What inspired you to join ISWA, and how has ISWA helped in your career?
Sysav has been a member of ISWA for a very long time and has always had a great interest in international engagement and developments in the waste management sector. You learn, and you contribute — that’s the motto!
Within ISWA, several people have contributed through knowledge exchange and tasks in different working groups and task forces. For instance, I was the chair of the Working Group on Communication between 2010 and 2018.
I started as a member of the Task Force on Marine Litter in 2017 and took over as the Task Force leader in the UN negotiations for a new Plastics Treaty, including issues related to the marine environment, when Nancy Strand left the board in 2024.
Since 2020, I have been a member of the ISWA board, first as an Organisational Member Representative and more recently as the Treasurer.
What are the biggest waste management projects or initiatives your organisation has achieved so far?
Sysav has participated in projects around the world, including in Canada, Malaysia, Uganda, Ecuador, and Poland. At the moment, I am coordinating Sysav’s engagement, together with five other organisations, in a project to develop waste management in a region in Ukraine and help reach EU waste management targets. The project is part of a large programme run by Avfall Sverige (ISWA National Member of Sweden) and SALAR International, financed by SIDA.
In our daily operations, we have built an Energy-from-Waste facility, a pretreatment plant for food waste, and a facility for automated textile sorting. Our biggest current challenge is securing the right financing for a Carbon Capture plant.
In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues in the waste sector that should be addressed today?
I strongly believe we have reached a global point where we must prevent the production of things that become “waste” the moment they are put on the market. We need to prevent products from becoming waste, especially packaging waste, plastics, and textiles. To contribute to tackling climate change, we must reduce methane emissions and carbon dioxide emissions, both from landfills and from waste-to-energy plants.
What are your biggest challenges so far?
The biggest global challenge is to collect all waste and dispose of it safely. We need to stop open burning, littering, and dumping as soon as possible. After that, we can start with the collection for recycling. However, high-quality waste recycling starts with separate collection, preferably at the source. It is really easy: SISO (shit in – shit out).
The next challenge is convincing the public that energy from waste is a necessary treatment method for materials that cannot be recycled. There will always be waste that needs to be treated in a waste-to-energy plant to detoxify society — even in a fully circular economy.
Waste management exists to detoxify society, and as long as humans consume, waste management will exist.
What trends in waste management excite you the most?
There are always new developments emerging, either in legislation or operations. However, the fundamentals remain the same — working for a safe and healthy environment for humans.
What role do you see ISWA playing in driving sustainable practices globally?
I see ISWA as the sole organisation driving, coordinating, and facilitating global knowledge exchange between decision makers and organisations.
How can ISWA members collaborate more effectively to address shared challenges?
Join the working groups and be active! You put in time and get a global network of friends and experts in return.
ISWA has an active Young Professionals Group as a special task force. What would be your advice to them as they look to make a difference in the waste sector?
You are the future of ISWA! Stay tuned to the latest developments, interact with the working groups through different tasks and projects, and continue the fantastic work you do!
