WASTE

DON’T LET THE FUTURE WASTE

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Improper waste management has serious health and environmental consequences. If it persists, it will undermine Africa’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

BY DCLM, OPERATED BY VEOLIA

According to the Africa Waste Management Outlook, that is published by the United Nations Environment Programme: “Waste generation in Africa, like in other developing regions in the world, is driven by population growth, rapid urbanisation, a growing middle class, changing consumption habits and production patterns, as well as global waste trade and trafficking.”

To create sustainable environments, industry, consumers and society as a whole have to rethink their consumption patterns, material use, wastage factors and consider the depletion of resources. With this being top of mind, current practice must change from a linear approach towards a circular one as material consumers and waste generators commence the process of preservation through re-use, recycling, repurposing and reducing waste.

In undertaking any of these processes, technology can be hugely beneficial in ensuring that multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are met over time. With the use of technologies, the acceleration toward a circular economy can easily be achieved and create additional opportunities for job creation, innovation and bring renewed life into sectors like manufacturing.

Global technology has already and will continue to change the way that we think about waste management, and in the future, we should be able to achieve zero waste, an improvement in services to citizens as well as reduce municipal operational costs thanks to smarter, more efficient waste management systems with the advancement of technology.

A key focus of the SDGs is “Leave No One Behind”, South Africa cannot be a country left in this initiative to improve the lives of everyone on the African continent. There must be a path established to achieve them and technology is the one driver that could help create sustainable livelihoods. Technologies such as 4IR, Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, advanced

Kwadukuza Landfill site, Durban.

At Veolia, smart services are revolutionising city management, making urban services smarter and more efficient.

materials, cloud technologies, augmented reality, big data and 3D technologies are prime examples of how technology will improve waste management and be well incorporated into the circular economy approach in Africa.

The way we manage these technology choices will fuel greater gains for improved waste management. We will need to start thinking about new waste treatment technologies and facilities, as well as plan for capital investment in these projects. Current landfills in Africa will not be able to accommodate the influx of waste due to growing populations and rapid urbanisation.

The movement away from landfill situations to smarter solutions and technologies will not be quick or too easily attainable. Proper assessments must be done, with each individual situation analysed, to develop step-by-step bespoke solutions for each unique problem.

These assessments will require correct data collection to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, according to the Africa Waste Management Outlook, the lack of accurate and up-to-date waste data for Africa hampers efforts to present the full picture of waste management on the continent. This will prevent proper assessments from being carried out and block the way forward for smarter waste management in Africa.

An integrated sustainable waste management approach is highlighted in the Africa Waste Management Outlook, which

EVALED® Evaporators. Nick Mannie, Managing Director for DCLM, Operated by Veolia

recognises that African waste management is complex. It states that “three elements must be considered individually and collectively, in an integrated manner; infrastructure, all stakeholders involved as well as strategic aspects such as political, health, institutional, social, economic, financial, environmental and technical facets (UNEP 2015).”

So, what does or what should the future in waste management look like?

In the future, smart cities will integrate technology, connectivity and communication to share data that can assist with several processes such as optimising the routes that garbage disposal vehicles follow for waste collection and removal, together with automating operations through sensors on garbage bins signalling that collection is needed when the bins are full. This scenario is not too far out of reach and is achievable as can already be seen at a global level, albeit still on a small scale.

“The data that this automated process generates can transmit information in real time to a control centre to guide the driver on routes to take, collection points, bins to uplift, traffic situations, estimated time for collection, and provide analytical information on this process to determine the cost of waste collection per kilometre. After the bins are collected, then information on the waste types can be analysed to determine, for example, which bins need to go to recycling centres or to disposal sites. The information can be used to inform clients and provide clients with invoicing information simultaneously via the cloud. This is already happening on small scales in other parts of the world and it’s time for African countries to follow suit,” explains Nick Mannie, Managing Director of Dolphin Coast Landfill Management (DCLM), operated by Veolia.

At Veolia, smart services are revolutionising city management, making urban services smarter and more efficient. To support local authorities and companies in their digital transformation, Veolia designs smart waste collection solutions – for example, by introducing electronic sensors and gradually automating materials and processes. With cities facing major challenges in water scarcity, ageing infrastructure and increasing energy costs, as well as trying to maintain satisfactory levels of public services while achieving sustainable development, Veolia aims to address these challenges through the provision of innovative solutions.

DCLM, as part of the Veolia group, proudly operates in a more sustainable and resource-efficient manner to help build the circular economy.

Our daily actions and activities are aligned with the Veolia Group’s nine commitments to sustainable development, and contributes very concretely to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).