Along with Warren Snow and Julie Dickinson, he really kicked off the zero waste movement in Aotearoa back at the turn of the century. Now he’s been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to conservation, organic waste management and the community.

For those of us who’ve had the privilege of working alongside Gerry, the honour comes as no surprise. If anything, many would say it’s long overdue.

Gerry’s career has been remarkable, because he consistently focused on practical solutions to real-world problems. At a time when much of the waste debate was still centred on disposal, Gerry was helping communities, governments and organisations understand that waste is not simply something to manage at the end of a process. It’s a design failure, a lost resource and an opportunity waiting to be realised.

Congrats Gerry! So well deserved. You can read a fulsome tribute to Gerry’s work from Mal Williams at Zero Waste International here.