Thaakira Jabaar, a master’s student in the Department of Chemical Engineering, received the award for Best Oral Presentation at the Global Congress of Chemical Engineering (GCCE), which took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from 6-11 October 2024. This event marked the first time the GCCE was held on the African continent.
The theme of the congress was “To Sustainability and Beyond”, addressing key topics in chemical engineering. Throughout the week, presentations covered various categories, including energy, water, food and agriculture, green mining, and environmental engineering.
Thaakira presented her master’s research titled “Decay factor characterisation of paper materials under optimal anaerobic conditions using bench- and pilot-scale reactor studies”, within the environmental engineering category.
This research is relevant to greenhouse gas inventories, which require decay factors for specific waste components in landfills. In 2006, the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) recommended that countries establish their own decay factors. Currently, South Africa relies on the default factors specified by the IPCC, which can result in inaccuracies in greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting. The primary objective of this research was to develop decay factors for various paper products, providing the paper and pulp industry with necessary waste data to accurately quantify extended producer responsibility (EPR). The development of these decay factors can improve greenhouse gas reporting, create opportunities for emissions reduction and cost savings, enhance waste management and sustainability planning, support eco-friendly product design, ensure compliance with evolving environmental regulations, and lead to more accurate life cycle assessments.
Thaakira conveyed her appreciation for the recognition, stating, “It is truly humbling to be recognised out of an international audience”. The Department of Chemical Engineering congratulates her on this achievement.
