Jane Stephenson MBE, CEO of Bristol-based waste consultancy, Resource Futures, has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award for her work in the recycling industry at this year’s National Recycling Awards (NRA).

The award recognises Stephenson’s 25-year track record of leadership in the environmental business sector and innovation in waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

“I was surprised and absolutely delighted to receive this award from my peers and colleagues”, Stephenson said. “The only thing I would like to say is that I don’t feel my life’s work is over just yet. To me, it seems as though our society is on the cusp of even more significant changes to the way that resources are managed, and I intend to be very much a part of that.”

Looking to the future, Stephenson said: “I will continue to engage with an industry that needs to respond to growing concerns about the scarcity of resources. Resource Futures is a member of the Resource Association – the new trade body for the reprocessing and recycling industries – and we intend to support them. I see my role as working in partnership with other leaders in the public, private and third sectors to improve resource management by making use of our expertise in waste data, collections and HWRCs, reuse and public engagement.”

Stephenson has been the CEO of Resource Futures, a ‘resource efficiency’ consultancy, since its inception in 2006. Prior to this, she was the Executive Director of the Recycling Consortium and held various positions at community-based recyclers group, Avon Friends of the Earth.

Her work with Resource Futures includes national projects such as best practice guidance for Household Waste Recycling Centres, research on the reuse market and reviewing national waste composition datasets.