Maite Quinn-Richards is a recognized leader in the recycling and circular economy industry with more than two decades of experience spanning recycling operations, commodity markets, media, and investment. She began her career in the early 2000s after producing a television story on recycling that sparked a lifelong commitment to advancing circular economy solutions.
Over the course of her career, she has held leadership roles with the largest privately held hauling and recycling company in New York City and with Sims Municipal Recycling, where she led business development and commodity sales. In 2018, she joined Closed Loop Partners as Managing Director to help launch its private equity platform with the goal of acquiring and scaling best-in-class recycling companies. She successfully helped execute that strategy, culminating in the acquisition and combination of Sims Municipal Recycling and Balcones Recycling, which ultimately became Circular Services -one of the largest privately held recycling companies in North America.
Today, Maite serves as Executive Director of the U.S. Flexible Film Initiative (USFFI), a brand-led nonprofit working to demonstrate that residential flexible packaging can be successfully recovered and recycled at scale through strategic partnerships with MRFs, and reclaimers. She is also President of Resource Recycling, the leading media and events company serving the recycling industry.
Throughout her career, Maite has worked closely with recyclers, brands, policymakers, and manufacturers to advance circularity across the value chain. She has served on the boards of APR, ISRI (now ReMA), ANJR, NRC, IRG, SMR, and Balcones Recycling.