Abstract
Solid waste management (SWM) is a challenge in developing countries such as the Republic of South Africa (RSA). This book chapter highlights the drivers and state of SWM in RSA and suggests alternatives to make solid waste a resource. The SWM strategy of the country has a role in pushing waste up its hierarchy towards minimal generation, reuse, and recycling through extended producer responsibility and economic instruments. However, the lack of an all-inclusive planning and management has challenged the success of these initiatives. In recognition of these flaws, the private sector is teaming up with the government and individuals to bridge service and value chains in sustainable SWM by formalising waste pickers, initiating waste-to-energy initiatives, promoting recycling at all stages of the waste cycle, and adopting practices that divert wastes from landfills. These initiatives if taken up will promote better economic turnover through the production of alternative energy, environmental conservation, and creation of employment opportunities in RSA.
TopBackground
Waste generation in RSA has been on a rising trend. The country produced 121 million tons of waste in 2017 (Department of Environmental Affairs, 2018). These estimates are higher compared to those documented in 2011 that showed total waste generation to be 108 million tons (DEA, 2011). The trend could arise due to increased waste production from the rising population and improved economic wellbeing, which has resulted to unaccounted for waste that is neither grouped as hazardous nor general (Fakoya, 2018). More than 60% of general waste and about 95% of hazardous is landfilled (DEA, 2018) despite the fact that most filling facilities are not managed in accordance to stipulated regulations. According to Mannie and Bowers (2014), 95% of generated waste is landfilled and 87% of municipalities do not have infrastructure and capacity to manage and pursue minimization strategies effectively. Additionally, SWM is poorly funded and uncoordinated, which makes the country 2 to 3 decades behind developed worlds such as Europe (Godfrey & Oelofse, 2017). Key issues include poor collection services, unlicensed SWM activities, illegal dumping, poor waste data management and non-enforcement of existing waste regulations (Abdel-Shafy & Mansour, 2018). Cognizant of these challenges, the national and municipal governments are advocating for a trend towards waste minimization, reuse and recycling under the National Waste Management Strategy (NMWS) (Dlamini et al., 2019). With increased awareness of these challenges, the focus will shift from landfill disposal to the view of waste as a resource.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Environment: The surroundings in which human activities that interact with plants, animals, and the natural world occur.
Tetratogens and Carcinogens: Agents that cause abnormal formation of unborn babies and are cancer-cancer causatives.
End-of-Pipe: Practices that promote waste pre-processing prior to disposal through chemical treatment, recycling, and burning.
Solid Waste: Any refuse from discarded materials and facilities of air pollution prevention and waste treatment plants resulting from agriculture, domestic, industrial, mining, and commercial activities.
Waste-to-Energy: Processes that lead to power (heat or electricity) generation from waste treatment.
IWMP: A layout that describes activities to optimise waste management efficiently and concurrently minimize its associated financial costs and environmental impacts.
Landfill: Disposal areas or a system of trashing where waste is buried in engineered facilities.
SWM: Systematic processes involved in the production, collection, transport, disposal, treatment, and reclamation of solid waste to minimize its resultant environmental effects.