What if we stopped looking at waste as a problem to solve and started recognizing it as a resource with untapped potential?

In Episode 7 of Backstage Pass: Inside Energy, host Brittni Castilaw sits down with Timur Dunaev, Managing Director and CEO of Paques U.S., for a candid conversation about the evolving relationship between environmental engineering, energy security, and business innovation.

With decades of experience in wastewater treatment, renewable energy, and environmental engineering, Timur brings a unique perspective on how the industry is changing and where he believes its greatest opportunities lie.

Together, Brittni and Timur explore the growing potential of resource recovery, from converting agricultural waste into renewable natural gas to recovering valuable nutrients and metals from wastewater. They also tackle the challenges of bringing new technologies to market, the role of private investment, and why traditional ROI calculations don't always tell the whole story.

The conversation goes beyond technology, touching on the importance of entrepreneurial thinking, the agility of mid-sized companies, and the human relationships behind complex industrial decisions.

At the heart of this conversation is a compelling reminder: Some of the industry's biggest opportunities require us to rethink how we define value in the first place.

About Backstage Pass: Inside Energy

Hosted by Brittni Castilaw of Backstage Energy Marketing, Backstage Pass: Inside Energy brings you honest conversations with the people shaping the energy industry. We're pulling back the curtain on the challenges, decisions, innovations, and perspectives influencing where energy goes next.

Subscribe for more conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and the people doing the work.