The chief executive of Grampians Central West Waste and Resource Recovery Group is leading by example making informed sustainable lifestyle choices and inspiring others to do the same. 

The past few weeks have been particularly challenging for Ms Lehmann and her team working with local councils in the Grampians Central West region to manage their recycling following the temporary closure of recycling provider SKM's Geelong plant. 

It is a waste crisis that has reminded consumers their rubbish never 'goes away' -  a message that is part of Ms Lehmann's mission to empower residents to make lifestyle changes for waste reduction. 

"Waste is not something we can blame anybody else for. You can blame the weather and the climate for a drought. Waste is what we have chosen to create. It is our own fault and we need to take responsibility for that," she said. 

Ms Lehmann admits she didn't grow up thinking about recycling or with a desire to work in waste. 

She began her professional career as an accountant, returned to university to study science and ecotourism and moved from her home in Adelaide to Dimboola to work with a local council in the Wimmera as a tourism and business development manager. 

Ms Lehmann moved as a single parent with three young sons with a view to staying three years. But Dimboola became their home when she met her husband and raised seven children there. 

Since she has worked as a teacher in conservation and land management and as an engagement manager at the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, before moving into waste with the Grampians Region Waste Management Group. 

Three regional waste groups were amalgamated in 2014 and Ms Lehmann was soon appointed chief executive of Grampians Central West Waste Resource and Recovery Group that covers the diverse region from Bacchus Marsh to the South Australian border. 

Ms Lehmann lives in Creswick to work from Ballarat and travel to meetings in Melbourne during the week and returns to Dimboola for weekends and to work form the organisation's Horsham office on Monday and Friday. 

While managing the immediate response to the recycling crisis, Ms Lehmann and her team are working to develop a long term local solution to waste management and recycling, while inspiring and encouraging individuals to make lifestyle change. 

Ms Lehmann leads by example. Her Twitter handle is Garbage Queen, almost all her clothes are from an op shop, her house is filled with upcycled furniture and she collects jewelry made from recycled materials - one of the most eye catching pieces is earrings made from sushi soy sauce containers. 

"There is a lot of people who get into waste management and never quite get out of it again, it grabs you," she says.

"The reason for that is you look at energy, you look at water and other factors in the environment and sustainability, but waste encompasses them all.

"One of the things that drives me is I really want to see people understand that when they purchase something, there is a consequence for that. We don’t think about when I buy that item, what will happen to it after I throw it in the bin. It either has to go into landfill or we have to work out how to recycle it.

"The other thing that is really important to me is we spend a lot of time talking about recycling, we have a thing called the waste hierarchy and the top of the waste hierarchy is prevent. Somehow we have got to change the progression from consumption to a circular economy principle where things don't end up in landfill." 

Ms Lehmann says we need to rethink ideas of ownership and look to models of zero waste towns overseas where communities share tools and other items through a system like a traditional book library system.

"We need to slow down our lifestyle and say maybe it doesn’t need to be this way."

For tips and creative ideas on how to reduce your waste follow the Garbage Queen or Grampians Central West Waste and Resource Recovery Group Facebook page. 

La Vergne Lehmann was interviewed as part of a series of profiles to celebrate International Women's Day.

You can read more profiles of some of Ballarat's inspiring female role models below.