Slag is an established input in cement, construction, and infrastructure, yet in many jurisdictions its legal classification as a waste, a by-product, or a secondary raw material is still debated. That classification can decide whether a material is available for beneficial use or is subject to extensive waste management controls.
Liandra Taljaard, Environmental Lawyer and Managing Director of Mpangilio Consultants (Pty) Ltd, will offer a comparative look at South Africa and the European Union, covering recent South African litigation on the definition of “waste,” the legislative developments that followed, and the EU’s evolving approach under Directive 2008/98/EC and Regulation (EU) 2024/1252. Her central argument is that regulation which treats safe, proven materials as waste can hold back innovation, industrial symbiosis, and sustainable construction. She makes the case for clear end-of-waste criteria and a more enabling framework.
Her practice focuses on environmental authorisations, waste management legislation, environmental enforcement, administrative law, regulatory strategy, and litigation. She has been actively involved in several significant legal and regulatory matters concerning the interpretation and application of environmental legislation, particularly issues relating to the legal classification of waste, by-products, and secondary resources and their implications for resource recovery and circular economy initiatives.
Liandra regularly advises clients and industry stakeholders on navigating the intersection between environmental protection requirements, sustainable development objectives, and operational realities. Her work frequently involves assessing regulatory approaches, identifying legal risks, and developing practical compliance strategies that support sustainable industrial development and circular economy objectives.
She is a recognised speaker on environmental and waste regulation and has participated in industry forums and stakeholder engagements aimed at improving regulatory certainty and promoting practical, legally sound environmental governance. Most recently, she presented at the Global Slag Conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, where international stakeholders considered the distinction between waste and secondary resources and the regulatory challenges associated with advancing circular economy principles across different jurisdictions.
Liandra’s experience enables her to provide strategic legal and regulatory insights on environmental and resource recovery issues affecting industrial operations both within South Africa and in an international context.
Register now and attend her presentation at The Cementitious Materials International Technical & Trade Congress MEA taking place this December in Morocco.
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