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PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
Petra Creed 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.
SECRETARY
Mario Mendez is an environmental consultant focused on waste minimization and management, bringing expertise gained from his relocation from Mexico to Melbourne. Currently working as a consultant in waste planning and circular economy, Mario collaborates everyday within an interdisciplinary group to develop waste management plans, conduct waste audits, and assist organizations in reducing their waste footprint. Mario loves working with communities and organizations to find ways to rethink waste as a resource and turn traditional bin rooms into resource recovery hubs.
Treasurer
.Tamara Russell of Karhina Textiles, is a Textile Artist and passionate advocate of sustainable living. She teaches people how to mend and creatively upcycle their clothes to reduce fashion waste, while making a fashionable statement. Tamara has worked for Government in Australia and UK on sustainable living programs, establishing walking school buses, pedestrian and cycling programs in the UK and has worked on Federal government programs including Energy Efficiency Opportunities, Greenhouse Challenge Plus and the portal LivingGreener.gov.au. She was a Group Convenor for the CSIRO Energymark program and has been on was on the Management Committee for Switch to Green conference and SEE-Change – Change for Society, Environment and Economy.
MEMBER
Member
Ximena Chavez is an Environmental Engineer with experience in environmental management projects. She is focused on promoting positive change in waste management by developing practical and sustainable solutions to reduce environmental impact.
Motivated by the desire to drive meaningful change, she seeks to contribute to initiatives that promote sustainability and strengthen a more responsible connection between people and the environment.
MEMBER
TBA
Member
MEMBER
Tarun Grover is a passionate, multidisciplinary researcher, Tarun holds a Bachelor-of-Tech in Fashion & Apparel Engineering and a Master’s in Textile Chemistry.
Specializing in advanced material exploration, smart clothing, sustainable fashion, and garment construction, Tarun is driven by environmental, social, and economic considerations, and is currently pursuing a research scholarship at RMIT University, focusing on the “Utilization of Textile Waste into Value-Added Products.”
Australian’s collectively spend 28.58 billion dollars on new clothes annually, while individually discarding about 23 kg of apparel each year. Tarun will be sharing his research which looks to address affordable fashion’s short usability, using innovative technology to close the loop on one of Australia’s biggest waste industries.
Through this work, Tarun seeks to advance the circular economy and environmental conservation, making meaningful contributions to sustainable practices in the textile industry
MEMBER
Erica Chow is a student in Environment and Sustainability. She is trying her best to live zero waste and wants to be an educator in a zero waste lifestyle.
Julianna Gillespie is a passionate advocate for the environment and healthcare. Julianna opened up to a Zero Waste lifestyle in Jan 2019; with many developments since then. Her commitment to innovative and behavioural change comes from a career in community healthcare as a Chinese Traditional Acupuncturist and several years of human dynamics study. Where environmental issues can all seem too hard and difficult, it can also be a few simple steps in the right direction to create lasting results and, with the communities around us. Julianna lives with her husband and her many creatures.
MEMBER
Sally Ridden has a background in project management, major events, new builds, hospitality and hotels. She’s witnessed the excess of waste and hopes to be able to ignite some passion and awareness with Zero Waste Victoria. Her mission is to rethink current business infrastructures and create action to limit, reduce and reuse waste whilst empowering next generations with opportunities to lead this movement.
Sally is a mum of 1 teenager, dog, cat, thumper rabbit, worm farm, herb garden & bird feeder, and on the is a Habit/belief Coach & Declutter Organiser
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.
