David Leeke is Global Waste Lab’s resident web developer, with full ownership of our website and Academy platform.
Dave brings decades’ of experience in the architecture and production of online systems. He takes a hands-on approach to systems development and always rises to whatever challenges are thrown at him.
Since 2015, Dave has had a particular focus on supporting waste management knowledge-sharing. He supported the development of the Waste Management Toolkit for Low- and Middle-Income Countries and more recently The Flipflopi Toolkit: Practical tools for plastic recovery in peri-urban, shoreline and remote communities.
An avid scuba diver, Dave enjoys travelling to many places that also lack waste management services. He is highly attuned to the consequences both on land and in the sea, from where he often returns from a dive with pockets stuffed full of plastic and lost fishing lines.
He is a vital team member for Global Waste Lab and is constantly working on ways to help make waste management knowledge and skills more accessible to those who need them.
“I married someone who thinks about waste management on holiday, so it is fair to say I have had some exposure to the subject over the years. But honestly, it was never just exposure – the mission got under my skin from the start.
“Working with practitioners from Cameroon, Ethiopia and Vietnam to bring their knowledge online has been a privilege. Getting the technical details right – fast loading, low bandwidth, accessible on any device – matters because the people who need this most are often working with the least. That is not a technical problem. It is a question of respect.
“I want to leave the world in a better place. Helping talented, committed waste managers share what they know with their peers feels like a pretty good way to do that.”