A warm welcome back to “Women in Circularity”, where we shine a light on women moving us toward a circular economy. This month, I was pleased to connect with a compliance-driven sustainability leader: Lisa Puckett. Lisa is the founder and CEO of BayArea Compliance, a firm specializing in regulated waste management, environmental compliance and sustainable materials solutions that help organizations reduce risk while advancing circular outcomes. With over two decades of experience navigating complex regulatory environments across healthcare, laboratory and industrial sectors, Lisa transforms compliance from a cost center into a catalyst for measurable environmental impact.
How did your work in regulated waste and compliance evolve into circular economy leadership?
I began in regulated waste because I saw firsthand how fragile sustainability claims become when they are not built on compliance. In healthcare, laboratory, and industrial environments, waste is not theoretical. It is governed by OSHA, DOT, EPA guidance, FDA protocols and state environmental laws. You cannot simply “recycle more” without managing biological risk, chain-of-custody, transport controls and liability exposure. That tension, between environmental ambition and regulatory reality, is what ultimately led me into circular systems design.
The NETZERO360 initiative was built from that insight. Instead of layering sustainability on top of hauling, we embedded circularity inside a compliance engine. We start with risk reduction, then engineer closed-loop recovery pathways that are audit-defensible and operationally scalable. Whether it is contaminated lab plastics, medical materials, or high-risk items like lithium battery-containing vape devices, the model converts regulatory obligation into measurable environmental performance. Circularity becomes durable when it can withstand scrutiny.
What skill do you think is most critical for building credible and scalable circular systems?
Systems thinking, anchored in regulatory literacy. Circular economy leadership requires understanding how materials move through real facilities, not just how they appear in sustainability reports. Every stream intersects with permitting, worker safety, hazardous materials transport, insurance, and disclosure requirements. If you do not design for those constraints from the start, the system will eventually fail under enforcement pressure or operational friction.
Equally critical is defensible data architecture. Circular systems must produce verifiable metrics, diversion rates, recovery volumes, CO₂ reduction estimates, and fire risk mitigation statistics that align with ESG frameworks and evolving disclosure laws such as California SB 253 and SB 261. When sustainability metrics are traceable and compliant, they stop being marketing claims and start functioning as governance tools.
What is one recent initiative you are especially proud of, and why?
I am particularly proud of the NETZERO360 Vape Recycling Program. Disposable nicotine and THC devices have become one of the fastest-growing fire and compliance risks in modern waste systems because they combine lithium-ion batteries, mixed plastics, residual oils, and electronic components. Improper disposal contributes to landfill and MRF fires, toxic leachate, insurance claims, and enforcement exposure.
We designed a compliance-first, closed-loop operating model: secure battery-safe collection, DOT-regulated transport, controlled battery extraction and neutralization, material separation, verified downstream recovery, and ESG impact reporting. The objective is straightforward: reduce fire risk, stabilize compliance exposure, and convert a growing waste liability into measurable ESG leadership. It reflects our broader philosophy: risk mitigation first, material recovery second, and transparency always.
What emerging trend in regulated materials management will most influence circularity in the next few years?
The convergence of Extended Producer Responsibility, battery regulation, and climate disclosure requirements will reshape circular systems. Materials once treated as minor waste streams, lithium batteries, hybrid plastics, and regulated lab debris, are now triggering fire risk protocols, hazardous materials rules, and board-level ESG scrutiny. Circularity is moving from a voluntary initiative to regulated infrastructure.
We are also seeing increasing pressure for defensible reporting. Investors, regulators, and insurers are asking harder questions about traceability, downstream verification, and exposure controls. Systems that cannot demonstrate chain-of-custody integrity and measurable outcomes will struggle. The future belongs to models that integrate compliance, risk mitigation and transparent reporting into one operating platform.
What book do you recommend to inspire deeper engagement in circularity?
I highly recommend Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth. It reframes economic growth within ecological and social boundaries in a way that challenges linear assumptions without abandoning practicality. What resonates most is the emphasis on redesigning systems rather than optimizing extraction.
In my work, this translates into redesigning waste management itself. Circularity is not a branding layer. It is infrastructure. When we rebuild material systems to operate within regulatory, environmental, and governance limits, we create resilience that holds up under scrutiny. That is where real circular progress begins.
