Blog
Global Waste Lab joins ISWA World Congress 2026 as Knowledge Partner
Global Waste Lab is joining ISWA World Congress 2026 as a Knowledge Partner.The Congress will take place in London from 9–11 November 2026, hosted by CIWM in partnership with ISWA. For Global Waste Lab, this is a chance to support one of the most important global...
Talking trash with Corridor Crew
When YouTube stars Corridor Crew contacted me about a video on the true scale of garbage, I had no idea it would end up reaching more than 800,000 people. Their video, VFX Artist Reveals the TRUE Scale of GARBAGE, does something rare and important. It makes the...
Webinar Series – Making Plastics Recovery Work: Viability, Traceability and Material Transition Pathways
Plastic waste is a growing problem, and the need for viable, scalable recovery models is more urgent than ever. Yet the gap between ambition and implementation remains significant. With the global plastics treaty process advancing slowly, regional frameworks,...
ISWA 2026 is coming to London – and this is the week to book
Every year, there are events in our sector that inform, and events that energise. For me, the ISWA World Congress does both. Waste management can be a strangely isolated field. Many of us are working in very different contexts – cities, islands, rural areas,...
A love letter to the world’s most resilient waste managers
When I got my first job in waste management, I knew very little about the realities of the business. I had completed self-study on municipal waste strategies at university, but I hadn’t had classes, structured learning opportunities, or an internship. Over the...
We hear you, Mariam.
I remember the first time Mariam messaged me. Her words weren’t unique, but her pain was real. Ma’am, can you help? We collected the plastic but transporting it to market will cost us more than it will ever be worth. Will this ever work? Ma’am, can you help?...
Small-scale plastics recycling in Africa
Recycling plastic is not easy. 🫣 Spoiler alert: The value of recycled plastic rarely covers the cost of collecting and processing it. This means plastic waste represents an endless financial burden for communities and countries. 🚚 In more remote areas, transport...
Beyond Cities: Transforming Rural Waste Management
In our recent be Waste Wise webinar on rural waste management we learned about two very effective models: 🏝️ Yayasan Rijig Pradana Wetan in Indonesia, with Diana Luckyta Sari 🏜️ The Barefoot College (Social Work and Research Centre) in India, with Gurpreet...
A radically human approach to the circular economy
🌞 Bright and early this morning I joined the UNEP Global Dialogue and Youth Day to talk about how collaborative policymaking can unlock the hidden benefits of a circular economy. Hidden benefits? 🕵♀️ 🔎 The hidden costs of waste and poor waste management are huge,...
You wouldn’t knowingly eat contaminated food… would you?
👉 Whenever I work with waste management practitioners I always highlight the necessity to collect food waste separately from other wastes. Why? 🥑🧴🥔🍾🥖🍶👕👞 🤢 Once food waste is mixed with other materials, it is unsuitable for agricultural purposes 🌱 📉 Soils around the...
Building independence in waste management (why top-down doesn’t work)
There are two schools of thought in waste management. 1. Arrive at a community and tell them how to manage their waste. Procure infrastructure and train people to run machinery. Follow a blueprint or a checklist. When it's completed, hand everything over (great...
EPR in informal economies – who gets the money?
The concept of Extended Producer Responsibility appears to be one of the better tools we have to drive waste prevention and investment in waste management... but is it working as it's meant to? On 26 November 2024 I hosted a webinar to explore the effectiveness of...
Disagree? A note on plurality of thought, and ISWA 2024
The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) congress for me was a celebration of the expansiveness of our sector. Anyone who thinks the "waste industry" is one homogenous blob simply doesn't know it. There are few "easy answers" in waste management, no...
The science and social science of waste management
If anyone is giving advice on waste management (or circular economy initiatives at the recycling end of the scale, previously known as "waste management"), it is important they have a grasp of both the science and the social aspects. Both are important. If your...
Using Digital Technology to Support a Just Transition
📱 Waste apps - are they worth it? We just held a really lively discussion via be Waste Wise on the huge value of waste apps, featuring frontrunners in the field:Lorena Gallardo of ReciVeci in EcuadorEng. Allen M Kimambo of #ZaidiApp TakaNiAjira Foundation in...
Clean oceans through clean communities
I started the year with CLOCC (Clean Oceans through Clean Communities) in Indonesia, where the hugely impressive team is putting in the hard work to change hearts and minds about waste management. Why does their approach work? 🤗 People-centric. An approach that...
Rural waste management
Rural communities face particular challenges with waste management: 🚚 Transport is expensive, so waste collections are often non-existent 🤷♀️ It's rare to have a waste manager in your village, so nobody knows what do with their waste other than to dump or burn it...
Towards Zero Waste: UNEP launch event
👩🚀 Waste management isn't rocket science. 👷♀️ A lot of the time it's just common sense, with a sprinkling of knowledge, and a tonne of passion. 📺 If you missed the webinar last week, launching the new UN Environment Programme report Towards Zero Waste - a...
Online learning in waste management
Here is a list of free online resources for anyone wanting to learn more about waste management. They are particularly relevant to low- and middle-income countries. be Waste Wise: webinars and discussions www.wastewise.be Waste management and circular economy...