Erin Gately

Circular Economy Product Manager, Iron Mountain

Portland, OR

Circular Economy Product Manager| Iron Mountain

Address

Portland, OR

What I Do

When people talk about throwing things "away", we need to understand there is no "away"! We have only one planet. In my role as Circular Economy Product Manager, I am learning to find new ways of working with materials to extend their useful life. I am collaborating with people across the company and outside the company to work toward a better future.
Why Engineering?

I chose engineering because I really like using my brain. I was drawn to solving problems and fixing things. I have fixed many things in my house (washing machine, dryer, desk chair).
School Days

I have a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami; Miami, Florida and I have an M.B.A. in Sustainable Business Practices, Bainbridge Graduate Institute; Bainbridge Island, Washington. I also have certificates in Green Chemistry and Project Management.
My Day At Work

Developing a network for creation of a circular economy / circular loops. This involves learning about different company capabilities and identifying the streams that Iron Mountain creates which can be used to create circular loops. Working on implementation plan for new environmental benefits report for our customers. Participating in a company wide Zero Waste team to identify all waste streams within the company and identify new ways to securely dispose of the waste (reuse, refurbishment, mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, incineration for energy recovery, etc.)
Best Part

Getting your engineering degree teaches you to fully use your brain. My background is in industrial engineering, but my analytical-thinking skills are applicable to my whole life. I have used my skills in manufacturing engineering jobs and marketing jobs, and also in my current job as Circular Economy Product Manager.
Proud Moments

Being chosen as an Earth Innovator by the Sierra Club. My work on the HP Deskjet 6540 printer which is highly recyclable and won many awards.
My Family

I have a daughter and twin boys. And we have two cats who are siblings.
Dreams and Goals

I want my work in sustainable design to be part of a larger sustainable design revolution.
Inspiration

My brother got his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering so I got to see what being an engineer was like. The Northwest Earth Institute courses that I have taken have guided me toward environmental work.
Want to be an Engineer?

Go for it! Being an engineer doesn't mean you can't have a life. You can be an engineer and have a social life and a family too. My engineering degree has allowed me to be whatever I have dreamed of being.
Additional Thoughts

Erin was part of a team at Hewlett-Packard that investigated using biodegradable corn-based material to manufacture the shell of a printer.
Hobbies

My favorite author is Charles de Lint. He writes both young adult and adult fiction. His work is extremely inspiring to me. His writing takes me away and brings me back feeling happy and ready to create. I recommend his books highly. I started playing bass guitar a few years ago and I am working on writing a rock opera about mermaids.

Erin Gately's Dream Job: When people talk about throwing things "away", we need to understand there is no "away"! We have only one planet. In my role as Circular Economy Product Manager, I am learning to find new ways of working with materials to extend their useful life. I am collaborating with people across the company and outside the company to work toward a better future. A passion for saving the planet: Trained as an industrial engineer, Erin was working in the marketing department at Hewlett-Packard (HP) when she took a class on how much humans consume and how drastically such consumption affects Earth. The class had a profound effect on her, and Erin thought that she might leave HP to find a job protecting the environment. But HP was recruiting people to help design more environmentally friendly products. Erin stayed with the company to become an environmental product steward, combining her engineering skills with her passion for saving the planet. From there she became a Conformity Assurance Manager for EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) to ensure that electronics manufacturers were accurately representing how green their products were. Now she is working to close the loop on materials. Instead of disposing of materials, she is investigating the possibility of utilizing chemical recycling processes for certain plastics. These processes can break down plastics to create the building block to make more plastic instead of using the earth's dwindling supply of oil. Best part of being an engineer: Getting your engineering degree teaches you to use your whole brain. My background is in industrial engineering, but my analytical-thinking skills are applicable to my whole life. I have used my skills in manufacturing engineering jobs and marketing jobs, and also in my current job as Circular Economy Product Manager. Favorite project: Erin was part of a team that investigated using biodegradable corn-based material to manufacture the shell of a printer. Education: B.S. in industrial engineering, University of Miami, Miami, Florida; M.B.A. in Sustainable Business Practices, Bainbridge Graduate Institute, Bainbridge Island, Washington. Certificates in Project Management and Green Chemistry. Family Erin has a daughter and twin boys. Hobbies Songwriting, watercolor painting, stand up paddle boarding, and reading (an important part of my life which recharges me). I read at least one or two books per week. Fun Fact Erin raced a sailboat from San Francisco to Oahu with a team of eight other women. They were the first all-woman crew to finish the Pacific Cup! Advice Go for it! Being an engineer doesn't mean you can't have a life.You can be an engineer and have a social life and a family too. My engineering degree has allowed me to be whatever I have dreamed of being.