Waste professionals are modern day alchemists! Alchemists tried turning base metals into gold and other precious metals, giving rise to today’s Chemistry. Waste managers are however not just trying to, but are successful in turning “waste” into resources. But, their work and waste management in general don’t get deserved recognition from the wider community!

This lack of recognition not just hinders waste professionals’ work in solving a new global challenge – waste – but also makes the industry a low priority for bright young women and men who want to make a difference in the world as part of their jobs. It also reduces the availability of financing for waste management globally.

Two questions for waste professionals reading this:

1. How do you understand or perceive your work in the context of our world’s sustainable development goals?

Context: “Sustainability is the ability to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

2. What aspects of your work might the wider community be interested in knowing about?

Context: If you decided to communicate your work with public, what aspects of your work do you think they might be interested in knowing about in the next 5 years, which might make them think of job prospects or of investing in the industry?

If you know people who are communicating waste or want to, you can suggest them to us so that we can add them to the growing list of our best in waste contributors and to our list of waste influencers. Feel free to suggest yourself.

You can respond by adding comments below, or by tweeting to @bewastewise.

This post was authored by Ranjith Annepu and it originally appeared on a blog he started to share his research swmindia.blogspot.com.

Do you have a blog on waste? We’re all ears at [email protected]