And, speaking to letsrecycle.com this week, they explained how lessons from the industry had helped to build up the skills required of an MP as well as shape their political ambitions ahead of next month's (May 6) election.
Labour
Contesting seats on behalf of the Labour Party will be Mr Smith for Bristol West, councillor Clyde Loakes in Northampton South and environmental consultants Bob Pocock in Sutton Coldfield and Philippa Roberts in Herefordshire and South Hereford.
Commenting on his platform, Bristol West candidate Mr Smith explained that his tenure as chief executive of the FRN had focused his attention on the issue of climate change. He added that, if he were successful, he intended to promote reuse and recycling of materials, and energy generation through non-incineration treatment methods, such as anaerobic digestion.
He said: “I am certainly forming a campaign which is very much around the perspective of community engagement, which is informed from my time both at the FRN and the housing sector – which I was involved in for 20 years.”
“If elected I will be continuing to promote reuse and raise it to a much higher level in the Commons.”
Elsewhere, Mr Pocock, who is chief executive of environmental consultancy M-E-L Research, is standing as a Labour parliamentary candidate in the Conservative seat of Sutton Coldfield. However, Mr Pocock explained that he was “somewhat realistic” about his political aspirations.
“It is a safe Conservative seat which is why I am standing for the other side. I am not expecting anything will happen but I intend to show my colours. I expect to be back at M-E-L on May 7, unless I win which would be a shock outcome if that is the case,” he said.
Mr Pocock said he hoped to raise the profile of community involvement through his campaign, as well as encourage residents to consider the impacts of waste and using materials as a resource.
Contest
Also contesting a safe Conservative seat on behalf of Labour is Clyde Loakes, who intends to challenge incumbent Brian Binley for the Northampton South seat.
Councillor Loakes, who is currently leader of Waltham Forest council, sits on the London Waste and Recycling Board and is chair of the North London Waste Authority – which is the waste disposal authority representing Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Islington, Hackney, Haringey and Waltham Forest.
The election will also see a number of new constituencies contested, such as Herefordshire and South Hereford – which is based on the existing seat of Hereford currently held by Liberal Democrat MP Paul Keetch.
Contesting the seat is Labour parliamentary candidate Philippa Roberts, formerly of third sector organisation, the London Community Resource Network. Ms Roberts has acted as an environmental campaigner on the fringes and within the Labour Party since 2005 having worked in the waste sector since 2001.
Ms Roberts is an executive member of SERA, Labour's environment campaign, and claims that the environmental policies of the party match her own aspirations.
Outlining her work in the sector on her website, Ms Roberts said: “I am a passionate supporter of the Co-op movement and working on a project to develop the country's first community owned anaerobic digestor in North Herefordshire.”
Lib Dems
In contrast to the waste sector representation for the Labour Party, Dirk Hazell and Sue Doughty, former lobbyist for Defra-funded organisation NISP (the National Industrial Symbosis Programme), are standing on behalf of the Liberal Democrats.
In the new constituency seat of Chelsea and Fulham, Mr Hazell is standing as a Liberal Democrat candidate and has highlighted his experience in the arena of waste management and recycling.
Identifying the need to tackle green issues, Mr Hazell said: “We have increased household recycling by 500% since the Tories left office, having let Britain fall more than a generation behind the rest of Europe.
“We also produce one third of the UK's renewable electricity, although it has to be admitted that Britain under the Tories and Labour has been pathetic at generating renewable electricity.”
In order to help focus on his political aspirations, Mr Hazell stepped down as chief executive of the sector trade body at the end of March after 11 years in the post (see letsrecycle.com story).
Ms Doughty has a history of involvement in environmental issues, ranging from being a member of the Environmental Audit Select Committee and also shadow environment minister for the Liberal Democrats.
Furthermore, Ms Doughty has also chaired the All Party Sustainable Waste Group, the Parliamentary Group for Renewable and Sustainable Energy (Praseg) and was a founder of the All Party Group for Intelligent Energy.
Independent
In Manchester Withington, Marcus Farmer, managing director of Cheadle-based trade waste and recycling firm STE Waste Management, has announced plans to stand as an independent with a keen focus on environmental issues.
Explaining the decision, Mr Farmer told letsrecycle.com: “I am standing at the general election in Didsbury & Withington on the fact that rogue traders are destroying our chances of a green economy. This relates to solar power, land source heating as much as it does to waste.”
“Without a body in place to protect the general public from shoddy green products and services we are going to see a new wave of rip off trading.”
Conservative
Notably, non of the parliamentary candidates identified by letsrecycle.com with a background in waste and recycling are to run for the Conservative Party.
However, John Gummer, Conservative MP for Suffolk Coastal and chairman of producer responsibility compliance scheme Valpak, has announced that he is to stand down. While in the role of Secretary of State for the environment in 1996, Mr Gummer oversaw the creation of the Landfill Tax.
Subscribe for free