Karen Driver is an individual member of Zero Waste Network (ZWN), and also represents the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum. Karen has been on the ZWN board since 2009 and the Chair since late 2022. She is on the WasteMINZ Product Stewardship Sector Group representing ZWN and an advisor to Reuse Aotearoa. She honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is learning te reo Māori.

Marty is Director of Tauranga-based waste minimisation consultancy Waste Watchers Ltd. He is co-founder and Chairman of Environmental Education for Resource Sustainability Trust (EERST) with its award-winning Paper4trees programme.

Cliff is a founding member and the CEO of the Community, Business and Environment Centre (CBEC) in Kaitaia.

Polly joined the Sustainability Trust in Pōneke/Wellington in 2018 from Scotland. Sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, she leads on zero waste and programmes. With the support of the Zero Waste Network, Polly co-ordinates the local Waste Free Welly group in the Wellington region.

Sam is Operations Manager at Sustainable HB where he supports the Waste, Biodiversity, Community and Resilience teams. Working with this fantastic team he supports the delivery of a low-waste event service, waste audits for businesses, specialist recycling for the community and is investigating how to transition away from single use packaging at events. When not busy at work, he can normally be found in his background growing tasty fruit and vege, or getting far too absorbed down the YouTube carrot role, searching for solutions to many of today’s problems.

Michael leads Community Engagement at the Waiheke Community Resource Recovery Park and believes that the key to success in Zero Waste is people. Behaviour change, legislative framework change, societal change, happens when people are informed and they care.

Cath has been a champion for waste minimisation since the early 90s, growing, preserving, fixing, building, crafting... finding creative ways to value resources in all shapes & sizes. In recent years, founder of Precious Plastic Tauranga, a social enterprise, and supporting resource recovery in Toi Moana.

Tena koe, No Maruawai ahau. Ko Mataura toku awa. Ko Hokonui toku maunga. Kei Kirikiriroa matou e noho ana inaianei. Ko Ngati Apa toku iwi. Ko Barnes raua ko Koroheke toku whanau. Ko Kelli Pike toku ingoa. I have worked with Go Eco since 2016, and during that time have deepened my understanding of the impact of consumerism, capitalism and colonisation on our environment, and how they impede climate action. I entered the environment sector after making a living from what others considered excess - by buying and selling second-hand items. It opened my eyes to the issues of waste and the change that is needed by consumers and manufacturers. I believe that real progress for climate justice comes from communities, who are appropriately resourced, and will always be an advocate for them.

Ko Kai Tahu rāua ko Ngā Puhi ngā iwi o tōku ūkaipō. Ko Tūwharetoa rāua ko Whanganui ngā iwi ō tōku matua. He tamaiti tēnei o tō tātou Awa Tupua, ko Whanganui tērā. I have an extremely diverse background and the one commonality in all the roles I have been involved in throughout my lifetime, lead back to the holistic wellness of individuals, whānau, hapū, iwi, and our environment – Te Tai Ao. Here in Whanganui we understand the health and well-being of our awa and the health and well-being of us as a people, go hand in hand. They are a direct reflection of each other, one cannot be without the other. Hence the whakatauki, “Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au.” This whakataukī is part of the reason I chose at the start of this year to trial a ‘zero-trash’ lifestyle. It has been an interesting few months, not without challenge – and I believe being part of Para Kore can only enhance this way of life!