GreenBlue is pleased to announce that Trina Matta will be joining the team as a Senior Project Manager. Trina will be working on the newly-announced ASTRX project within the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Trina brings 10 years of experience in recycling, government management, environmental conservation, water resources, and energy policy to the organization. Her most recent position was at Resource Recycling Systems developing solutions to sustainability and recycling challenges for businesses, local governments, and state governments.

Tell us about your background. Where did you spend your formative years and where did you go to school?

I grew up outside of Buffalo, New York and in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In both cities, we lived in the woods so my parents encouraged me to get outside and play every day. I grew up walking in the woods, looking for wildlife, enjoying being surrounded by trees. My parents stressed the importance of helping others and respecting nature, and those lessons have stuck with me.

I attended UNC-Chapel Hill as an undergraduate student and also got my Master’s in Public Administration, with a concentration in environmental policy, from UNC-Chapel Hill.

What inspired you to work in the sustainability field?

I have always felt drawn to do work that was in the service of the planet or serving other people. After college, I volunteered through the AmeriCorps VISTA program with a nonprofit focused on sustainable food, because at the time I liked cooking. I really enjoyed that work but felt like I needed more practical leadership skills to really be effective, so I pursued a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. While getting my MPA, I interned with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, and I loved that experience. I later worked there full-time and was really inspired by my coworkers who were always so dedicated to the environment. I’ve been able to learn about recycling, energy policy, water quality, water resources, and a variety of other environmental issues. Being in the sustainability field allows me to learn about all of these different topics while also helping the planet and helping others.

What do you hope to achieve at GreenBlue?

I hope to help drive increased recovery of packaging by assessing the barriers and opportunities in the existing system, and then bringing people together to develop messages and tools that enhance the recycling system.

What do you find most inspiring about working in sustainability?

Being around other people who also believe that working together, we can have a positive impact on the lives of our fellow human beings and the environment. And also the fact that there is always more work to be done.