Waste Innovation & Recycling Awards finalists announced

Veolia is pleased to announce that two of its staff members have been shortlisted in the elite list of finalists for the annual Waste Innovation & Recycling Awards. 

Organisational development partner Melanie Sosnowski is vying for the Woman in Waste award which recognises a woman in the industry who has driven change and continues to do so, leading progress in breaking down barriers and creating new career prospects for the next generation.

Melanie is a passionate and dedicated member of the Veolia team who has been with the organisation for 14 years. During this time, Melanie has worked with clients to develop a new recycling system – RECYCLEPAK®, that was created to tackle the challenges of hard to recycle waste streams. The solution combined both easily transportable recycling boxes with a door-to-door service – effectively removing the barriers around recycling. She is now leading Veolia’s graduate program to empower the next generation of resourcers.

“Forging a culture of innovation in the waste sector has been a real passion of mine and I’m particularly proud of establishing Veolia’s Network and Accelerator Program that has brought together over 300 members to workshop ideas and solutions. I’m thrilled to be recognised for this work”

Meanwhile, sustainability specialist Patrick Lally is a finalist in the Young Waste Professional of the Year award, a category open to individuals 35 and under who have impressed their colleagues with their contribution and impact to their organisations, as well as excellence in service. 

Patrick is a member of Veolia’s sustainability team whose purpose is to deliver relevant, high quality and scalable sustainability solutions to help customers meet their sustainability goals. After joining the team in 2021, he has demonstrated passion, drive and depth of knowledge that have been instrumental in helping Veolia clients navigate their transition towards more sustainable business. 

Patrick's most notable achievement with Veolia has been his work on behalf of a major oil and gas provider, helping the company reach its waste diversion goal of zero waste by 2050. He used his fresh environmental science learnings to devise his strategy, at the centre of which is a simplicity of breaking down the complex and providing elementary yet effective solutions that deliver meaningful outcomes.

“I really like the old adage, ‘If you build it, they will come’,” Patrick said. “If you provide the recycling and recovery tools and remove the barriers, you can drive the behaviour changes needed to have an environmental impact. It’s exciting to be shortlisted for the work I’m so passionate about.” 

Kim Hall, chief people and safety officer at Veolia, congratulated Melanie and Patrick for the honour.

"The success of these experts is testimony to the talent at Veolia and the culture of development and innovative thinking that we foster to enable the delivery of ecological transformation."

“I wish Melanie and Patrick every success on the night.”

Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Melbourne on 26 October 2022. 

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