Challenges: More than half of the world’s population growth will likely occur in Africa, and more people inevitably produce more waste. Pollution in Africa is rapidly becoming worse than in Asia, with devastating effects on the natural environment and the living conditions of soon 2 billion people. Waste = resources gone astray and UNEP has estimated that capturing the value of municipal solid waste in Africa alone could inject an additional US$8 billion every year into the economy.

Scope: Students and researchers in Norway and South Africa are engaged to work across borders and academic “silos” on challenging projects related to combatting plastic waste and prevent marine pollution – involving NGOs, companies, and others to share information and utilize the results.

Objective: Produce future business managers, researchers, educators and government officials in the global fight against plastic pollution – by providing them with relevant knowledge, practical experience, tools, methods, and international networks – thereby enabling them to "think globally & act locally" across diverse cultural and legislative environments in Norway, South Africa and other countries in Africa.

Effect: Provide significant and sustainable reductions in plastic waste and marine pollution by motivating and equipping future leaders to effectively deal with plastic pollution and explore business opportunities in waste management – and by generating new knowledge and public awareness.

Funding: The Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund, NTNU Oceans and NTNU Sustainability. The program provides funding for travel and subsistence related to the "in person" workshops, remuneration for internships, and also administrative support, digital infrastructure, and access to relevant webinars during the work phase.

Synergy: Information and webinars are shared with the Expert in Teamwork village on Plastic Free Oceans.

Partner in South Africa: Sustainable Seas Trust in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in Nelson Mandela Bay. Take a look at their News, Webinars, Conferences & Workshops, and Press under “BLOG” at www.SST.org.za.

Cohort 1: 42 participants from Norway and South Africa worked together in 9 teams from October 2020 through June 2021. Recordings are available on-line from the kick-off workshop and the eight webinars.

Cohort 2: The second kick-off workshop in October 2021 brought together 32 participants. A webinar series was offered every Wednesday in February and March 2022, and the concluding workshop took place in May 2022 in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) concurrently with the Second International Conference of the African Marin Waste Network - where the first price (NOK 500.000 in cash) of the SANO Competition was awarded to the joint project between NWU and NTNU on "Plastic Pollution in South Africa; The Human Dimension".

Cohort 3:  50+ students and young researchers, plus 20 senior mentors and 40-50 supporters, representing 25 nationalities and 15 universities have work closely together in dedicated teams. The teams' projects are closely aligned with the purposes of the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund, i.e. (1) reduce plastic pollution, (2) increase plastic recycling, and (3) reduce the consumption of plastic bags. Each team is energized by participants in both countries (Norway and South Africa) and 1-3 coordinator(s) responsible for facilitating effective teamwork and organizing digital meetings during the work phase. In addition, each team has access to dedicated mentors for guidance, encouragement, and moral support during:

• October-November 2022: Team formation and planning.
• 5-9 December 2022: In-person kick-off workshop in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), with team building, skills training, and excursions/fieldwork yielding detailed plans for each team in the work phase.
• January-August 2023: Team-based work phase on digital platforms across geographic and academic boundaries.
• February-March 2023: Webinars every Wednesday morning.
• June-August 2023: Opportunities for internships in both countries.
• 13-17 August 2023: In-person Concluding Workshop in Trondheim and at Mausund Fieldstation.
• 18 August 2023: Full day SANO Concluding Conference in Trondheim, with poster presentations by all SANO teams.
• Team 3F won first price (NOK 100.000) in the Poster Competition -- with team 3D as the runner-up (NOK 10.000).

SANO report: The human dimension of plastic pollution in South Africa.

SANO cohort 3 projects.

SANO cohort 3 results (posters).

SANO concluding workshop & conference (video).

SANO review by CSIR (report).