Dear Members,

As I stated in my inaugural speech: I am not alone in this journey – I have the support of a capable Council, hard-working IWMSA staff, and dedicated volunteers at the branches.

There is a lot of work that goes on in the background to keep the organisation running. When I joined the Council in July 2020, the organisation had rebranded and rolled out the IWMSA Strategy 2025 to guide the organisation through the next five years. At the time, the whole world was going through what became a disruptive three years.

We are working hard to overcome those setbacks. We are in our second year – the anchor leg – as Council, and will be sitting at the end of May in a facilitated strategy session to reflect on our past year and plan the future. We intend to prepare for

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the next leaders to take the organisation to new heights in the next five-year cycle.

Bringing industry world leaders to Africa

We are participating in IFAT Africa 2023, scheduled to take place at Gallagher Convention Centre from 5 to 7 July. IFAT Africa is the ultimate platform to showcase technologies and solutions for water, sewage, refuse and recycling for the sub-Saharan Africa market. The trade fair is the gateway for international companies to the African market and for African enterprises to the global market, connecting key industry players with senior buyers and decision-makers in the region. Do not miss this event.

We indeed have progressive preparations for the future. Cabinet announced in March that they approved for South Africa to host the ISWA World Congress in Cape Town. South Africa, in a bid led by the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), won the right to host the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) 2024 World Congress, to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 15 to 18 September 2024.

This will be the first ISWA Congress held on the African continent. The conference is hosted by a different country each year, with the 2023 World Congress being held in Muscat, Oman, and the 2025 Congress planned for Argentina. The City of Cape Town is on board and excited to host this prestigious event in the Mother City.

Concerning the operational processes at the IWMSA, please go to our calendar of events to see what is happening at the Institute. I am looking forward to our flagship event – the Landfill and Waste Treatment Conference 2023 themed: #WasteShedding! Solutions, actions, not promises!

Iwmsa Patron Members

This will take place at the University of Cape Town Breakwater Lodge Conference Centre on 18 to 20 October. The event will explore how the current energy crisis is affecting landfills and other alternatives to waste disposal, and how these challenges can be overcome. It is our role as the IWMSA to bring all stakeholders together to help address our challenges.

Submit your papers

There are different ways that you can participate in this event. Calls are open for abstract papers to be submitted, so do not miss this opportunity. The deadline for the first recipient of abstracts is 15 June 2023. Industry is invited to bring together stakeholders, for an interactive discussion among panel speakers and the audience. Check the IWMSA website and communications to see how you can lead this initiative.

We can achieve so much together. As the famed African proverb goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Each country has its own challenges when dealing with waste tyres –they are either being disposed of in landfills or illegally dumped, with only small amounts being recycled. The South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference provides some insight into the current state of the tyre recycling industry.