Careers Advice

Working in waste is not just about emptying people’s bins. There are many different types of job available in this vitally important (and often ignored) part of our society.

The importance of the waste industry was highlighted during the Coronavirus pandemic, as all waste sector employees were considered as keyworkers! Waste was collected from households throughout the lockdown periods.

Listed below you can find out a bit more about different parts of the Waste Industry and consider whether you would want to work in these jobs.

STEM careers in the waste industry

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths play a large part in many aspects of waste. The latest technologies are utilised to help record and track waste around the world. Engineering solutions play a key role in managing waste, from building landfills to running Energy from Waste plants. Scientific methods are used for monitoring pollution from waste.

The STEM Learning website provides lots of resources to help students learn about and get into STEM careers. Check out their resources online: STEM Learning

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Gender in the waste industry

Gender is an important aspect of any part of society, no less in the waste sector.

The United Nation’s Environment Programme has carried out some research around this subject in Bhutan, Mongolia and Nepal, which might be an interesting topic to explore with KS3, 4 & 5 Geography students. The Gender and Waste Nexus can be found below:

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