The South African Journal of Science is a multidisciplinary science journal published bimonthly by the Academy of Science of South Africa. Our mandate is to publish original research with an interdisciplinary or regional focus and to provide a forum for discussion of news and developments in research and higher education. About the cover: Waste as a resource | South African perspectives on circularity. Circularity, with a focus on waste management, influences social and economic resilience as well as planetary health. This special issue presents the current societal and environmental issues in waste, the technology available, and the sustainable practices within the waste sector to achieve a socially just transition to a waste economy within South Africa’s socio-economic context.