Prime Highlights

• Eileen Breen, Co-founder of NTEX and President of the Waste and Recycling Industry Association NT, received the Industry Advocacy Prize at the Women in Industry Awards 2025.
• She was honoured for her leadership in recycling, waste management, and circular economy practices in the Northern Territory.

Key Facts

• Breen has been a strong advocate for waste to be recognised as an essential service, especially in the NT’s challenging environment of remote logistics and limited infrastructure.
• Under her leadership, NTEX established the first construction and demolition (C&D) recycling plant in the NT, significantly reducing landfill waste and promoting resource recovery.

Background

Eileen Breen, a well-known voice in waste and recycling in the Northern Territory, has been named as the Industry Advocacy Prize of Women in Industry Awards 2025. Eileen Breen, Co-founder of NTEX and President of the Waste and Recycling Industry Association NT, was honored with the award for her contributions to improving recycling and waste management in the Territory.

Acknowledging the challenges of remote logistics and limited infrastructure in the NT, Breen has consistently advocated for waste to be recognised as an essential service. “This award brings much-needed exposure to the industry and helps highlight the environmental and economic value it provides,” she said.

Her greatest contribution has been leading circular economy practices in the construction and demolition sector. During her tenure, NTEX established the first C&D recycling plant in the NT, which is playing a fundamental role in decreasing the amount of landfill waste and recovering materials so they can be used on subsequent civil works.

This is because we turned one of the most destructive industries around, demolition, into one of the most interesting and beneficial, resource recovery and recycling, Breen concluded. These products are returning to the industry, and we are partnering with other recyclers to ensure that they are using a lot of them.

Being a woman and leading change in an industry that is mostly male, Breen views her recognition as a platform through which she can promote more women to join the industry. It is not the first industry that a lot of women will think of, but an award like this will open the door for them.

The award highlights the work that Breen has done to achieve a more sustainable future in the NT, where nothing is trash anymore but a resource worth turning into precious stuff.

Read More: Advancing Women: Redefining Global Business Through Women’s Leadership