At a convening of the Waste and Society Forum in Cape Town and Stellenbosch in January, K2C team member Hope Morema joined researchers from across the country to reflect on the realities of waste in people’s everyday lives, and what is needed to change that.
One message came through clearly – waste management in rural communities remains one of South Africa’s biggest challenges, yet it is also where some of the most practical and thoughtful solutions are beginning to take shape.
Hope presented the baseline study report on the Waste Beneficiation Centre in Bushbuckridge, conducted by the K2C Biosphere and partners, marking the transition of the project into its implementation phase. She also shared insights from K2C’s Absorbent Hygiene Products project.
What stood out was the reminder that research must be grounded in lived experience – lasting change happens when people feel invested in a locally relevant solution, rather than an implementor of a generic strategy.
Across the country, other examples showed young people championing waste initiatives in their own communities, leading separation at source programmes, integrating waste reclaimers and forming partnerships that strengthen long term sustainability. These efforts reflect what becomes possible when local leadership is supported and communities are invested in shaping their own outcomes.
A powerful moment during the convening was the collective reflection as to whether projects are bringing real solutions, their longevity if the original implementers were to step away, and whether they are replicable in other locations.
These are questions we continue to ask ourselves at K2C. Research in our landscape must do more than document challenges – it should strengthen local capacity, support practical implementation and contribute to solutions that endure beyond a single project cycle.
With the Waste Beneficiation Centre moving into implementation, there is a real opportunity to demonstrate what works, and to do so in a way that can grow beyond one place. Rooted in community realities, shaped through partnership, and carried forward by the people most affected.
We are deeply grateful to the University of the Western Cape for making this trip and its learnings possible!
