In fields shaped by logistics and large-scale operations, leadership often emerges from the ability to understand how systems function in real, human environments. According to Julianna Doherty, CEO of Recycle Away, some of the most enduring solutions emerge not only from systems and processes, but from perspective. From her viewpoint, waste and recycling are the most effective ways for organizations to reflect their commitment to the environment. At the same time, proper waste management sits at the intersection of human behavior, design, and daily habits.
Recycle Away has built an organization that recognizes this intersection and aims to help organizations achieve their goals. Focused on waste and recycling solutions across industries, from corporate campuses and educational institutions to public spaces and high-traffic venues, the company designs, implements, and supports programs intended to help organizations navigate waste streams more intuitively. It tailors solutions to how people actually move through and use space. Doherty explains that this adaptability is central to the work, bringing together the right functional solution with an attention to each organization’s aesthetic so sustainability integrates smoothly into the space.
“As a women-run business, we pride ourselves on building systems that fit real life. Recycle Away’s success depends on working collaboratively across roles, titles, and backgrounds,” she notes. A report from McKinsey & Company found that diverse leadership teams are more effective. From Doherty’s perspective, the effectiveness of her team often shows up in everyday decisions, particularly when different ways of thinking are genuinely valued. She states, “When multiple perspectives are part of the conversation, systems begin to reflect how people actually move through the world, rather than how they are expected to.”
Doherty suggests that adaptability is not accidental. Within Recycle Away, she points to how women on the team draw from lived experience to inform professional judgment. One senior operations leader, for example, structures her workweek around visiting her 88-year-old grandmother every Tuesday afternoon. According to her, that routine is not viewed as a disruption, but as a source of grounding and perspective. “Looking to older women as sources of wisdom changes how you see time, resilience, and problem-solving,” she says.
A similar lens informs the company’s sales leadership, where deep industry experience predates the recent surge in sustainability attention. Doherty notes that long-term relationship building, patience, and the ability to translate complex requirements into practical steps have been essential in helping organizations engage meaningfully with waste and recycling programs over time. Because Recycle Away works across various sectors, from dining halls to stadiums, no single approach fits all. What succeeds in one setting may fail in another, and understanding those differences requires both systems thinking and empathy for end users.
Design also plays a critical role. Recycle Away’s design team, currently composed entirely of women, focuses on integrating function with form. From Doherty’s perspective, organizations invest heavily in creating environments that reflect their identity, and waste solutions must align with that intent. “If something looks out of place or feels confusing, people won’t use it correctly,” she explains. “Design has to make the right choice feel obvious.”
As Doherty explains, this focus on intuition relates to a broader philosophy that effective waste programs become second nature. “When systems work quietly in the background, that’s when they last,” she says. “Perspective, care, adaptability, and the ability to design systems people actually use are not soft skills in waste and recycling; they are foundational ones.”
As organizations continue to navigate increasingly complex sustainability expectations, she suggests that progress may depend less on bold declarations and more on thoughtful execution rooted in lived experience. Doherty says, “When you start valuing how people actually live, move, and care for one another, you don’t just change systems, you create solutions that people carry forward naturally.”
Bio:
Julianna Doherty is the CEO of Recycle Away, where she leads a women-run team dedicated to transforming how organizations approach waste and recycling. She champions solutions rooted in human behavior, thoughtful design, and real-world adaptability. Her leadership reflects a belief that sustainable change emerges from lived experience and practical, people-centered execution.
Sources:
McKinsey & Company: “Diversity matters even more: The case for holistic impact” https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-matters-even-more-the-case-for-holistic-impact
