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WasteCon2018 to outline future of waste management

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The biennial waste management conference, WasteCon2018, is set to take place in Johannesburg from 15 to 19 October. Hosted by the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), the gathering will be attended by waste management companies, municipalities, academics, engineers, business owners and workers in the industry.WasteCon2018 will focus on the current problems facing the waste management industry. Attendees will collectively work together to outline the future of the industry and find acceptable solutions for the sector’s issues.

Waste hierarchy the theme for WasteCon2018

“This year, the theme is ‘Implementing the Waste Hierarchy’ which involves waste avoidance and reduction, reusing items, recycling, recovery, as well as treatment and disposal of waste,” says the president of IWMSA Leon Grobbelaar.One of the keynote speakers this year is Ad Lansink from the Netherlands. “He is the original founder of the term ‘waste hierarchy’ and was recently named the winner of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Publication Award for his book Challenging Changes: Connecting Waste Hierarchy and Circular Economy,” explains Grobbelaar. In his address, Lansink will speak about the waste hierarchy that he created and explain how it fits into the circular economy. It essentially involves re-marketing recycled waste and adding it back into the manufacturing process, after which the products can start a new life.

Pushing for zero waste to landfill

One of IWMSA’s major focuses during WasteCon2018 will be zero waste to landfill. Another prominent speaker at the conference will be Gys Louw, a pioneer of the zero waste to landfill movement in Namibia and the CEO of the most environmentally-sustainable business in the country.Louw will talk about Namibia’s first Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) facility that provides up to 12 000 tonnes of fuel for factories in the country. The fuel is burned to power the manufacturing process of cement at one of Namibia’s newest cement plants.Waste-to-energy is another important topic that will define WasteCon2018. Gerald Kurz, an Austrian engineering consultant, will host a presentation on transforming waste into energy. Kurz has lead the design projects for many waste treatment plants around the world, such as in Russia, Pakistan, Poland, Croatia and many more.

Other speakers at WasteCon 2018

The five-day conference will see many fascinating presentations and talks. One of the topics that will be discussed is the cost benefits of solar panel cap designs by American engineer Mark Roberts.Kevin Mearns will discuss his lessons learned from the waste management practices at Ngala Game Reserve. Roelien du Plessis will host a talk on household composting and Jason Gifford will give a presentation on biogas in South Africa.WasteCon2018 is a networking opportunity for key players in the waste management industry and partnering sectors. The conference will also involve workshops, plenary sessions and lectures on the latest research, technological innovations and development in the industry.* Averda will have a stand at WasteCon2018 and will be showcasing current waste solutions and offerings. Certain displays and the conference venue will be open to the public during WasteCon2018.___Averda is a leading waste management provider with over 50 years of experience across three continents. Through growth, transformation and engagement, we strive to find new ways of managing waste while protecting the community and environment. ___By pairing international expertise with local insights, we have secured our position as one of South Africa’s most respected providers of waste management and industrial cleaning services. We also operate in the recycling, pipe inspection, CCTV, infrastructure inspection, hydro-demolition, high-pressure water jetting and catalyst handling industries. ___Follow us Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the best tips on recycling and the latest industry news. See our Instagram and YouTube channels for more insights into environmental affairs and our work with local communities.