5 Minutes with:
Wednesday 31 August 2022
Elena Bailey
Tell us about your journey to APCO ...
My sustainability journey began when I became interested in ethical fashion. I volunteered to do advocacy research on the 2021 Ethical Fashion Report and it opened my eyes to a range of human rights violations, worker exploitation, environmental pollution and waste management in the fashion industry. My volunteering was timely as I was completing a Bachelor of Business degree at university where I became much more aware of the connection between business and environmental sustainability. My work and studies made it clear that business is integral to tackling these issues.
What are you excited about for the future and of being a part of APCO?
When I graduated university in 2021, I looked for job opportunities that aligned with my interest in business and sustainability and early in 2022 I found an advertisement for APCO. It seemed perfect because I could take advantage of my understanding of business, my desire to do something worthwhile in the sustainability space, and to learn much more about packaging waste and opportunities to overcome it. APCO is already giving me a great foundation on which to build my knowledge and experience in sustainability. I realise that this is what I want to focus on now and in the future.
What have you learnt since joining the team at APCO?
I discovered a lot of enthusiastic, like-minded people who are determined to do something about one of the big pollutants in our environment. I’ve learned so much more about the complexities of packaging waste. I’m on a steep learning curve but I’m really enjoying it. I have engaged with businesses that want to do better and realise how crucial our role is in helping them to do so. I feel grateful that I am working for an organisation that is trying to do something worthwhile.
Sarah Sannen
Tell us about your journey to APCO ...
I first heard about APCO when I was Operations and Finance Manager at Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA). At the time, we were looking to develop common criteria for the packaging section of our standards and were thrilled to meet with the APCO team and be able to recognise PREP and, shortly after, the ARL. After I left GECA, I spent a few years travelling, auditing manufacturers, consulting with organisations on their sustainability strategies and supply chain collaborations, and working in government. When it came time to look for my next challenge, I saw the role for ARL Program Manager and it really felt like a home coming for me.
What are you excited about for the future and of being a part of APCO?
I’m extremely passionate about collaboration across the value chain. No matter what industry I’ve been working with, this has never failed to be a fundamental principle in creating meaningful change. I’m really excited for a future in APCO that is focussed on bringing the value chain together to solve some of the biggest barriers to creating a circular economy.
What have you learnt since joining the team at APCO?
It’s no secret that I’m not a packaging technologist. I sometimes give myself a little high-five when I used words like polyolefins and intrinsic viscosity correctly in a sentence. This puts me in the really fortunate position of being able to learn every day from all our amazing APCO staff and Members.