Every year, in August, South Africa marks Women’s Month. This year, the CSIR is shining the spotlight on some of its female researchers who are conducting research on plastic, waste and efforts to transition to a more circular economy.

Dr Taahira Goga - Uncovering the potential of a circular and low-carbon SA plastics sector

Among other research topics and strategies, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research researcher Dr Taahira Goga finds meaning in addressing the complex issues of plastics and the associated environmental impacts. Every bit of her winding road added a building block – a degree in chemical engineering laid a strong academic foundation; a master’s in civil engineering introduced her to Life Cycle Assessment tools; and a PhD lifted the lid on the enormous potential of a circular and low- carbon South African plastics sector. Inspired to address a research topic of interest that could address real-life challenges, and that was topical and would be of benefit and significance in South Africa, Goga’s PhD dissertation tackled the role waste reclaimers play in solving an environmental problem, as well as the role of the sector in informal job creation.

Dr Valentina Russo - Getting future-ready with tools to make life greener and empower women

From a young age, Dr Valentina Russo cared for the natural environment. Today, she plays an instrumental role in curbing plastic pollution in the economy as a senior engineer at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Moving from her native Italy to South Africa, she established a successful career spanning 18 years, refining the science of life cycle assessments. Now, she applies her systems engineering capabilities to assist in exploring nature-based solutions to address the problem of plastics as a competitive advantage in a circular economy.

Russo has been a researcher all her life. Her career journey started after completing her postgraduate qualification at Roma Tre University of Rome in Italy. As a systems engineer, she completed all her academic training from undergraduate to PhD at the same university, coupled with a few specialisation courses on life cycle assessment in South Africa.

Developing bio-based materials for a sustainable future with Dr Maya John

Dr Maya John has been devising materials and products that are more sustainable and environment-friendly long before it became trendy. John joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in 2006 as a postdoctoral researcher and became involved in research that makes materials from renewable resources, such as plants. Her current focus is on providing circular solutions to tackle the problem of plastic pollution, which she does by developing sustainable and environment-friendly alternatives from biomass resources to replace single-use plastics in various industrial sectors. John holds a Master of Science degree in analytical chemistry and a PhD in chemistry from Mahatma Gandhi University in India. Her PhD focused on the development of plant fibre-based natural rubber composites.

Meet Professor Suzan Oelofse - The evolution of a career dedicated to solving plastic pollution

Professor Suzan Oelofse enjoys spending time in nature and feels affected when noticing plastic in protected nature reserves, knowing the impact thereof on the environment. This triggered her to be part of the solution, and today, she works in the fields of plastic sustainability and the circular economy. Oelofse completed all her academic qualifications at the University of Johannesburg, where she attained a Bachelor of Science in Botany and Zoology followed by postgraduate studies culminating in her obtaining a PhD degree in Plant Physiology. As a principal researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, she remains inspired in her career thanks to a powerful seed of self-belief that her mother planted in her. Today, she dedicates most of her time to spearheading the organisation’s evolving work on contextualising the largely untapped benefits of a circular economy.