Most people think of trash as the end of the line. Once something is thrown away, it is out of sight and out of mind. But a group of engineering management students at NC State is asking a different question. What if waste was not the end of the story but the beginning of a smarter system.

That question is at the heart of the work being explored by Sustainable Futures Fellows Yash Kothawade and Satyajeet Phalke. Both students are part of a competitive fellowship that challenges participants to rethink how cities, businesses and supply chains operate in the long term. For Kothawade, the excitement comes from reimagining waste itself.

“I’m most excited about exploring how we can design smarter systems that turn waste into useful resources through circular supply chains and waste-to-energy solutions,” he said. “Instead of treating waste as something to discard, we can recover value and reduce environmental impact at the same time.”

For everyday people, this shift could have very real effects. Kothawade points out that better waste systems are not just about the environment. “For everyday people, that means cleaner communities, lower costs and more reliable energy,” he said. “It’s really about improving quality of life through better operations and resource management.”

Phalke came to sustainability with a similar realization. He noticed that the systems people rely on every day are often treated as unrelated problems. “My interest in sustainability started with noticing how things we use every day, like energy and waste, are often treated as separate problems even though they are closely connected,” he said. “Municipal solid waste is usually seen as something to dispose of, not something with value.”

Programs like the Sustainable Futures Fellows exist to help students turn those observations into action. Phalke says the fellowship helps bridge the gap between ideas and implementation. “Being named a Sustainable Futures Fellow gives me the chance to work closely with faculty, learn from peers across disciplines and build a network that helps turn these ideas into practical, real-world solutions,” he said.

That focus on real world impact is intentional. According to Brandon McConnell, director of the Master of Engineering Management program, modern sustainability challenges require people who can think across boundaries. “The MEM program develops graduates who can work across functional areas and disciplines, leverage technical expertise for business value and communicate effectively with leaders and teammates,” he said.

McConnell believes this kind of training is essential as industries face growing pressure to reduce waste without sacrificing performance. “There is a tension between profitability and sustainability,” he said. “This is the gap our MEM graduates like Yash and Satyajeet are training to fill.”

By learning how to treat waste as a resource rather than a liability, these students are tackling a problem that affects everyone. Trash trucks, landfills, energy systems and supply chains may seem far removed from daily life, but they shape the cost of living, the cleanliness of neighborhoods and the resilience of communities.

What starts as a new way of thinking about garbage may ultimately change how cities and businesses operate. And for the people living in those communities, it could mean a future where less is wasted and more is gained.