There has been an increased focus on resource recovery in Southern Africa’s waste management landscape. Moving away from landfilling towards recycling, waste disposal alternatives and waste-to-energy initiatives, the industry at large is embarking on waste as a resource to ultimately lighten the load on the ever decreasing landfill airspace.

WasteCon 2016

Resource recovery will be one of the main themes at the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA’s) premier waste management conference, WasteCon 2016. Set to take place in Johannesburg from 17 to 21 October 2016, the conference and exhibition will delve into the many changes that the waste industry has witnessed over the past few years.

Jonathan Shamrock, Chairman of the WasteCon 2016 Organising Committee notes that the IWMSA, Southern Africa’s waste management industry body, has over the course of its 40-year existence seen how practices have changed and ultimately helped divert waste from landfill sites. At WasteCon 2016, international and local experts will present on this shift seen in the industry.

“The conference will see papers presented on resource recovery, recycling, waste beneficiation as well as the waste economy, to name a few. Policy and legislative changes are also at the top of the agenda that will assist industry professionals to be compliant to the ever-changing waste management space,” notes Shamrock.

IWMP workshops

Another vital element at the conference is the various workshops that will be presented, one of which is the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Industry Waste Management Plans workshop.

Local and international waste management suppliers will also have the opportunity to exhibit their services and products to delegates and the general public.

Waste as a resource

“WasteCon 2016 is an important event on this year’s environmental calendar. It will set the stage as to why waste should be seen as a resource rather than a burden,” concludes Shamrock.

For more information about WasteCon2016 and to register, please visit www.wastecon.co.za. To view the programme, please click here.

For more information about the IWMSA, visit www.iwmsa.co.za. IWMSA is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/iwmsa) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/IWMSA).