Career in Waste Management

What: Managing waste has assumed primary importance around the globe. Given that any kind of waste be it electronic or solid waste can be recycled, more and more people are looking at this as a career opportunity. Not only does it promise a profitable business, it also satiates one’s passion to save the environment.

A lot of electronic waste – a cell phone for example – is being generated now and many tech-savvy professionals have made it their mission to harvest it. Organic waste is a much bigger business proposition – it constitutes 35% of all garbage generated in India.

Water management, construction waste and debris (30 to 40%) and hazardous waste, including bio-medical waste, too, call for professional management. A lot of waste management work is being done by private and non-governmental organisations. The government is also taking a step towards professional garbage management.

What does waste actually comprises of:

• Institutional waste
• Dead animals waste at slaughter houses
• Demolition and construction wastes
• Wastes which gets accumulated on the roads
• Waste derived from horticultural processes
• Treated bio-medical waste
• Waste due to drains and outlets
• Sludge from industries
• Commercial waste from the market areas

How: You need to have science in Class 12. After this, go for a bachelor’s in environmental, civil, chemical or mechanical engineering, microbiology, or even biotechnology. Admission to these is through competitive exams. You may pursue a master’s in environmental engineering as well. Else, you could also do a BSc programme and follow it up with a master’s (MA/MSc) in environmental studies. You can choose to work with an NGO working in this space and then with considerable experience start your own enterprise.

Students from other disciplines, such as chemical, civil, microbiology and biotechnology, are involved in different aspects of waste management. Some create new products out of waste, while others collect precious metals from the same.

Where: It is advisable to take up a programme in some area of environmental sciences or management, or even a course in sustainable development that covers issues concerning environmental conservation and management. There are several institutes that cover such programmes including the MBA in environmental management

Institutions:

• Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
• Indian Institutes of Technology, multiple locations
• University of Delhi
• School of Environmental Science, Jawaharlal Nehru University