Liz Goodwin

Background

Elizabeth Jane Goodwin, who prefers to be known as Liz, was born in June, 1961, in London.

Education

Goodwin attended Chichester High School for Girls from 1972 – 1979. After leaving Chichester High School for Girls, she went on to study a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at University College London, and following that, completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Physics from the University of Exeter. In 2010, Cranfield University honoured Goodwin with an honorary Doctor of Science, in recognition of her achievements in environmental, recycling and resource efficiency issues.

The Society for the Environment also elected Goodwin as an Honorary Fellow of the Society for the Environment in December, 2013, in recognition to her services to the environment.

Career

In 2015, she was recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list and received an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her services to business resource efficiency and the environment. Goodwin started her earlier career as a Research Scientist for Imperial Chemical Industries, before working as an environment manager for Zeneca Agrochemicals, and then Syngenta as an Environmental Advisor. WRAP Goodwin became Chief Executive Officer at WRAP in 2007 and has worked for the organisation since its early days, joining in 2001 as the first Director of Materials Programme.

Since taking over as Chief Executive Officer, she has worked to raise the profile of WRAP and the issues of resource efficiency, waste and recycling.

The organisation is now focused on helping deliver the economic benefits of a more circular economy. The problem of food waste is now widely understood and progress is being made in tackling this serious issue, with a 21% reduction in avoidable food waste being reported in late 2013.

WRAP continues to work with local authorities and the wider resource management sector to ensure that waste that is recycled where possible. Along with industry initiatives, two new consumer campaigns, Love Food Hate Waste, and Love Your Clothes, have been launched under Goodwin’s leadership, joining WRAP’s other consumer campaign, Recycle Now, which aims to increase household recycling.

Goodwin seeks to ensure that there is a business case for WRAP’s work, which will help ensure longer term viability and sustainability, and ways to deliver economic benefits.

Achievements

• In 2010, Cranfield University honoured Goodwin with an honorary Doctor of Science, in recognition of her achievements in environmental, recycling and resource efficiency issues. Under Goodwin’s leadership, the Courtauld Commitment, involving major retailers, brands and their supply chains, has been driven forward and reductions in packaging have been achieved despite growth in sales.