Lennert Vermaat on the job as new Association Management Advisor

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Lennert Vermaat on the job as new Association Management Advisor

Last week, Lennert Vermaat joined the Lejeune team as our new Association Management Advisor. We still work a lot from home and schedule our meetings online. Therefore we also use this channel for Lennert's introduction to our clients and colleagues. Welcome to Lejeune, Lennert. We look forward to a successful collaboration.

Lennert Vermaat at Lejeune

Who is Lennert?

I am 34 years old, born and raised on the island Goeree-Overflakkee in the south-western part of our country. After high school I started living and studying in Utrecht. Meanwhile I have been living here for 15 years with much pleasure.

What and where did you study?

I studied Environmental Social Sciences. I did my Bachelor in Utrecht and I completed my Master in Nijmegen. During my studies I developed an interest in recycling, with the logical result that my Master's thesis was about waste collection and waste separation with research results on municipal waste policy from my internship assignment at the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) in The Hague.

Where did you work before joining our team?

For the past four years I was a policy officer and secretary at the ’Dutch Waste Management Association’ (DMWA). DWMA represents the interests of the total waste chain and stimulates the transition to the circular economy.

What was your motivation for joining our team in Lejeune?

The Waste and Recycling sector attracts me, especially recycling. At DWMA, my role was a bit broader and waste also played a big role. Now the dedicated recycling cluster within Lejeune allows me to focus entirely on recycling.

Which associations will you work for as an Association Management Advisor? 

I will be working for and with the Federation for the Recovery of Raw Materials (FHG), the Federation of Dutch Recovered Paper Industries (FNOI) and the Metal Recycling Federation (MRF). I also think it would be a fantastic challenge if we could further build up the National Recycling Forum (NRF) with the participating organisations.

What will require immediate attention?

There are two issues that require immediate attention. The first is the policy on 'substances of very high concern' (SvhC). This is the list of substances that are no longer allowed in products because they are harmful to health and/or the environment. If you are going to recycle products which contain substances on the SvhC list, then there is a chance that these will be found in the secondary raw materials.

The number of substances regulated as an SvhC is increasing. So the matter is becoming more and more complex and the recyclers should not be solely responsible. Producers also have a responsibility in this matter so a joint approach to a solution is necessary. It is important that I reach out  to the policy makers in The Hague, at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W), to help shape the policy and in doing so represent the interests of the recycling industry. 

Secondly, it is necessary to lobby for the FHG. There is a need to create ample sales markets for secondary raw materials. To achieve this situation, it is necessary to stimulate the use of secondary raw materials. With additional government policy, we can get producers to opt for secondary products, i.e. recycled raw materials.

Furthermore, I am of course looking forward to getting to know the boards and members of the associations and be informed of the issues that are broadly relevant. I am also very enthusiastic about the cooperation with the direct Lejeune team, Brenda, Celesta, Cora and Hans.

 

For the contact information of Lennert Vermaat look at our team page 

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