DrEd Cook
Research Associate
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - Faculty of Engineering
- Research AssociateDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering - Faculty of Engineering
RESEARCH
Ed’s research focuses on the interface between the circular economy, environmental pollution and public health outcomes. He has a particular interest in the informal waste sector: a large and often overlooked workforce that delivers critical waste management services but is vulnerable to occupational hazards associated with solid waste.
He recently developed a methodology to quantify the prevalence and productivity of informal waste workers, improving the visibility of their contributions within waste system data and modelling. Following a pilot study in Lalitpur, Nepal, he plans to field-test and refine this approach in other locations, and to expand its scope to include dumpsites (uncontrolled land disposal).
Ed has also worked extensively on assessing public and occupational risks associated with waste, including healthcare waste, plastics, construction and demolition waste, and dumpsite waste. With colleagues, his work has contributed to shaping an ongoing research and funding stream on the impacts and prevention of open waste burning, supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering
Non-academic publications
Cook, Ed, Kremena Ionkova, Perinaz Bhada-Tata, Sonakshi Yadav, Frank Van Woerden, Nikola Doychinov, Heather Nichole Troutman, et al. What a Waste 3.0: Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management toward Circularity until 2050. Urban Development Series. (World Bank, 2026). https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-2309-1.
Cook, E. and Cass Talbott T. (2026) Mitigating from the Margins: Waste Picker Impact on Greenhouse Gas Emissions. WIEGO Technical Brief. Manchester, UK: Women in Informal Employment: Organizing and Globalizing (WIEGO). Available at: https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/WIEGO-Technical-Brief-No-18.pdf.
Velis, C., Sembiring, E., Cottom, J., Cook, E., Ramadan, A., Jobling, S., 2024. A Systems Analytics Approach to Reduce Plastic Pollution: Scientific Report for the Indonesian Government and Key Stakeholders. Chapter 1: Modelling Causes, Sources, Pathways and Accumulation of Plastic Waste to Identify Hotspots, Informing interventions, Plastics in Indonesian Societies. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14007843.
Cook, E., Velis, C., Tsakona, M., Ručevska, I., 2024. Increasing the visibility of the informal waste sector as part of a pathway towards a Just Transition, GRID-Arendal, Arendal, Norway. https://www.grida.no/publications/1760.
Wilson, D.C., O'Hare, P., Velis, C., Cook, E., Tanner, L., and Gower, R. (2024). Solid waste management in the UN Plastics Treaty — Version 2 for INC-5. London, UK: Tearfund, University of Leeds, Imperial College London & University of St Andrews. https://learn.tearfund.org/en/resources/research-report/solid-waste-management-in-the-un-plastics-treaty.
Cook, E., and Velis, C.A. (2021). Global review on safer end of engineered life. London, UK: Royal Academy of Engineering. https://doi.org/10.5518/100/58.
Cook, E. (2021). Safety First: Recovering value from plastic waste in low- and middle-income countries. Teddington, UK: Tearfund. https://learn.tearfund.org/-/media/learn/resources/reports/2021-tearfund-safety-first-en.pdf.
SYSTEMIQ, & The Pew Charitable Trust. (2020). Breaking the Plastic Wave. UK: The Pew Charitable Trust. https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/07/breakingtheplasticwave_report.pdf.
Lerpiniere, D., Cook, E., Worth del Pino, C., Green, J., 2019. Successful approaches to solid waste management in low- and middle-income countries, Tearfund, London, UK https://res.cloudinary.com/tearfund/image/fetch/https://learn.tearfund.org/-/media/learn/resources/tools-and-guides/2019/2019-tearfund-successful-approaches-to-solid-waste-management-en.pdf.
Lerpiniere, D., & Cook, E. (2018). Improving markets for recycled plastics: Trends, prospects and policy responses. OECD. Paris, France: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264301016-en.
