By Aifani Confidence Tahulela – Researcher, Durban University of Technology; Fulufhelo Netswera – Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Postgraduate Studies, University of Venda. First published in The Conversation on 13 May 2026 THE GLOBAL ECONOMY STILL largely follows a simple pattern: extract natural resources, manufacture products, use them and then throw them away. This […]
Continue readingpollution
Paarl Waste and Recycling: Dedication and Sustainability
By Rina Steyn, GST Correspondent TWO YEARS AGO, the current owner of Paarl Waste and Recycle purchased Wykco Recycling and appointed Jacques Boshoff from Ceres as the General Manager of the new company in Donkervliet Street. Jacques was the ideal choice to lead the business. Jacques was the first South African to study landscaping in […]
Continue reading
12 reasons why plastic recycling is failing so badly
By Jordi Diaz Marcos – Profesor departamento materiales y microscopista , Universitat de Barcelona. First published in The Conversation on February 24, 2026 As good citizens, we diligently fill the recycling bins provided by our local authorities with all manner of plastic trays, boxes, bottles and bags. But as these bins fill up quicker and […]
Continue reading
The quest for sustainability: understanding environmental degradation
by Prof Leon Hugo, former head of the Department of Geography at Pretoria University. First published in Environatics.co.za It’s a sobering reality that thousands, primarily children, succumb annually to dire environmental conditions and hunger in Africa. There looms a genuine threat of our planet’s production systems collapsing, potentially leaving us all without sufficient food. Since […]
Continue reading
Amazing pineapple leaf powder that fights crime and pollution: new research
by Bienvenu Gael Fouda Mbanga, Research fellow, Nelson Mandela University – this article was first published in theconversation.com In South Africa, manufacturers of pineapple juice and other pineapple products discard thousands of tons of pineapple leaves every year, with most ending up in dumpsites. The leaves are seen as agricultural waste and usually treated as […]
Continue reading
Waste, Pollution and Recycling: A Reader
by GST Staff Cactus waste could become a low-cost building material Construction sites don’t usually bring cactus plants to mind. Still, engineers think leftover material from prickly pear cactus farming could offer a cleaner, lower-cost way to make building materials. At first, the idea may sound unusual. But it points to a real problem in […]
Continue reading
Sustainability steps: Municipal waste disposal changes in the pipeline
by Anne Kruger, GST Correspondent With the growing importance of environmental sustainability in mind, GST recently looked into the current status of the waste disposal process in the Drakenstein Municipality. Despite the fact that Drakenstein Municipality has a successful recycling process for inorganic waste implemented throughout the municipal area, this is not considered enough to […]
Continue reading