In the pursuit of sustainability and environmental responsibility, innovative solutions are constantly being sought to address waste management challenges. The transformation of cheese waste (whey sludge) into valuable resources exemplifies the power of circular economy principles and innovative waste management practices.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of professionals like Maggie Mashau, a Senior Project Manager at the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) responsible for the circular economy and sector decarbonization portfolio. She shares a remarkable story of how they turned waste into a profitable venture.

Maggie has been an integral part of the NCPC-SA team, exploring and implementing initiatives to promote the reuse and regeneration of materials or waste resources within various industries. With a master’s degree in environmental science from the Witwatersrand University, Maggie dedicates herself to driving positive change in the field of environmental science. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her work and has been doing so for the past eight years.

Facing cheesy challenges

Maggie begins by describing her involvement in a project aimed at finding a sustainable solution for cheese processing waste known as “whey”. Whey is a sludge formed during the production of cheese, consisting of the remains of cheese processing and water.

Read the full article on Engineering and Mining News Africa.

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