Publications by authors named "Anton Nahman"
The economic impacts of marine plastic debris in South Africa: A preliminary estimate.
Mar Pollut Bull
December 2024
Marine plastic debris can affect the delivery of ecosystem services and cause direct damage to affected industries; with resulting impacts on the economy. This paper applies a version of the benefits transfer method to provide a preliminary estimate of the economic impacts of marine plastic in South Africa, in terms of impacts on ecosystem services, direct damage to industry, and clean-up costs. The total economic impact associated with the plastic reaching South Africa's marine environment each year ranges between R3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe economic, social and environmental costs of food waste are being increasingly recognised. Food waste consists of both edible and inedible components. Whilst wastage of edible food is problematic for obvious reasons, there are also costs associated with the disposal of the inedible fraction to landfill.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - The study builds on previous research to evaluate the costs of food waste in South Africa, expanding the analysis from just household waste to include the entire food value chain, from production to consumption.
- - Food waste was quantified in physical units for different commodity groups, and prices were calculated at each stage of the value chain, leading to an estimated total cost of R61.5 billion per year (about US$7.7 billion), which constitutes 2.1% of the country's GDP.
- - The majority of these costs stem from the processing and distribution of fruits and vegetables, as well as the agricultural production and distribution of meat, highlighting key areas for potential waste reduction efforts.
Throughout the developed world, food is treated as a disposable commodity. Between a third and half of all food produced for human consumption globally is estimated to be wasted. However, attempts to quantify the actual magnitude of food wasted globally are constrained by limited data, particularly from developing countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Food waste is a significant issue due to lost resources, environmental impacts, and disposal challenges, particularly in South Africa.
- The paper estimates the economic costs of household food waste, which amounts to approximately R21.7 billion (about US$2.7 billion) annually, representing 0.82% of the country's GDP.
- This figure illustrates the importance of addressing food waste, even though household waste makes up less than 4% of total food losses in the entire supply chain.
Pricing landfill externalities: emissions and disamenity costs in Cape Town, South Africa.
Waste Manag
December 2011
Article Synopsis
- * To better assess waste disposal options, there's a need to translate these external costs into monetary values, allowing for a comparison that includes both direct financial costs and externalities.
- * This study estimates the external costs of landfilling in Cape Town using specific methods, finding that these costs currently amount to R111 (about US$16) per tonne of waste, with potential reductions if energy recovery is implemented or landfills are upgraded.