One of the leading lights of the Waste & Resources Action Programme, Phillip Ward, has today (November 4) announced that he plans to retire at the end of March 2011.
Mr Ward has held a number of posts at the Banbury-based resource efficiency organisation since he joined in December 2004, and is currently its director of local government services, a role that involves him leading WRAP's support for local authorities on waste and recycling issues.
WRAP has been instrumental in both helping people recycle and reduce the amount of waste, particularly food waste, they create. I am immensely proud to have played a part in those achievements
Phillip Ward, WRAP
His retirement, which is being timed to tie in with the conclusion of WRAP's current business plan, will bring to an end a period that has seen him articulate the body's views on a number of the key waste issues facing councils, such as collection frequency and the relative merits of kerbside sort versus commingled recycling.
Mr Ward, who was 60 in September 2010, is also an executive director on WRAP's independent main board.
Prior to joining WRAP he gained more than 30 years experience in the public sector, working latterly in environmental and local government issues in roles that included his involvement in the decision, by the then-department of the environment and the regions, to create WRAP.
Mainstream activities
Making today's announcement, he said he was “immensely proud” of how WRAP had helped to make recycling and waste reduction mainstream activities in the UK, and said that, while the time was right to move on, he would be sad to leave.
“When WRAP was created 10 years ago hardly anyone had a full recycling service and there were barely any markets for the material collected. That has changed completely. Recycling is a way of life for most people,” he said.
“WRAP has been instrumental in both helping people recycle and reduce the amount of waste, particularly food waste, they create. I am immensely proud to have played a part in those achievements,” he added.
Mr Ward revealed that he had told WRAP's chief executive Liz Goodwin earlier this year that he planned to delay his retirement until March 2011 to help the body deliver the objectives in its current business plan.
“I have now confirmed that decision to Liz so she can plan the new organisation she needs for the challenges of the next Business Plan,” he said.
WRAP's business plan for 2011-2014 is set to be delivered within a constrained budget as the organisation expects budget cuts following last month's Spending Review (see letsrecycle.com story).
Mr Ward's contribution to WRAP was hailed by Dr Goodwin, who said: “Phillip helped create WRAP, and since joining has played a key role in developing recycling and waste reduction in the UK, particularly in supporting local authorities.
“His deep insight has helped staff here, the WRAP Board and others in the sector understand the key issues and find ways of tackling them. I will miss his wise counsel and I am grateful to him for his huge contribution,” she added.
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