The conference, which takes place in East London from 8-12 October 2012, is entitled 'Wrestling with Waste, Employment, Environment and Engineering'.
Oral papers or posters should be aligned to the theme and encompass the three 'E's', Employment, Environment and Engineering, which includes but is not exclusive to topics such as waste to wages, job creation, societal benefits, recycling and reuse, the New Waste Act, licencing, groundwater monitoring, landfills, waste transfer stations and disposal.
Steve Kalule, WasteCon2012 chairman says, "The word 'Wrestling' was identified as a key factor in describing the feeling of difficulty and the challenges experienced when managing waste and related issues. This is especially pronounced in situations, municipalities and communities with limited resources.
"It also aims to address the difficulties faced by the Eastern Cape, as one of the poorest regions in South Africa, both in resources and knowledge and how municipalities and communities are experimenting and succeeding in developing partnerships to create jobs and to use waste as a resource. In other words, to view waste not as a problem but rather as a potential resource."
Those wishing to submit abstracts can find full details regarding WasteCon 2012, submissions and themes at www.wastecon.co.za.
