire and empower the community to reduce waste.

The journey of Zero Waste Victoria began with members connecting through a Facebook group, which continues to be a vibrant platform for sharing information and resources among Victorians. This group is a hub for inspiration and practical ideas to minimise waste

Erin Rhoads sparked interest by proposing a presence at the 2017 Sustainable Living Festival. This initiative led to a collaboration among like-minded individuals, resulting in an information stall that showcased simple swaps to reduce waste. The success of this effort propelled Zero Waste Victoria into participating in various other events, spreading the zero waste message further.

The inaugural Zero Waste Festival took place in 2018, uniting leading voices in waste and sustainability, eco-friendly businesses, and the community for a dynamic day of panel discussions, activities, and exhibitors. Since 2022, this annual event has been held at Fed Square, attracting a growing audience each year.

Zero Waste Victoria has earned a reputation for leading crucial conversations on overconsumption and highlighting the wasteful ways we use resources. Through its efforts, the organisation empowers individuals to rethink waste and adopt more sustainable practices.

founding committee
Zero Waste Victoria acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the Country on which we live, learn and grow. Always was, always will be.

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