In these lean, green, mean times, many dream of switching careers or fields for something more lucrative, stable, and even heroic. For how many dreamers does 'garbage' first come to mind? Knight in shining dump truck? Purveyor of fine rent-a-loo's? Waste management is among the projected fastest growing industries, from now through 2018.
A list put out by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics places "Waste Management and Remediation Services" among the top 20 industries with the most growth, in salary and jobs (November 2009 Monthly labor Review). The growth is attributed to an increased demand for water and waste management to accommodate a growing suburban population, a need to fill the places of retiring workers, and 'going green.' According to staffing agency Kelly Services, "waste treatment companies should offer lucrative job opportunities in the coming years. As [concerns] for environmentally-friendly processes predominate, waste treatment enjoys expanding industry status" (Top 25 Fastest Growing Industries 2010-2011).
Right now this field is brimming with innovation and entrepreneurs. Go camping and see composting toilets. These toilets use little or no water and even take organics, from eggshells to natural fiber clothing. Through natural aerobic decomposition, waste becomes valuable compost. And it doesn't even smell (compostingtoilet.org). Dealings with waste are progressing quickly beyond recycling. Private entrepreneurs are developing global solutions to waste problems. Local governments in the U.S. are enacting new laws in hopes of diverting masses of garbage away from landfills. In 2009, San Francisco passed the first law in the United States to mandate separation of food material in addition to recyclables. That also means more work, and more workers.
Skills required to enter the field depend, of course, on the role, from truck driver to executive. Visit recyclingjobs.com for an idea of careers, or perform a waste management keyword search on simply hired.com. Garbage is indeed today's heroic frontier for a better tomorrow.
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