Plastic Circularity

Professor Paul Mativenga (he/him) holds a Chair in Multi-scale and Sustainable Manufacturing in the School of Engineering at The University of Manchester, the United Kingdom and is distinguished visiting professor at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research is in sustainable manufacturing, machining science, micro manufacturing, laser processing, low carbon manufacturing and circular economy. He is Director of the Laser Processing Research Laboratory (LPRL). Paul is excited about developing engineering science solutions to the major challenges of resource efficiency and industrial sustainability. His research has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Innovate UK and Industry. Paul is a member of the International Academy of Production Engineering, College International pour la Recherche en Productique (CIRP), Fellow of the RSA and has editorial roles for SAGE and Elsevier Journals in manufacturing science.

Dr. Olatayo is a circular economy and sustainability researcher with primary expertise in the modelling of plastic material flows, value chain management, resource efficiency, sustainable waste management, and clean energy. He has contributed significantly in these various fields of research, with a number of published articles in reputable international peer-reviewed journals. He is equally a regular reviewer of articles for several journals. Dr. Olatayo holds a PhD. in Development and Management Engineering (North-West University, South Africa); MSc. in Environmental Technology (University of Teesside, United Kingdom); MSc. in Civil and Environmental Engineering (University of Lagos, Nigeria); and B.Eng. (Hons) in Civil Engineering (University of Ilorin, Nigeria). He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Postgraduate School of Engineering Management, University of Johannesburg.

Annlizé Marnewick is the Head of the University of Johannesburg’s Postgraduate School of Engineering Management in South Africa. Her research focuses on the integration of sustainability requirements in engineering projects, the impact of digitalisation on projects and the impact on society. She is passionate about developing postgraduate students and co-creating sustainable solutions for the local society. She is a registered professional engineer in South Africa.