KEO International Consultants is a multidisciplinary engineering, architecture and consultancy firm. Its office in Spain, focused on Sustainability & Environment with a waste management team led by Julio Raldua Veuthey, designs waste infrastructure and decarbonization strategies for public and private clients across Europe and the Middle East.
Ten Years In: From Costa Rican Farms to Global Waste Strategy
Julio Raldua Veuthey
Tell us about yourself
Ten years in waste management engineering, and I still learn something new on every project. I currently lead KEO’s Waste team in our office in Spain, focused on waste infrastructure advisory – landfills, treatment plants, decarbonization strategy – for clients across Europe and the Middle East.
What inspired you to join ISWA, and how has ISWA helped in your career?
I wanted a network of people who cared about the same problems I did. At the beginning, through the Young Professionals Group, I found exactly that. Some of them are now close friends. That is the real value for me: not only talking about work but also having a good time with people who share the same interests.
What are the biggest projects/initiatives in waste management that your organisation has achieved so far?
Three stand out. In Costa Rica, my first real experience in the sector: helping fix anaerobic digestion plants on farms, riding a motorbike with my colleague Rudy between sites for almost a year. I learned engineering, mechanics, (hen breeds!) and the importance of planning properly before changing a single thing, which built the basics before I moved into consultancy. Then, after projects in Spain and Colombia, came the National Waste Master Plans for Saudi Arabia, which took me to the Middle East for the next four years, based in Dubai. More recently, back in Spain, I’ve been supporting decarbonization and engineering work across Urbaser’s waste centres, nationally and globally, while still working on infrastructure design across the Middle East.
What are your biggest challenges so far?
Managing people. Nobody trains you for that – reading what people need, leading well, keeping the good habits from the managers you’ve had and fixing the parts that didn’t work. It’s the hardest skill in this job, and I’m still learning it every day.
In your opinion, what are the most pressing issues in the waste sector that should be addressed today?
Finding the right incentives actually to reduce landfill. Every site, every country has its own variables – culture, regulation, who’s responsible for what. There’s no single fix. For me, the real challenge is aligning incentives with whoever is responsible for waste in each specific context.
What are the trends in waste management that excite you the most?
Digitalisation, without a doubt – and yes, I have to mention the two most overused letters of the moment: AI. I think the real opportunity is finding the balance: using new tools and language models to speed up engineering and consultancy work, without losing engineering judgment in the process. Get that balance right, listen to the people who genuinely know the field, and this becomes one of the most interesting spaces in the sector for the next few years. I have been a bit of a tech geek since I was a child, and those skills are suddenly becoming very relevant.
What role do you see ISWA play in driving sustainable practices globally?
ISWA has always brought together the top experts in waste management globally. That hasn’t changed, and a new generation is stepping up to keep that level. At its core, it’s a strong group of people – that’s what matters most, and I’ll keep doing my part to help it stay that way.
How can ISWA members collaborate more effectively to address shared challenges?
More in-person meetings. Nothing replaces sitting down and sharing real experience. That said, collaboration already works well: when someone needs specific expertise, the network delivers. In my view the next step is finding better ways to keep that connection going between events.
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?
Go for it. Be proactive, push things forward, don’t fear getting it wrong, try to have fun – especially early on. After ten years, what matters most is who you surround yourself with: people with real judgment, people who can introduce you to other people with judgment. Keep expanding that circle of trust. That’s what opens real opportunities and gets problems solved properly. Stay honest on what you can do, that is what keeps the circle together and focus on doing things that are tangible.
