Young people are increasingly recognised as key players in the waste management sector. Their fresh perspectives and heightened environmental awareness are driving a much-needed shift towards sustainable practices.
This is according to Patricia Schröder, CEO of Circular Energy, who has noticed changing consumer behaviour among the youth.
“While older generations have largely been focused on acquiring and owning goods, there is a significant trend amongst today’s youth to pursue a simpler way of life. Many of them see product as a service – they share products and resources, or use public transport instead of owning a car,” she explains.
“Young people have a critical role to play in the waste management sector. Not only do they bring a different perspective to waste management, they have a heightened sense of awareness about environmental issues,” she adds.
This shift aligns with the urgent need to reduce waste and adopt a circular economy model.
“Now, more than ever, we need a new approach to waste management. We can no longer be a throw-away generation and forget about our waste. And this is where young people are leading the charge. They are the generation of change,” Patricia says.
As part of this focus, the producer responsibility organisation partners with organisations to teach young people how to repair or refurbish appliances and electronic goods that have been returned by consumers, set up waste collection services and install solar PV systems.
This diverts waste from landfills and supports aspiring entrepreneurs.
Becoming in involved waste management by becoming collectors for “is aimed at entrepreneurs who want to start a collection service to collect waste from various locations around the country and deliver it to a processing facility – one of our waste management partners – where it gets recycled or assessed for re-use”, Patricia says.
She notes that there are also opportunities for young people to get involved on the treatment side of waste management.
“They can either join an established company or, if they have a passion for waste treatment, start their own small businesses, although there may be limitations to what they can do,” she says.
These limitations are related to the technical aspect of waste management, as the National Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) norms and standards, which were released for public comment in June 2024, sets out compliance standards for dismantlers of electrical and electronic goods.
“Dismantling a laptop, for example, requires a specific set of skills, which can be acquired through our partner organisations. The WEEE norms and standards identify what products can be dismantled, allowing smaller operators to make a legitimate living out of the process. They also reduce the barriers to entry for smaller players in a heavily regulated sector,” Patricia notes.
“Whichever way you look at it, we need young people in waste management. We need their energy, the unique thinking and the values they bring to the sector. They will take us into a future without waste,” she concludes.
Subscribe to ESG Global newsletter