Waste management is a large industry which calls for a number of specialised skills. It deals with collection, transportation, processing, disposal and recycling of household and industrial waste. Our daily activities produce a huge amount of waste materials and often we don’t see how it is dealt with so we can enjoy a healthy and clean environment. There are a number of ways waste can be processed including landfill, incineration and decomposition depending on the waste material.
Any materials that are recyclable can be re-used after the treatment process. So you can see that there are a lot of things that go into the disposal of unwanted materials.
Many of the people that work in waste management are highly skilled technicians or engineers. We explore some of the jobs that are available in this flourishing industry.
Sales
Selling waste management services is essential for companies to reach out to businesses that produce waste and need to remove it. This can be selling to private businesses or local government.
Technicians/ Engineers
Skilled technicians are required to keep the plant and machinery going. This can be a shift position as many of these plants work 24/7. Mechanical Engineering skills and qualifications may be needed to react to repairs or to carry out term maintenance.
Materials Recycling
This is a growth industry and includes some very specialised skill sets. Heavy plant and crushing engineers are needed to operate equipment to shred, screen and crush recyclable waste. There will also be a need for engineers to help maintain the equipment. As all the other jobs you can expect there are management positions to keep the facilities operational.
Landfill
This is a specialist position and can often mean dealing with gas combustion engines and gas bi products. You may need some experience with engineering too. Other jobs include plant operators and managers.
Anaerobic Digestion
Biomass boilers aid in anaerobic digestion and as a result require biomass engineers to manage the equipment. This sector will also require project engineers to make sure all the contractors are working together when a new plant is being developed. As with the other jobs it will require some experience in this field.
These are just a selection of the types of jobs that waste management industry has to offer. It takes a lot of skill, experience and qualifications to make sure we have a clean, safe place to live. Waste will always be produced which also makes it a good career to think about as there will always be a need for the skills.