Biography

28 years ago, leading a marine turtle research program, Louise Hardman discovered a small green turtle dying a slow, painful death from eating plastics. Sadly, the turtle didn’t survive – but it inspired Louise to tackle plastic waste.

She founded Plastic Collective, a social enterprise to stop plastics from entering the oceans. Plastic Collective’s aim was to empower communities to change how they think about plastic and eliminate the concept of ‘waste’.

Louise is an expert in grassroots community engagement, the chemistry of plastics, and the circular economy. She invented the Shruder – a mobile recycling machine that shreds and extrudes plastic on site. Now expanded into the “Shruder Recycling Stations” and the Plastic Collective System, communities are able to transform discarded plastic materials into products for local needs and generating revenue through selling processed plastic shred, products, and plastic credits.

Louise is a regular speaker at international conferences and events, providing real solutions to the global plastic problem.

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