Interview with Linda Godfrey : "We need to rethink our relationship with resources, this includes with waste."

With over 25 years of experience in the waste management sector, what significant changes have you observed in how waste is managed, particularly in developing countries?

There have been some areas of improvement in the way waste is managed, but I feel overall, the gap in how waste is managed is increasing between the global north and the global south. Disposal of waste to land remains the predominant technology solution for waste management in developing countries, including in South Africa. But unfortunately, in most cases, these disposal sites are uncontrolled or controlled dumpsites, and not sanitary engineered landfills. South Africa is probably 20-30 years behind many developed countries in the management of waste, which means we have the ability to learn from how others have navigated this journey. What waste solutions have worked that would be appropriate for South Africa, but also importantly, where might we want to leapfrog to more appropriate, sustainable and circular approaches.

The title of your keynote speech is “What will it take to fix South Africa’s broken waste management system?” – Why is it broken?

The waste hierarchy has been embedded in South African waste policy since 1999/2000 with the White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management and the 1st National Waste Management Strategy. However, in spite of national policy, we have not been able to significantly move the needle on moving waste up the hierarchy. In some areas we’ve seen a deterioration in the management of waste, such as the state of operation of some of our disposal sites. Our waste collection has flatlined and in some areas deteriorated. According to the most recent General Household Survey published by StatisticsSA, the percentage of households whose solid waste was removed weekly declined from 65.4% in 2016 to 60.0% in 2023. And only 12.5% of households in rural areas received a regular waste collection service in 2023. This means that significant volumes of waste are being managed at the household level, either through burying or open burning the waste. The frustrating thing is we know what needs to be done to improve waste management and to drive greater volumes of waste up the waste hierarchy away from disposal. We can fast-track the implementation of proven technology and policy solutions, and we can leapfrog some of the approaches adopted by the global north. For example, do we need to put large-scale thermal treatment in place for municipal solid waste, or could we bypass this step and move towards designing out pollution and waste, and keeping resources circulating in the economy?

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Can you share some insights into the role of the Waste RDI Roadmap Implementation Unit and how it has influenced waste management practices in South Africa?

The Waste Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Roadmap Implementation Unit is tasked by the South African Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) to give effect to the Waste RDI Roadmap. To utilise science, technology and innovation to make more effective decisions, insert context-appropriate technologies and create opportunities for the export of know-how and technology into the African continent and beyond. Our main focus has been on the development and localisation of technologies that can provide innovative, new, high-value end-uses for waste streams. Through such technologies, we can unlock opportunities from these waste streams which provides an economic incentive to divert waste away from landfill. Because the research is publicly funded by the South African government, the outputs are made publicly available on the Waste RDI Roadmap website. It is our hope that businesses will engage with this research and with our research institutions to adopt these technologies. We have also supported research in social science, through our Waste and Society Research Chair, to better understand waste behaviour in South Africa.

Circular Innovation South Africa is one of the initiatives you manage. Could you elaborate on the key objectives of this initiative and the impact it has had so far?

Waste is a logical entry point into the bigger circular economy discussion. As such, the Waste RDI Roadmap has been absorbed into South Africa’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for a Circular Economy Strategy (STI4CE), which is managed by Circular Innovation South Africa (CISA). Through science, technology and innovation we aim to support South Africa’s transition to a more circular economy. The circular economy allows us to ask the question, are we as a country using our resources in the best interest of our people, and in the best interest of our development objectives? Does the circular economy provide a different kind of growth path for South Africa and Africa – a more sustainable, sufficient and efficient growth path? CISA was launched in 2023, so it’s still very young. But so far, we have launched a circular economy demonstration fund aimed at bringing our universities and science councils closer to the private sector to help them to de-risk, scale and demonstrate innovative circular interventions. We have also launched the South African Circular Minerals and Metals Initiative, and will in the coming months be launching the Circular Agriculture and Circular Manufacturing Initiatives. These three initiatives will help to drive STI that will unlock and scale circular interventions in these traditionally resource-intensive sectors of the economy.

You’ve provided strategic input to global organisations such as the UN and World Bank on waste management. How do the challenges and opportunities in developing countries differ from those in developed nations?

Developed countries, in general, are looking at how they shift greater quantities of waste material into recycling. We see innovative technologies emerge in response to this. The use of artificial intelligence, and plant automation, amongst others. There are a couple of challenges that make it difficult for developing countries to improve the state of waste management, especially municipal waste management. This includes the state of local governments, who are usually responsible for the collection and safe management of waste. The second big challenge and this relates to the first, is getting the economics around waste right in developing countries. Because developing countries typically operate dumpsites, it makes disposal of waste to land very cheaply. All other technology solutions are considerably more expensive relative to the dumping of waste, even something as simple as composting organic waste. This makes it difficult to justify the implementation of alternative waste treatment technologies. In addition, many municipalities are not in a position to purchase these technologies or to lend money to purchase these technologies. Waste infrastructure isn’t an attractive investment for lenders, who focus more on energy, water and urban infrastructure development. Governments then look to donors for funding, but what we typically see in this case, is that donors will put money into the development of a facility (capital expenditure) and then walk away. But the local partner doesn’t have the operational budget, with the result, you go back to those landfill sites a year or two later, and they’re being operated like dumpsites. We have to unlock sustainable financing options for waste infrastructure in developing countries.