Resource Futures-Nextek. (2018). Eliminating avoidable plastic waste by 2042: a use-based approach to decision and policy making. Resourcing The Future Partnership. https://ciwm-journal.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Eliminating-avoidable-plastic-waste-by-2042-a-use-based-approach-to-decision-and-policy-making.pdf.
Cook, E., Scholefield, S., Thomas, B., Jacobs, P., and Thomas, B. (Unpublished - 2018). Sort Line Guidance: Advice for processors of materials generated by authorities signed up to the Household Recycling Code of Practice. Zero Waste Scotland.
Scholefield, S., French, W., and Cook, E. (2017). Collection of food and drink cartons at the kerbside. Banbury, UK: Waste and Resources Action Programme. http://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/WRAP_2923_Collection-food-drink-cartons-kerbside-guidance.pdf.
Cook, E., and Johnston, C. (2016). Bristol green event guides: Indoor venues. Bristol, UK: Bristol 2015: European Green Capital. https://www.kambe-events.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Bristol-2015-EVENT-GUIDE_Outdoor-Events-and-Festivals.pdf.
Cook, E., and Johnston, C. (2016). Bristol green event guides: Outdoor events & festivals. Bristol, UK: Bristol 2015: European Green Capital. https://www.kambe-events.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Bristol-2015-EVENT-GUIDE_Outdoor-Events-and-Festivals.pdf.
Cook, E., and Johnston, C. (2016). Bristol green event guides: Small Events. Bristol, UK: Bristol 2015: European Green Capital. https://www.kambe-events.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Bristol-2015-EVENT-GUIDE_Outdoor-Events-and-Festivals.pdf.
Cook, E., and Johnston, C. (2016). The Bristol Method: How to make events more sustainable. Bristol, UK: Bristol 2015: European Green Capital. https://bristolgreencapital.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/15_bristol_method_how_to_make_events_more_sustainable_v3.pdf.
Cook, E. (2015). Developing Re-Use of Materials at Household Waste Recycling Centres in the City of Bristol. Bristol, UK: Resource Futures.
Roberts, P., Georgeson, R., Bridgwater, E., Parfitt, J., Cook, E., Wood, Y., 2009. Scoping waste management requirements for the 2012 London Olympic & Paralympic Games, Resource Futures. Bristol, UK.
Non-academic publications - substantial contribution - uncredited as author
World Bank, 2023. Plastic pollution assessment methodologies suitability toolkit (PLAST) – user manual, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099070224004539876/pdf/P1772251b2c9c905a18b4d10312e943ac9d.pdf.
OECD (2022). Global plastics outlook: Economic drivers, environmental impacts and policy options. OECD Publishing. Paris, France. https://doi.org/10.1787/de747aef-en.
OECD (2022). Global Plastics Outlook: Policy Scenarios to 2060. Paris, France: OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/global-plastics-outlook_aa1edf33-en.
Julie's Bicycle (2014). Julie’s Bicycle Practical Guide: Waste Management at Outdoor Events. London, UK: Julie's Bicycle. Available: https://juliesbicycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Waste_outdoor_events_guide_2015.pdf.
Julie's Bicycle (2015). Julie’s Bicycle Practical Guide: Waste Management in Buildings. London, UK: Julie's Bicycle. Available: https://juliesbicycle.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Waste-Management-in-Buildings-2015.pdf.
Bridgewater, E., and Clarke, E. (2015). How to provide re-use at HWRCs. Banbury, UK: Waste and Resources Action Programme. Available: http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/how-provide-re-use-household-waste-recycling-centres.
LOCOG (2012). Learning Legacy - Lessons learned from planning and staging the London 2012 Games: London 2012 Zero Waste Games Vision. London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Ltd. Available: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20130403015634/http://learninglegacy.independent.gov.uk/publications/london-2012-zero-waste-games-vision.php
LOCOG (2012). Learning Legacy - Lessons learned from planning and staging the London 2012 Games: London 2012 Zero Waste Events Protocol. London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Ltd. Available: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20130403015707/http://learninglegacy.independent.gov.uk/publications/london-2012-zero-waste-events-protocol.php