Edmund Fleck
Consultant
What inspired you to join ISWA, and how has ISWA helped in your career?
Martin has been a longtime ISWA member, with me being one of their representatives in ISWA, in WGER, but also in Beacon and World conferences. I also served on the ISWA Board for one term.
Through WGER, I have met colleagues from various countries, but also other functions in the business, consultants, plant owners/operators, and universities, which have given insights into issues of common interest, from different angles.
What are the biggest projects/initiatives in waste management that your organisation has achieved so far?
Raising the awareness of the plant supplier side of the business, that actively following and participating in initiatives to establish new/amended legislation concerning our business is essential. This led in 2004 to the establishment of ESWET-European Suppliers of Waste to Energy Technology, with the purpose to follow and actively engage in the formulation of legislation in Brussels, on EU level. I therefore welcome the initiative of ISWA to inform members of activities taking place on the legislative EU level in Brussels.
What are your biggest challenges so far?
Thermal treatment of waste is and remains opposed by many globally. Mostly based on ‘emotions’, not on ‘logic’. On proven arguments and facts, it is the better alternative to landfilling, but not at all opposed to all steps further up in the Waste Hierarchy. This has led to the delay/cancellation of projects, but also the development of ‘alternative’ thermal treatment systems, which so far have all failed commercially, at very high cost!
In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues in the waste sector that should be addressed today?
Provide access to organised waste collection to more people in the world. Which is essential to all following steps of waste management, sorting, reusage and recycling, thermal treatment, all steps along the Waste Hierarchy and following the Circularity principle.
Dumping of waste, in open dumps, but also in engineered landfills, is not a sustainable practice of waste management and should be stopped worldwide immediately. Potential contamination of soil and groundwater, but also the uncontrolled emission of climate gasses has to be ended. Avoiding/removing climate gases from all steps of waste management is a challenge of utmost priority.
What are the trends in waste management that excite you the most?
There are two issues of utmost global importance:
- Better, more intelligent usage of our resources => circularity
- Reduction of climate gases => renewable energy, avoidance/removal of climate gases
All steps of waste management can make significant contributions to assist in reaching these goals.
How can ISWA members collaborate more effectively to address shared challenges?
The Working Groups are, in my opinion, an effective means to cooperate on common challenges. Concrete tasks/actions should be agreed and undertaken, also between meetings.
