Meet the 2025 Waste Innovation & Recycling Awards finalists

We are proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 Waste Innovation & Recycling Awards, showcasing the outstanding individuals, projects and organisations leading the way in Australia’s waste and resource recovery sector.   

Recognising innovation, excellence, and commitment to sustainability, this year’s shortlist highlights the industry’s best across a diverse range of categories. 

The finalists are: 

OUTSTANDING WARR PROJECT: Metro 

• Exchange for Change/St George Sutherland Medical Research Foundation – 10 Cents for Research 
• UPPAREL 
• Cleanaway and Brisbane City Council Resource Recovery Innovation Alliance Project – Brisbane’s Autonomous Fire Defence 
• Veolia – Veolia Earthpower Upgrade 
• Frankston Council – Trim your Bin program 

OUTSTANDING WARR PROJECT: Regional 

• Bathurst regional council – Banishing Bathurst Butts 
• Hepburn Shire Council and Gaia Technology – In-vessel Rapid Compost Trial 
• OceanWatch Australia – From Waste to Product 
• Contained Waste Solutions and Gunnedah Shire Council – Public Waste Deposition Facility 

 OUTSTANDING FACILITY OF THE YEAR 

• IQRenew – SPEC Facility 
• LGI – Bunya battery – AI in waste & energy 
• Heidelberg Materials – Wollert Landfill 

WIAR WORKPLACE OF THE YEAR 

• Resource Hub 
• City of Melville 
• Resource Recovery Australia 
• Green Collect
• Australian Environmental Auditors  

LEADER OF THE YEAR

• Darren Thorpe – Australian Paper Recovery (APR) 
• Amirhassan Mehdizadeh – Porous Lane
• David McAlister – City of Ipswich
• Nigel Ruxton – Senversa  

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

• Evoro – Industrial Services Sydney 
• Apollo Engineering – Biofeed team 
• Tomra Cleanaway 
• Senversa – Iwan Owen 
• Pure Environmental  

INNOVATION AWARD

• Transmutation – Better Building Products 
• Senversa – Melbourne Regional Landfill 
• ARC Ento Tech – Waste-to-Resource Plant H 
• IQRenew – SPEC Facility 
• FOOTT (Peter Foott Waste Collection Pty Ltd) – CDS Vic Depot Counting Machines 
• EcoBatt – Battery-in-Device Shredding (BIDS) Plant

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR  

Proudly sponsored by REMONDIS Australia

• Pawan Govind – Endeavour Foundation 
• Roger Britto – WSP Australia 
• Jamie Austin – Evoro 
• Linda Mitchell – Tyre Stewardship Australia 
• Drisya Pavithran – Arcadis Australia Pacific 

 WOMAN OF WASTE 

Proudly sponsored by Re.Group 

• Tammy O’Connor – King Kira 
• Kylie Roberts-Frost – ABSC 
• Diani Chamathya Sirimewan – Monash University 
• Karlie Zec – Tiny Tins 
• Josephine Ivory – Resource Recovery Australia   

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUCCESS OF THE YEAR 

Proudly sponsored by Visy

• City of Parramatta – feed it to FOGO Program 
• Surf Coast Council – Be a Good Sort: Know Your Bins 
• City of Stonnington – Stonnington Repair Café 
• Rockhampton Regional Council – The Upcycle Village – The Tinkerage 
• Bathurst Council – Banishing Bathurst Butts 

Winners will be announced at the Waste Innovation & Recycling Awards Gala Dinner on 29 October 2025 at the Melbourne Arts Centre from 7:00pm until late.  

The dress code for the evening is cocktail.  

Come celebrate with us. Secure your spot here: https://www.wasteawards.com.au/