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The Star
by Tan Ee Loo
It may be a load of garbage, but managing waste is a
mammoth task as it needs to be stored, collected, transported, treated and
finally, disposed of.
IF you don’t study hard, you will end up collecting
rubbish on the streets for a living — that is what many Malaysian parents
warn their children when they spend too much time on the computer or
watching television, instead of studying.
For Dr Theng Lee Chong, the irony is that even after
putting hours of hard work into earning his doctorate, he is still
collecting rubbish!
However, the rubbish he collects is mainly to conduct
research, as he specialises in waste management.
Dubbed “la ji buo shi” or “Dr Waste” as he is
fondly referred to by his friends, Dr Theng has to look, smell and touch the
waste — be it food waste, medical waste or industrial waste.
In fact, walking on landfills of rotting food and plastic
bottles, and poking through mountains of waste to collect samples, are all
part of the job.
According to him, more than 22,000 tonnes of rubbish was
produced daily last year.
“To put it in perspective, it is equivalent to an area of
10 to 15 football fields, with rubbish of up to a metre high, every day,” he
shares.
Dr Theng is a technical adviser for a solid waste
management project that involves the Malaysian and Danish governments.
The project specifically involves the Housing and Local
Government Ministry and the Danish International Development Assistance (Danida).
His job has taken him to places such as the Philippines,
Vietnam and Thailand, to work on waste management projects with
international consultants from Japan.
When at home, he believes he must walk the talk when it
comes to environmental protection.
He has been educating his family, especially his
children, about the right methods in handling household waste by setting up
bins for recycling and composting at home.
“You see a lot of plastics at the landfill, but about 70%
of that is food waste. So I have a simple rule for my family — we must
finish all the food on our plates in order to minimise food waste,” shares
Dr Theng.
Citing Japan as an example, Dr Theng says the country has
an effective waste segregation system.
“The Japanese practise waste segregation and are taught
from a young age about the importance of protecting the environment.
“In fact, their commitment to the cause is so strong,
that those who smoke are encouraged to carry a mobile ash tray.
“The Japanese have learnt some hard lessons from the
Minamata and Itai-itai diseases, which arose as a result of industrial
pollution many years ago.
“The impact of the outbreaks has now taught Japanese
youngsters not to cause any more damage to the environment,” he says.
My job involves …
... both desk work and field work.
Waste management involves the storage, collection,
transportation and treatment of waste right up to the stage of disposal.
My field duties include visiting dumpsites where I
collect waste samples.
The samples are to determine their composition and
characteristics. These in turn will indicate the type and capacity of gas
and pollution levels that can be emitted from the dump.
The desk work includes anything from the formulation of a
master plan, action plan or blueprint on solid waste management for a new
township, local council, state or even the country as a whole.
It also includes the drafting and designing of waste
treatment facilities, proposing waste handling methods and technologies,
conducting pilot projects, providing training and so on.
In general, the job is to provide solutions for waste
management by carrying out the necessary studies or surveys on various types
of waste categories for different waste generators or regulators.
My morning starts with ...
... listing what needs to be done first.
If it is just desk work, I will be in the office working
on my computer, carrying out analysis or having discussions and meetings.
If I’m out on field work, then I put on my safety boots
and visit the landfills.
To qualify, you need …
... a bachelor’s degree, preferably in environmental
science or environmental engineering.
One can also go on to obtain a Master’s in Solid Waste
Management.
The best person for this job…
... is an individual with strong analytical skills and
the ability to plan and implement projects, as well as the interest to keep
himself abreast with the latest developments in waste management
technologies.
Don’t expect your work to be ‘clean’, because you have to
get used to the different types of waste.
I love my job because …
... it’s interesting to work on different projects and
deal with different people and team members. I don’t have a regular routine.
But some projects can take as long as three to four years
to complete, and can be challenging.
What I dislike most …
... is dealing with medical waste!
I can tolerate the smell of normal municipal waste, but I
cannot stand the terrible stench of blood from contaminated bandages, human
tissues and human organs.
Prospects for the future …
There are definitely career prospects for waste
management specialists because people keep generating waste.
And there is now a greater level of awareness about the
environment.
Waste is generated everywhere and at all times; not only
from households, but in the commercial, agricultural, livestock, medical,
industrial and construction sectors.
A millionaire by 30?
I have yet to make my million in Malaysian Ringgit. Like
for most fresh graduates, the starting pay is around RM2,000.
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Waste & Climate Conference, Copenhagen (7-18 December 2009)
The Dangers of Plastic Bags
