As the concept of a circular economy becomes more mainstream, project developers are exploring opportunities for valorisation of waste a theme that holds many prospects for Africa’s developing economies.
According to Christopher Dalgliesh, SRK Consulting partner and principal consultant, there are growing efforts to design out waste and pollution from projects, to keep materials and products in use, and to regenerate natural systems. ”Waste valorisation is about keeping waste products within the economy by adding to their value and making them useful contributors to a productive process,” says Dalgliesh. “This is a positive shift away from the traditional linear approach in which economic activity generates products which are used and simply discarded.”
He points to a project in Angola in which SRK Consulting was assisting a client to responsibly dispose of drill muds from oil drilling, as the sector applies new ways of minimising its environmental impact. This waste material is already amenable to
valorisation, as drilling oils in the mud are extracted through thermal treatment. Now the challenge is to ensure that even the saline grit that remains can be
put to better use, rather than being disposed of in landfill sites.
