Dämien is an expert on waste and resource flows
Dämien Bolinius is an expert on waste and resource flows at IVL. He is involved in several different projects concerning statistics on waste and leads IVL's participant in the compilation of national statistics on the origin and treatment of waste in Sweden. In addition, he works with circular economy, smart loops for products, and with hazardous substances in products and waste. Dämien has a PhD in applied environmental science and is a qualified biologist.
What is your vision of a sustainable future?
– For me, it is about sustainable use of resources, where we find good ways to get the most out of products and our waste. Also striving for a future where we have phased out hazardous substances from the loop. I am very interested in how to detect hazardous substances in products. There is a lot we do not know about which hazardous substances are in products, which is a challenge in circular flows because some products and materials may contain hazardous substances that are currently banned.
I contribute to a sustainable future by being involved in charting waste flows and identifying hazardous substances in products and materials that are to be replaced.
What gives you energy at work?
– The collaboration with my colleagues - there is a very good atmosphere at work. You see that everyone is driven in what they do, and it gives me energy and motivation. It is also feels safe knowing that there is a good mix of expert knowledge and experience at work. We usually joke about it, that if a problem is environmentally related, there is always at least one colleague who can conjure up a good solution.
Another thing that energizes me is to help customers with their problems and hear that they are happy with our delivery and that the results come into use. Compared to the academic world where you may publish something and then must wait to see if and how your work will be used in the future. In our consulting assignments, we hear directly whether it has succeeded or not.
It also gives me energy that we can influence which projects we work on and how we want to advance in our roles, for example as a project manager, expert or a combination of both. And of course, to be able to work with challenging issues that contribute to a sustainable future while seeing personal growth.
What makes IVL a good workplace?
– I can recommend IVL as a workplace if you are interested in environmental issues and looking for a challenging job where you get the opportunity to develop and learn a lot. We are 350 employees which gives many opportunities to work within your realm of interests. The combination of research and assignments provides a fun mix of projects, with both short and longer deadlines.
You previously participated in IVL's mentor program. What did you gain from it?
– It gave me an opportunity to think about my role at IVL and what I want to contribute. It felt very good to be able to take a break and reflect on this together with someone who has much more experience than me. I recommend all workers at IVL who are new to their careers to participate in the program!
What are you most proud of at IVL?
– I am most proud of the quality of work delivered from IVL and how much impact we have on various environmental issues, considering we are a relatively small organization compared to our competitors. Another benefit is that we are an independent company and that our reports reflect this.