Abstracts

99 Introduction South Africa is a rapidly developing nation, but one that is largely failing at waste management. Effective management of municipal solid waste remains critical to the advancement of complex human settlements. South Africa cannot continue to grow effectively without proper attention given to collecting, storing, processing, and converting waste. The mismanagement of solid waste threatens and accelerates environmental deterioration, creates human population health risks, and contributes to unsustainable development of any given locality (Ferronato & Torrett, 2019). Continued population increases will only exacerbate the current situation. Waste management in South Africa is primarily an urban problem. Most waste in rural areas is individually generated and organic; as such, it can be incinerated, composted, or stored in a dump with few environmental or public health–related consequences. However, as populations grow and industrialization increases, the amount of waste and its material complexity (e.g., polymers, metals, and glass) tend to increase as well. In response, local governing authorities and private enterprises need to develop strategies to collect, transport, store, and process the waste. Instead of resolving its waste-related problems, South Africa’s chief municipalities have chosen to avoid prioritizing the need for waste-related infrastructure for two main reasons. First, local governments in South Africa have argued that there are other pressing issues, including health care, unemployment, and poverty, that all require funding and attention. Second, the economic potential of waste has not been fully realized by governing authorities. I argue that, when effectively managed, waste can unlock economic value and transform South Africa’s landscape. Drawing primarily on the example of Johannesburg, this article explores how greater value can be derived from the waste stream and RESTRUCTURING SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA: OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Karim M. Rajmohamed South Africa is failing to manage the waste that its rapidly growing population is generating in urban areas. Existing waste infrastructure is deteriorating while environmental degradation, per capita energy demand, and unemployment continue to rise. This article examines how economic value can be derived from organic waste via anaerobic digestion methodologies to create a solution that synergically solves many problems related to a legacy of historically unsustainable development within the country. Perspectives on Business and Economics, Vol. 38, 2020