Members of the waste and resources industry have voted Director of Zero Waste Scotland, Iain Gulland, as the person who most influenced the industry in 2013.

Thousands of people voted in Resource's annual Hot 100 list of the most influential people in the industry, with Iain Gulland moving up six places from last year’s list to come up top for his work in supporting the delivery of the Scottish Government's zero waste policy goals.

Those voting for Gulland lauded his 'determination', 'forward thinking', 'hard work' and 'never ending sphere of influence', as well as the fact he is 'relentlessly delivering the Scottish Government's vision – and not just on waste anymore. He's received energy and water efficiency and district heating remits in the last year'.

The announcement was made at the inaugural Kit Strange Memorial Lecture at the House of Commons yesterday (15 January), at which Steve Read, Managing Director of the Somerset Waste Partnership (and number 77 of this year’s list) delivered a speech remembering Kit Strange – who pioneered the idea of waste as a resource and was Director of the Resource Recovery Forum. Read’s lecture asked: ‘Are we any closer to a resource efficient world?’

Accepting a framed cover of Resource 75 (in which the full list can be found) from Resource Editor, Libby Peake (pictured above right), Gulland said he was ‘surprised and honoured’ to receive the award.

He later told Resource: "I am very honoured to have been voted No 1. Humbled as well, as I think of all the great people working in the resource sector across the UK. Thank you to all those who voted for me and to Resource Media for organising the whole thing."

The rest of the top 10 (and the reasons why the public voted for them) were:

1. Emma Marsh, Head of Love Food Hate Waste (previously number 44 in the Hot 100) 'She's out on the front line, actually changing behaviour – not just talking about it.'
2. David Palmer-Jones, CEO of SITA UK (up from number 14) 'He knows the industry inside out and is working hard to ensure we're helping to drive the circular economy.'
3. Steve Lee, CEO of CIWM (up from number 20) 'A fantastic, passionate and approachable advocate for the sector. He has contacts into the upper echelons of the real corridors of power and knows all the big names in the industry.’
4. Jonathan Straight, Chief Executive of Straight plc (same as last year) ‘Think about it – without his boxes and bins, there would be no recycling industry at all.’
5. Janez Potocnik, European Environment Commissioner (up from number 11) ‘A rare thing: a politician who speaks in facts and makes a difference.’
6. Karen Cannard, Blogger for The Rubbish Diet (up from number 87) ‘For her boundless enthusiasm for slimming those bins – she doesn’t preach, she inspires! Hers is truly a world-saving approach.’
7. Dominic Hogg, Director of Eunomia (up from number 12) ‘Working at the heart of the European Commission on their 2014 review of waste targets – he IS the man in the middle.’
8. Ray Georgeson, Chief Executive of the Resource Association (winner of Hot 100 2012) ‘He remains the voice of reason and common sense on quality issues in the fact of a lot of nonsensical noise from other parts of the industry!’
9. Liz Goodwin, CEO of WRAP (down from number three) ‘WRAP continues to be the centre of all things good in the industry, despite big budget cuts.’

Find out who else made the Hot 100 list for 2013 in Resource 75.