One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure - The sustainable transformation of waste management in South Africa through innovation

The core idea of this proposal is that value isn't inherent but assigned by individuals based on their perspective, needs, or preferences. The waste management sector in South Africa is significantly underrepresented by black woman in leadership, decision making and contributions in businesses. Land pollution in South Africa is severe, with about 90% of millions of tons of waste going to landfills, and only ~10% recycled, leading to major soil, water, and air contamination from poorly managed dumpsites. This is a poorly regulated sector that requires stricter policies to monitor and manage dumpsites and therefore there is a strong need for collaboration with the government and NGO’s. “Ig-Knight your Site” is a company owned by a young African woman aiming to positively impact the environmental sector by offering ‘solution-driven initiatives’. Whilst many wholesale fresh produce markets primarily dispose of waste through landfilling, “Ig-Knight Your Site” aims to collect their ‘garbage’ and contribute to the agricultural industry by animal feeding. To collect dead roses/flowers from florists and contribute to the scents, and oils industry. To collect what some farmers and abattoirs poorly dispose of such as chicken feathers (to use for cushioning), cattle skin (for leather in manufacturing) and cow dung as an indigenous knowledge system used to build huts in rural areas and compost. Waste management is a great avenue to reduce the rapidly growing unemployment rate as this field requires the physical labour of people, to drive trucks, collect ‘trash’, sort out landfills to recycle plastics that can be used to manufacture chairs and therefore supply to underprivileged schools.  In conclusion something one person finds worthless or discards, another person can find valuable, useful, or desirable, highlighting subjective value, or differing needs, my aim is to become the bridge in that gap.