Mr Palmer-Jones worked for Suez for 33 years before standing down last year when he was group senior vice president for Northern Europe. He also served as chair of the Environmental Services Association from 2012 to 2015 and president of FEAD, the European waste management trade association, from 2013 to 2017.
He began working for SITA, as Suez was then known, on 1 February 1989. At this time, three people ran the company, which focused on domestic waste collections, from an office above a shoe shop.
He was awarded an OBE in the 2023 New Years Honours List (see letsrecycle.com story).
In a statement on Linkedin, he said: “A wonderful day with my family at Windsor Castle yesterday receiving my OBE for services to recycling. Enjoyed an excellent chat with HRH King Charles on consistency of collection, the need for greater circularity and listening to him at Torbay at the CIWM Conference over 30 years ago, his consistency in environmental leadership around the need to protect the environment was again echoed in his recent powerful speech at Cop 28.”
Despite stepping down from his role at Suez last year, Mr. Palmer-Jones continues to contribute to the sector through his consultancy firm, DPJ Consultancy. This firm allows him to leverage his wealth of experience and expertise to provide valuable insights and guidance.
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