A decision-support framework for industrial waste management in the iron and steel industry: A case study in Southern Africa

The study aimed to investigate the waste characteristics and management activities in the iron and steel industry in Southern Africa based on a case study in South Africa. A four-phased decision-support framework (DSF) has been suggested to approach industrial waste management in Southern Africa’s iron and steel industry, consisting of a desktop-based waste management audit, waste generation investigation, waste streams sampling and analysis, and waste risk profiling. Results indicate that the global average of 0.3 tons of waste generated per ton of crude steel produced is exceeded. Annual average process waste generation amounted to 1510 million tons, and general waste generation amounted to 872 tons, with respective recycling rates of 22% for process waste and 40% for general waste. Furthermore, 54% of the waste streams were found to have a moderate to high-risk profile, where the rest of the waste streams were found to have a low-risk profile. The suggested DSF, as a guide, can lead to decision outcomes to position industrial waste management in the iron and steel industry in Africa towards a circular economy.