After completing Chemical Engineering studies in Germany, Susanne Karcher started her company EnviroSense CC (an Environmental Consultancy) in Cape Town in 1999 (www.envirosensecc.co.za) . Her company specialises in the planning, development and facilitation of tailor-made governmental, industrial/commercial and residential “Integrated Resource and Waste Management” programmes ultimately geared towards pollution prevention.

An improved environmental performance, financial savings, job creation from waste opportunities and better overall operational efficiency through resource efficient cleaner production application is further augmented by the introduction of Circular Economy principles and strategies.

To this end, Susanne is a qualified RECP end-use level trainer with the NCPC (www.ncpc.co.za) as well as a founding member of the African Circular Economy Network (www.acen.africa ) and mentor in the globally operating Circular Economy Club (www.circulareconomyclub.com) . Since 2010 she is also the coordinator and Chair of the Southern African e-Waste Alliance (sa.ewastalliance.co.za) and contributed to the recent development of the ERA WEEE IndWM Plan. Subsequently in early 2018 Susanne was appointed by representatives of the lighting industry in her personal consulting firm capacity to develop the take-back strategy plan for South Africa’s lighting industry sector (the Lightcycle SA Plan).

Current key work activities include (but are not limited) to a series of GIZ funded multi-stakeholder e-waste management projects in Ghana and she closely collaborates on various cutting edge projects with a Circular Economy Specialist Consulting Firm named Circular Vision (www.circular-vision.com). 

Industrial:

ACSA Airport Cargo Unit, Sondor Industries, Chamber of Commerce and Industry , EPS, Duferco, Sondor, Tenesa, Plastic Converters Association, Plastic Federation South Africa (PFSA), Cape Regional Chamber, Caltex, Equity Technologies, Wasteman, De Beers Marine , De Beers Marine Namibia, Eskom, WWF, Hewlett Packard, ITA, GKN Sinter, Plastics SA

Commercial:

Shopping Centres (Canal Walk, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Blue Route Shopping Mall, Tygervalley Centre), Retailers and Franchises (Woolworths, Hyperama, Spur, Foschini,Clicks, CNA), Old Mutual, Vineyard Hotel, Boulders Beach Lodge, Southern Right Hotel, Winchester Mansions, Grootbos, Monkey Valley Lodge, Greenways Hotel, Arabella Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Capetonian, Tulbagh Hotel, Tudor Hotel, Cape Town Convention Centre, CT Tourist School, Pick'nPay, Vineyard Hotel, Woolworths, Wasteman, Wasteplan, Hotel Verde, Just PCs, eCycle, Nova Lighting, Transworld Cargo Namibia, DESCO

Governmental:

Stellenbosch Municipality, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Rustenburg Municipality, Boland Water Quality Committee, Provincial Government (Directorate Pollution and Waste) (DEAD&DP), City of Cape Town, Provincial Government KZN, Swiss EMPA, City of Windhoek (Namibia), European Commission, CSIR, National Cleaner Production Center (NCPC)

NGOs and others: 

Sustainable Energy Africa, Fairest Cape Association Institute of Waste Management South Africa, IWMSA, UCT, Zero Waste InstituteSouth Africa, ZERI, MIIU, eWASA, e-Waste Alliance

Institute of  Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA)

• Since 2000: Member of the Institute of Waste Management South Africa
• Since 2010: Member of the IWMSA Western Cape Branch Committee (Portfolio: Waste Minimisation and e-Waste)
• Since 2010: Coordinator and Chair(wo)man of the e-Waste Alliance
• Since 2011: Elected Chair(wo)man for the Western Cape Recycling Action Group (the latter under guidance of Provincial Government)