From Trash to Treasure: Dr Justin Lau’s Award-winning Anthropological Deep Dive into Waste, Society, and Sustainability
What do waste management, black soldier flies, and limestone extraction have in common? For CHL PhD alumnus Dr Justin Lau, they are all lenses through which we can understand society, sustainability, and the hidden forces that shape our world.
Growing up in Hong Kong, Justin’s first academic interest was history—until he came across writings on Cambodia’s past and the atrocities of genocide. That moment ignited a deeper curiosity: how do societies function, evolve, and navigate cultural differences? This curiosity led him to the UK, where he completed Undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Anthropology, taking a deep dive into the diverse ways of living.
“Anthropology is about exploring societies, cultures, and cross-communication," he says. "In today’s world, learning to communicate across differences is more important than ever. We have the responsibility to communicate our differences and agree to disagree.
Flies, Waste, and a PhD Like No Other
Justin’s journey into waste was sparked by a rather unexpected source—his PhD supervisor, Professor Assa Doron, known for his unconventional research on sanitation in India. “It’s rare to find a scholar studying, well... shit!” Justin jokes. Inspired by Doron’s work, Justin set his sights on waste and recycling in Cambodia.
But his PhD experience wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. COVID-19 threw a wrench into his plans—he arrived in Canberra just before lockdowns hit, completing his first year remotely and even suspending his studies for a year. When he finally made it to Cambodia for fieldwork in 2022, he faced yet another setback—contracting COVID-19 mid-research, which sidelined him for a month.
The biggest challenge of the PhD journey? Every stage brought new hurdles.
At first, I questioned my theories and plans. In the field, I worried about data. And later, writing was the hardest part—knowing my narrative but struggling to articulate it.
Despite these challenges, Cambodia left a lasting impression. The warmth and openness of the people surprised him, as did their generosity in sharing knowledge. One particularly amusing cultural discovery? Karaoke—played at full blast!
And then there were the flies—but not in the way you’d expect. Black soldier flies, to be precise. In Cambodia, these insects are being used to recycle waste in a groundbreaking way—their larvae consume organic waste, grow into protein-rich feed, and are then processed into animal feed.
People often think of Cambodia as ‘developing’ or ‘backward,’" Justin says. "But the reality is far from that—there are incredible environmental innovations happening, driven by passionate entrepreneurs and sustainability experts. It’s impressive.
From Cambodia to Singapore: The Next Chapter
With his PhD behind him, the next destination for Justin was Singapore, as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Asia Research Institute. Now well-settled into this role, his current project delves into limestone extraction and its surprising connection to sustainable energy. He explains,
Limestone is a key ingredient for making cement and concrete, but we seldom look into such an industry that drives urbanism. More importantly, some sustainable energy companies have increasingly been exploring the potential of limestone as an energy storage unit for solar power. This makes limestone worth studying in relation to the environment and economics.
The project has taken him back to Cambodia—but this time, to a different region. And there’s another project on the horizon—turning his PhD thesis into a book.
And finally, it’s not all work and no play for this academic. When he’s not researching or writing, Justin does harbour another passion: baking. His specialty? Miso and chocolate cookies—a fitting reflection of his love for mixing unexpected ingredients, whether in the kitchen or in his research.
"I guess I have a thing for unexpected combinations," he laughs.
