Speaker
Prof. Catherina Schenck
University of the Western Cape , South Africa
Biography :
Prof. Catherina Schenck of the University of the Western Cape’s Social Work Department was appointed under South Africa’s Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) as Chair in Waste and Society in 2018. The initiative, launched by the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation, aims to strengthen research and innovation in waste management and its contribution to socio-economic development. Her research focuses on improving livelihoods through the waste economy, developing sustainable business models for small and medium enterprises, and promoting behavioural change towards waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. She also works on reducing landfill dependency, where nearly 90% of waste is still disposed, and exploring opportunities in organic waste for composting and bioenergy. In addition, she contributes to building research capacity by supporting emerging researchers and postgraduate students in the field of waste and society. Her work aligns with South Africa’s Waste RDI Roadmap, which promotes sustainable decision-making and innovative waste solutions.
