How to reduce sand mining and save beaches using crushed waste glass

Dr Danish Kazmi

According to a recent study, half of the world’s sandy beaches could disappear by the end of this century. A key reason for their disappearance is coastal erosion. One of the most significant causes of coastal erosion is the indiscriminate sand mining of beaches. Civil and geotechnical engineer and researcher Dr Danish Kazmi is championing the use of crushed waste glass as a sustainable alternative. Adopting this alternative materials approach would offer a dual benefit of helping to reduce excessive sand mining while addressing the environmental problem of fast-growing stockpiles of non-biodegradable waste glass, supporting the transition to a circular economy. Dr Danish Kazmi is a civil and geotechnical engineer, researcher and award-winning science communicator. He is a Geotechnical Engineer at GHD in Australia and holds an Adjunct Lecturer position at The University of Queensland where he is involved in leading-edge research to develop transformative civil and geotechnical engineering solutions emerging from cross-institutional and university-industry collaborations.

His research focuses on developing sustainable geomaterials by recycling ever-increasing wastes as eco-friendly alternatives to depleting natural sand and aggregates in geotechnical construction, helping to reduce the over-exploitation of natural sand and supporting the transition to a circular economy.

His research has been published in top-ranked scientific journals and magazines. He is an invited peer-reviewer for leading international journals, a UQ Global Change Scholar and Future Leader, certified Carbon Literate and an accredited Mental Health First Aider. This talk was given at a TEDx Brisbane event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

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