On behalf of the four nations of the UK, we are delighted to announce the appointment of the permanent Chief Executive and Chief Strategy Officers for PackUK, the scheme administrator for packaging Extended Producer Responsibility. These are important roles leading the operationalisation of this cornerstone reform and will play a pivotal role in the leadership of PackUK, ensuring it operates fairly, delivers value for money and achieves our shared environmental and economic goals. Working across the UK, they will lead the implementation and continuous improvement of the scheme, including forming an important relationship with planned Producer Responsibility Organisation and with local government as we work together to deliver efficient and effective packaging collection and recycling services.
Building on the important and valuable industry experience brought by Margaret Bates (the interim Head of PackUK), we have explicitly sought to recruit candidates who have extensive experience working in and with the packaging value chain. We are pleased both appointees bring a wealth of such experience, delivering on our commitment to bring producers into the leadership of the scheme wherever possible. Both were appointed following an open, external recruitment campaign.
Chief Executive Officer – Jeremy Blake
Jeremy has a diverse background, starting in forensic science. His interest in solving problems using science led him to move into the recycling industry, specialising in polymers but with periods in glass, metal and paper. Having spent several years leading the plastic and paper recycling operations of the largest recycler in the UK, at the time, he moved to become the Chief Operating Officer of advanced recycling company, Enval. He then joined one of the largest global plastic packaging converters, Berry Global (now Amcor), where he was the Managing Director of their rigid plastic recycling business. This role included responsibility for the build and operation of their latest recycling site that provides a circular route for kerbside collected polypropylene back into high-quality packaging. Most recently, he has served as the Director of Circular Economy for Amcor and drives the effective management of their products throughout their lifecycle throughout the globe. This combines the knowledge he has gained in nearly all parts of the packaging circular economy and his passion for positive environmental change. Jeremy also acts in an advisory capacity to many groups to drive the development of the Circular Economy.
Reflecting on Jeremy (Jez)’s appointment, Margaret comments, “I am delighted that Jez Blake will be the permanent CEO of PackUK, I have known and admired Jez for some time. He brings a commitment to the Circular Economy, together with great sector knowledge and leadership. It is great that I can pass the excellent team at PackUK to someone I know and trust.”
Chief Strategy Officer – Esther Carter
Esther is a sustainability leader with deep expertise in driving systems change across the packaging, recycling, and consumer goods sectors. She has collaborated with many of the brands and businesses at the heart of EPR reform – such as P&G, Mars, Amcor and Dow – to deliver practical solutions that make circularity a reality. Most recently, Esther served as Global Director at environmental non-profit Delterra, leading their flagship “Rethinking Recycling” programme in Latin America and South East Asia. In this role, she led global, multi-disciplinary teams and worked in close partnership with governments, local authorities, multinational brands and intergovernmental organizations to build more effective and inclusive waste systems.
Previously, Esther was a Senior Manager at McKinsey & Company, where she advised leading global institutions in the public and private sector on strategy delivery and sustainability. She also held analytical roles at Tesco and with P&G, giving her a strong foundation in data-driven decision-making, and first-hand experience inside the retail and FMCG value chain.
Both Jeremy and Esther will join the team at the start of September.
They will work alongside the PackUK Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the scheme’s digital systems, services and finances. This role is held by Angela Murphy on an interim basis and has been advertised externally. We similarly encourage applicants with direct experience of the packaging value chain.
We would also like to pay tribute to the important and continued role of Margaret Bates in the formation of PackUK. Margaret is on secondment from OPRL – a not-for-profit company that provides recycling and refill labels for consumer packaging and supports businesses to reduce waste – and her knowledge and expertise has been invaluable to PackUK’s set up. Margaret will work with Jeremy to ensure a smooth and complete transition period.
We would like to welcome Jeremy and Esther to PackUK and to thank Margaret and Angela for their extensive and continued work to set up PackUK and mobilise the pEPR Scheme.
