Waste Management Specialist

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.

Dr Theng’s children, Xiang Wei and Shan Yu, putting away plastic bottles in a drawer to segregate household garbage.

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

Rotten vegetables, instead of being turned into waste, can actually be made into compost.

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.