Linda Godfrey
Linda Keren Godfrey | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of KwaZulu-Natal University of the Free State Rhodes University |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Council for Scientific and Industrial Research |
| Thesis | The role of waste data in changing behaviour : the case of the South African waste information (2011) |
Linda Keren Godfrey is a South African engineer who is a Principal Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa. She is a specialist in the circular economy. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2025.
Early life and education
Godfrey studied chemistry at Rhodes University. She earned a master's in hydrogeology at the University of the Free State. Godfrey earned her doctorate in engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where she studied waste data.[1][2]
Research and career
Godfrey manages Circular Innovation South Africa, a program that looks to move the country to a more circular and sustainable economy.[1] She has argued that half of climate impacts and most biodiversity loss comes from the extraction and processing of resources.[3] Godfrey is concerned that society consumes and disposes of too much waste, and that the majority of that ends up in landfill.[3] Waste disposal typically occurs at uncontrolled dumpsites, and South Africa is decades behind other developed countries in how they handle waste.[4]
Godfrey has helped local, regional and international circular economy initiatives.[5][6][7] She led the development and implementation of the Waste Research, Development and Innovation roadmap, which advocates for the uses science, technology and innovation in decision making.[5] The decisions include shifting to recycling, using artificial intelligence and plant automation.[5]
In 2023, Godfrey ws awarded the Mail & Guardian STF-South32 Green Economy Award.[8] Godfrey was elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2025.[9]
Publications
- Winnie W Y Lau; Yonathan Shiran; Richard Bailey; et al. (23 July 2020). "Evaluating scenarios toward zero plastic pollution". Science. Bibcode:2020Sci...369.1455L. doi:10.1126/SCIENCE.ABA9475. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 32703909. Wikidata Q97681094.
- Anton Nahman; Willem de Lange; Suzan Oelofse; Linda Godfrey (17 May 2012). "The costs of household food waste in South Africa". Waste Management. 32 (11): 2147–2153. doi:10.1016/J.WASMAN.2012.04.012. ISSN 0956-053X. PMID 22608682. Wikidata Q43344337.
- Linda Godfrey (10 January 2019). "Waste Plastic, the Challenge Facing Developing Countries—Ban It, Change It, Collect It?". Recycling. 4 (1): 3. doi:10.3390/RECYCLING4010003. ISSN 2313-4321. Wikidata Q128567245.
References
- ^ a b "Prof. Linda Godfrey | CSIR". www.csir.co.za. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^ "The role of waste data in changing behaviour : the case of the South African waste information system (SAWIS) | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^ a b "Prof Linda Godfrey – NSTF". Retrieved 2025-10-03.
- ^ "WMW | Interview with Linda Godfrey:: "We need to rethink our relationship with resources, this includes with waste."". WMW. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
- ^ a b c "Keynote Announcement: Prof. Linda Godfrey – World Resources Forum 2025". wrf2025.org. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
- ^ "Pioneering South Africa's circular economy". news.nwu.ac.za. 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
- ^ Sedieane, Kelebohile (2025-08-11). "Circular Economy beyond waste: SA's bold manufacturing strategy". Industrial Efficiency. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
- ^ Krige, Jamaine. "2023/2024 NSTF-SOUTH32 Awards". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
- ^ "RAEng International Fellow 2025: Professor Linda Godfrey FREng". raeng.org.uk. Retrieved 2025-10-03.