About Us

Zero Waste BC is a non-profit society and has been championing Zero Waste since 2008. Our current work is inspired by our Vision & Mission. Our Core Values below are shared with many and if they inspire you, please consider being a part of our community.

–> We provide research, analysis and guidance to inform policies and practices related to materials consumption, solid waste and more.

–> We convene conversations with leaders from academia, business, communities, government & environmental sectors to develop solutions.

–> We present practical ways forward based on facts and innovation. Our network within the community helps to ensure we help create action-oriented solutions.

Vision | Mission | Core Values

VISION

A just world, of vibrant, resilient, regenerative Zero Waste communities, in harmony with nature

MISSION

Working to drive systemic change towards Zero Waste in BC.

CORE VALUES

Unsustainable resource consumption is both an environmental and social justice issue. Solutions need to be equitable and socially just as well as reduce the environmental footprint.

Meet the Board

Board Retreat 2023 -honoured with a circular rainbow.

Check out our profile by our partner West Coast Climate Action Network

Sue Maxwell, Chair

Sue (she/her) has been interested in Zero Waste since 2005 when she wrote her Master’s thesis on it. She has been involved with Zero Waste BC since its inception as well as has volunteered with many other organizations including the Recycling Council of BC, the Sea to Sky Clean Air Association, the Climate Caucus and AWARE. She works as a sustainability consultant with a specialty of Zero Waste, having developed Zero Waste Strategies and helped to form new Extended Producer Responsibility programs, and served one term as a councillor for Whistler. Her travels and experiences of the outdoors continues to emphasize to her the need to protect and regenerate what nature remains and to ensure all people are valued.

Jennifer Henry, Vice Chair

Jennifer was the Executive Director of SPEC (Society Promoting Environmental Conservation, is the Founder of Perk Eco, Canada's national cup recycling program and is a solid waste specialist at BC Housing. Jennifer brings to ZeroWaste BC her background in waste innovations, waste reduction, and creating circular economy solutions for materials with no good end-of-life solutions. She’s proud to have created and supported solutions that diverted over 8 million lbs of waste from landfills. A graduate of the University of Cambridge’s Business Sustainability Management, and Master Recycler, she works to implement known solutions to keep our shared planet below 1.5 degrees of warming. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys Fraser Valley trails and rivers with family, teaching her 2 young sons about biodiversity and the natural world.

Munu Hicken-Gaberria

Munu Hicken-Gaberria (he/him) is the Founder and former CEO of LFT Group Brands, a sustainability-driven cleaning and personal-care company launched in 2007. During his 18-year tenure, he helped establish several industry firsts in Canada and North America: the first packaging deposit-and-return program in the cleaning sector, the first 8× concentrated laundry detergent in Canada, the first use of 97% post-consumer recycled packaging, early adoption of aluminium bottles, full ingredient-function disclosure on labels, retailer-supported refill programs, and North America’s first 2× ultra-concentrated dish liquid. LFT’s impact has been measurable. In Fiscal 2023 alone, the brand prevented 44,330 single-use plastic bottles, avoided 202 tonnes of CO₂, saved 8,217 kg of petroleum otherwise used for plastic production, and conserved 150,455 litres of water through ultra-concentrated formulations. These innovations earned multiple awards across sustainability, family, and product-excellence categories. Today, Munu works as a consultant and advisor supporting organisations in sustainable product design, circular system implementation, and the strategic use of AI to drive operational efficiency and reduce waste. He brings practical, on-the-ground experience in scaling reuse-first models and a strong commitment to advancing zero-waste solutions across British Columbia.

Cassidy v. Ros

A marketing, communications, and branding strategist, Cassidy v. Ros (she/her) combines hands-on understanding with broad experience to tilt perspectives and bridge the gap between accessibility and circularity. Focused intently on developing expertise in the place where circularity in building and accessible community development meet, Cassidy has already made impactful contributions to climate-friendly and accessible policy at the provincial and federal level. One recent success was a campaign to clarify the BC building code that garnered endorsements from 27 industry organizations, and from the Deputy Minister and Minister of Housing, which will make a lasting, positive environmental impact in the province. As a person with a disability, Cassidy is committed to using her unique skill set to help everyone participate equally in the communities they live in, and to create a safe space for decision makers to discuss uncertainties, challenges and goals, and to seek further education.

Doug Schell

Doug Schell (he/him)has worked to improve waste and recycling systems in several large organizations including BC Housing and Vancouver Coastal Health. He has over 35 years experience in the recycling and waste management sector. In collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, Doug has been part of the efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change through waste diversion, engagement and education. Doug inspires others by his example and knows we can all do better in reducing our waste and manage our natural resources more sustainably. Doug co-founded one of the first full-service recycling companies in Greater Vancouver, Waste-Not Recycling Inc. In time Waste-Not Recyclers opened an Encorp bottle depot and promoted zero waste events throughout the province of BC. Doug has worked with organizations for the past three decades offering the tools to promote zero waste and continues to seek ways to reduce the barriers to recycling, especially within marginalized communities.

Emily Sproule

Emily (she/her) brings 20 years of experience working in ethically-minded small businesses and a lifetime of interest in environmental responsibility. Alarmed by how much waste her family of four was creating and frustrated by limited zero waste offerings, in 2020, Emily started Jarr Delivery, a zero waste grocery delivery company located in Vancouver, BC. Emily sold Jarr in 2022 and currently lives in Tla-o-qui-aht territory (Tofino), where she continues to encourage individuals, businesses and governments to reduce single-use packaging waste through reuse. Emily imagines a future with economical refill systems in conventional grocery stores, thriving local farms, an absence of food waste and a recovering ocean with no new single-use plastic. If we can dream it, we can create it.

Kati Varga

Kati (she/her) brings 15 years of strategic marketing experience to the Zero Waste BC Board, combining business acumen with design sensibility. She holds an MBA (Honours) in Sustainable Innovation from the University of Victoria, where she learned to navigate complexity and make decisions through an economic, social, and environmental lens. Most recently, Kati served as Director of Marketing & Communications at Product Care Recycling, one of Canada's largest Product Stewardship Organizations. In this role, she designed and delivered communication strategies for over 20 Extended Producer Responsibility programs across North America. Her work focused on regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, and driving measurable behavior change toward responsible waste management and circularity. Kati's career has also included work in architecture and construction, where she has advanced sustainable building solutions and systems that prioritize both environment and social outcomes. She excels at translating complex sustainability challenges into compelling narratives that drive accountability across industries.

John Vissers

John (he/him) was born in the Netherlands, raised in Ontario and Montana, John has lived on a rural forested property on Sumas Mountain near Abbotsford for the past 34 years. After selling his construction contracting business, he commits much of his time to non-profit groups. John served on Abbotsford's Environmental Advisory committee, the Development Advisory, and presently on the Community, Culture and Environment Advisory committee. Some of the other groups John works with include the Fraser Valley Conservancy, Fraser Valley Watersheds Coalition, Rail for the Valley, South Fraser Community Rail, Resilient Communities Canada, Mission Folk Music Festival Society and BC Greens Provincial Council. For his contributions and volunteer work, John has received Rotary's Paul Harris Fellowship, The Order of Abbotsford, and The Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal.

About Us

Vision | Mission | Core Values