Ramboll is an international engineering consultancy company with 19,000+ experts. With offices in 35 countries, Ramboll emphasise local experience combined with a global knowledge base. One of Ramboll’s business areas is sustainable waste management solutions, among others within Waste-to-Energy (WtE), Anaerobic Digestion (AD), sorting and material recovery (MRF).
Ramboll has obtained a leading position within the waste management sector through a long track record of significant projects, where we have been responsible for the planning, engineering, procurement, and contract management of waste management facilities.
Bettina Kamuk
Tell us about yourself
I am a Chemical Engineer by background and have worked in the waste management sector for more than 35 years.
What inspired you to join ISWA, and how has ISWA helped in your career?
I started my work with ISWA many years ago in the Working Group on Hazardous Waste, which I chaired for some years, and later I moved to the Working Group on Energy Recovery where I have been a member for close to 20 years
What are the biggest projects/initiatives in waste management that your organisation has achieved so far?
Ramboll has been part of many significant projects worldwide. Should I highlight a few, it would be the Integrated Waste Management Facility in Singapore, currently under construction; the large WtE facility in Dubai, which was taken into operation a few years back and the WtE facility located in the centre of Copenhagen.
What are your biggest challenges so far?
There are many so it is difficult to highlight one, but should I choose then I would say to establish waste management facilities in countries where common practise has been landfilling and where landfill conversion is a new theme.
In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues in the waste sector that should be addressed today?
First and foremost that waste in less mature countries should be properly collected, and secondly, the climate impact of the waste management sector, where properly managed waste provides a positive impact on climate change.
What are the trends in waste management that excite you the most?
My professional focus is primarily on energy recovery from residual waste after recycling; therefore, the focus on moving higher up in the waste hierarchy and avoiding residual waste going to landfill is a trend that I highly appreciate.
What role do you see ISWA playing in driving sustainable practices globally?
I see ISWA as a forum for knowledge exchange and as a communication driver for sustainable solutions. Since ISWA is a truly international waste association, it is a place where people with different waste management practices can learn from each other.
How can ISWA members collaborate more effectively to address shared challenges?
Active participation in working groups is, for me very central to achieving ISWA’s purpose, and by participating in one or more of ISWA’s working groups, members can always get access to important lessons learned and knowledge
ISWA has an active Young Professionals Group as a special task force. What would be your advice to them, looking to make a difference in the waste sector?
I will repeat myself a bit and again refer to the working groups, where it is always highly appreciated to have active, young professionals participating and gaining knowledge.
