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Research Chair: Waste and Society

Professor Rinie Schenck, UWC

University of the Western Cape (UWC)

Waste and Society website

The Research Chair will develop and implement a research programme that delivers evidence to support the improved understanding of the –

  • Opportunities to create jobs and improve livelihoods through the transition away from landfilling in South Africa;
  • Business models to support a secondary resources economy, with a particular focus on SMMEs
  • Required behaviour change to drive the transition away from landfilling, including appropriate behaviour change interventions such as awareness and communication strategies for South Africa as a developing country.

Just some of the recent publications by the Chair include:

» Schenck, C.J., Blaauw, P.F., Viljoen, J.M.M. and Swart, E.C. (2019). Exploring the Potential Health Risks Faced by Waste Pickers on Landfills in South Africa: A Socio-Ecological Perspective. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(11), 2059; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16112059
» Viljoen, J., Blaauw, D. and Schenck, C. (2019). The opportunities and value-adding activities of buy-back centres in South Africa’s recycling industry: A value chain analysis. Local Economy, 34(3): 294–315. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269094219851491
» Blaauw, D., Pretorius, A. and Schenck, R. (2019). The economics of urban waste picking in Pretoria. African Review of Economics and Finance | ISSN 2042-1478 | Volume 11 | Issue 2 | December 2019.
» Schenck, C.J., Blaauw, P.F., Swart, E.C., Viljoen, J.M.M. and Mudavanhu, N. (2018). The management of South Africa’s landfills and waste pickers on them: Impacting lives and livelihoods. Development Southern Africa, 36(1) https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2018.1483822
» Viljoen, K., Blaauw, D. and Schenck, R. (2018). Sometimes you don’t make enough to buy food: An analysis of South African street waste pickers’ income. Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences, 11(1), a186. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/jef.v11i1.186
» Schenck, C.J., Blaauw, P.F., Swart, E.C. and Viljoen, E.C. (2018). Social work and food security: Case study on the nutritional capabilities of the landfill waste pickers in South Africa. International Social Work, 61(4): 571–586. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872817742703

Research Chair: Waste and Climate

Professor Cristina Trois, UKZN

University of KwaZulu-Natal

Waste and Climate Change website

The Research Chair will develop and implement a research programme that delivers evidence to support the improved understanding of the –

  • Climate impacts associated with the generation and disposal of waste in South Africa;
  • Measures (including technologies) to mitigate these impacts; and
  • The impact of climate change on the waste sector.

Just some of the recent publications by the Chair include:

» Bwapwa, J.K., Anandraj, A. and Trois, C. (2018). Conceptual process design and simulation of microalgae oil conversion to aviation fuel biofuels. Bioproducts and Biorefining, 12 (6): 935-948. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1878