The tides are turning when it comes to the representation of women in construction. In waste services alone, there has been an increasing number of women entering the industry, with a notable 6.2 per cent growth in female employees since 1998.
Repurpose It is committed to leading the charge when it comes to increasing diversity in the industry. Welcoming two new female plant operators in 2020, Michelle Cannon and Rachel Doherty, who are pathing the way for greater gender diversity on our team.
Former office administrator, Michelle joins Repurpose It as the newest plant operator. Plant operators play a key role in transporting product around the site, and with the constant processing of materials, Michelle notes that there is always something to do.
“I like a work environment that is busy!”, Michelle said.
According to Michelle, this role at Repurpose It gives her the opportunity to be involved in something important.
“Our society has to make the shift to a system that looks at environmental sustainability as an essential measure of success and growth. I have always recycled my plastics and cardboard, but working at Repurpose It has made me more aware of the impact of my actions and how far we still have to go for a sustainable future.”
Similarly, Repurpose It’s other new plant operator, Rachel says that working at Repurpose It has given her an insight into sustainability, and how important it is for the future.
“Our future relies on our approach to sustainability today. For the sake of generations to come, it is important to think about the lifeline of our waste.”
“Seeing how waste is turned into valuable resources is pretty cool. It’s nice to be a part of a company with a belief in creating change to better our environment”, added Rachel.
At Repurpose It, driving positive change doesn’t stop at environmental sustainability. According to Repurpose It’s CEO George Hatzimanolis, the company is committed to a sustainable workplace culture that fosters gender diversity.
“We value the skills, insights and passions each of our employees bring to the site every day, regardless of their gender. Women make up over 20% of our current team, however, with our diversity targets in place, we hope to grow this number significantly in the coming years”, said George.
Follow the stories of the Repurpose It team with Humans of Repurpose It shared on our Instagram.