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As someone who lectures internationally on solid waste management and the circular economy, what key messages do you emphasise when speaking to audiences in developing countries?

We need to rethink our relationship with resources, this includes with waste. Disposing of waste into dumpsites and landfills, or burning waste through open burning or thermal treatment processes is not ideal, as these resources are lost to the economy. We have the potential to create new businesses and new business models to drive improved waste management and to drive greater circularity of resources. There is also a much greater focus now on resource scarcity and critical raw materials. It’s interesting to engage with young students on this topic, a generation that may very likely be impacted by resource scarcity. What does that world look like?

The transition to a circular economy is often seen as a complex and challenging process. What do you believe are the most critical factors for successfully implementing circular economy practices in developing countries?

I would argue that developing countries may be further along on the circular economy journey than developed countries. Typically driven by need rather than by policy design. We see products getting a second, third, and fourth life due to high levels of poverty and unemployment. We see lower levels, in general, of resource consumption, compared to the global north. So, I do believe there is a lot that developed countries can learn from developing countries in terms of circularity. The question is, how do we scale these circular practices for meaningful impact? How do we support, for example, our informal sector, often well-skilled in repair for reuse, to scale their practices? How do we support innovative new circular business models that can offer products and services to consumers in a completely different way, in a less resource-intensive way?

What emerging trends in waste management and the circular economy should industry professionals be paying attention to?

Many countries are exploring their policy options to support the shift to a more circular economy. It’s one of the questions I’m most frequently asked, “What innovative policies are countries adopting to give effect to a circular economy.” It’s a tricky question, as I do believe it’s the private sector that will drive our transition to a more circular economy. This includes small businesses. The role of government is to create an enabling environment for this to happen. What does an enabling policy environment look like for a circular economy? We’re also seeing a very strong interest from the mining sector in a circular economy, something I wouldn’t have expected just a few years ago.

Collaboration across sectors is vital for the success of waste management strategies. In your experience, what are the best practices for fostering collaboration between government, academia, and business in this field?

A good understanding of the role of the research community in providing robust evidence to the public and private sectors is needed. Greater collaboration between government and business is crucial to improving the state of waste management. We know, for example in South Africa, that the private sector is able to introduce innovation faster than the public sector. We need the public and private sectors, especially municipalities, to be working much closer together in solving our waste challenges. We all need to be pulling in the same direction.

What advice would you give to policymakers in developing countries who are looking to improve their waste management systems and move towards a circular economy?

Ensuring that basic waste legislation is in place that will protect environmental and human health. Policy instruments such as extended producer responsibility (EPR), incentivise producers to manage their products more responsibly. And then enforcement. Enforcement is probably the most important thing. You can have the best and most progressive waste policy and legislation, but if the government is not enforcing it, it's meaningless. To truly move waste up the hierarchy away from landfilling in South Africa, we need strict enforcement in the design and operation of all landfill sites, both public and private. This will require investment in landfill design and operation, pushing up the price of landfilling, which then makes alternative waste treatment technologies more attractive. We will never unlock the full potential of a recycling economy while we continue to operate dumpsites, even with EPR in place.

What motivated you to speak at the ISWA World Congress?

This is the first time the ISWA World Congress is being held on the African continent. It’s important to showcase the reality of the waste challenges facing African countries, and many other developing countries. When I started working in the waste sector, there was this belief that the management or mismanagement of waste in a country had little relevance or impact on other countries. We now know that this is not the case. The open burning of waste has a direct impact on global air quality. The leakage of plastic into the terrestrial and aquatic environments has a direct bearing on other countries. The degradation of organic waste in dumpsites or landfills has a contribution to changing climates. It’s therefore imperative that as a global waste community, we come together to actively solve the poor state of waste management in developing countries.

According to you why is it important for waste professionals to attend the ISWA World Congress?

I’ve been attending the ISWA World Congress since 2014. I love attending this conference as it provides an excellent platform to access the latest information from the international waste community. It also provides a wonderful opportunity to build out one’s network with professionals from other countries. I’m particularly looking forward to engaging with colleagues from other African countries, given that this year, the conference will be held in Cape Town, South Africa. As a continent, we have a steep hill to climb in improving the management of waste. We need to be engaging and sharing ideas so as to fast-track the improved management of waste and the increased diversion of waste away from landfilling towards prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery.

About: Prof. Linda Godfrey, a Principal Scientist at the CSIR and Extraordinary Professor at North-West University, South Africa, holds a PhD in Engineering and has over 25 years of experience in the sector. She leads Circular Innovation South Africa and oversees the implementation of the Waste RDI Roadmap on behalf of the Government. Prof. Godfrey has contributed strategic insights to numerous waste management and circular economy initiatives at local, regional, and international levels, including projects for the United Nations, European Union, World Bank, and South African Government. She lectures globally on solid waste management and the circular economy, particularly in the context of developing countries, and has published extensively in the field.