The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Pamsa) Masters of Engineering (MEng) bursary programme is now open for applications for the 2022/23 intake.

Applications can be submitted via Pamsa’s website by June 30.

A limited number of students will have the opportunity to further their studies at participating universities by way of a R260 000 bursary over two years.

For the past decade, Pamsa has presented an MEng bursary and research programme to eligible BSc chemical engineering final-year students or graduates with a good academic record and an interest in the bioeconomy, biotechnology, water efficiency, process engineering, waste valorisation and novel material development using wood or paper fibre.

After their studies are complete, the students could find gainful employment within the industry, Pamsa said in a statement on June 2.

“Working as a chemical engineer in the forest products sector not only helps people discover the science behind everyday things such as paper, tissue and packaging, but it also gives young people the chance to be the science behind a cleaner future,” said Pamsa executive director Jane Molony.

She added that the pulp and paper sector is part of the bioeconomy which involves the production of renewable natural resources and the conversion of these resources and waste streams into value-added products, such as food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy.

As society seeks lower carbon, more sustainable solutions, the pulp and paper sector, which relies on commercial forestry and paper recycling for its raw materials, presents the country and the world with unique opportunities for a greener economy, she pointed out.

The renewability and sustainability of farmed wood and the innovative science behind pulp, paper and process waste puts local and global pulp and paper sectors in an enviable position to address key environmental challenges such as climate change, greener packaging and the circular economy.

Molony said research, development and innovation are core to the sector’s mandate, ensuring that it does more with less.

“Trees, sustainably planted, grown and harvested, provide us with countless products that we use every day,” she noted.

She added that the circular economy is pushing them to use as much as of the tree as possible – from the bark to the trunk, from branches to the leaves.

This also includes reusing the paper in recycling and beneficiating process waste into biochemicals or biofuels, meaning not only does less waste goes to landfill, but carbon (absorbed by the trees) is kept locked up for longer, the association noted.