1 April 2016

New DWMA President: Boris van der Ham

Today, 1 April 2016, Boris van der Ham became the new president of the Dutch Waste Management Association. He was elected by the members of the Association during the Annual General Meeting on 14 March in The Hague. Boris van der Ham takes over from Pieter Hofstra, who has served the Association as president for almost ten years.

Boris van der Ham (DWMA President):

"I will work with the members and secretariat staff to build on the position of the sector as an important player in the transition to a circular economy."

Boris van der Ham: 'The presidency of the Dutch Waste Management Association has instantly grabbed my imagination. The Dutch waste sector is at the cutting edge of technology, which is something we can be proud of. The Netherlands has a major contribution to make to the world in the recycling and reuse of resources and the generation of sustainable energy from waste. What I find so exceptional is that our companies are working for a sustainable society within a for-profit business model. Pieter Hofstra has put the sector on the map as an important player in the transition to a circular economy, and it is with confidence that I will work with the members and secretariat staff to build on this position, both in the Netherlands and in Europe.'

Boris van der Ham (DWMA President):

"The Dutch waste sector is at the cutting edge of technology, which is something we can be proud of."

Boris van der Ham (1973) was a member of the Dutch House of Representatives for D66 (Democrats) from 2002 to 2012. In his ten years as an MP he was spokesperson on many subjects, including education and culture, environment, economic affairs and Europe. He was also chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. Besides the presidency of the DWMA, he holds a number of other management positions, including chair of the Dutch Humanist Association, the NICAM (Netherlands Institute for the Classification of Audiovisual Media) and Dutch World Heritage. He is also a writer and entrepreneur.

Pieter Hofstra (1946) was president of the Association from November 2006. Under his leadership the DWMA has developed into a strong organisation with a united and powerful voice in The Hague and Brussels. Over the past ten years he has worked hard to raise the profile of the waste industry as a whole. His legacy includes the 'More and Better Recycling' agreement with the government as well as the Green Deals for sustainable landfill management and for the unrestricted use of incinerator bottom ash. Recently he signed the 'Safety First' cooperation agreement with the chemical industry on raising safe working practices in the sector to a higher level. During Hofstra's presidency the DWMA membership has grown, more recently especially with the addition of recycling companies.