Vol 13, No 3, August 2011
Prom mot otin ingg in inte tegr grat ated ed rresources esou es ourc rces e man nag agem emen entt Promoting integrated management
Privatisation of waste management A service delivery issue
Less smoke, more mirrors Solar power versus coal-based electricity
OILKOL
Not just the environment – people matter too! The official journal of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa
www.3smedia.co.za
ISSN 1680-4902 R35.00 (incl VAT)
contents
www.3smedia.co.za ISSN 1680-4902, Volume 13, Number 3, August 2011
Vol 13, No 3, August 2011
Promoting integrated resources management
10
Privatisation of waste{management A service delivery issue
Less smoke, more{mirrors Solar power versus coal-based electricity
Cover story
OILKOL
6
Oilkol: Cradle to life responsibility: bringing hope to SA’s youth
Not just the environment – people matter too! The official journal of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa
www.3smedia.co.za
ISSN 1680-4902 R35.00 (incl VAT)
The RéSource team stands firmly behind environmental preservation. As such, RéSource magazine is printed on 100% recycled paper and uses no dyes or varnishes. The magazine is saddle-stitched to ensure that no glues are required in the binding process.
Regulars
Medical waste
3 5
39
Destruction of pharmaceuticals: roles and responsibilities
Solid waste
44
Going green in the HCRW industry
10
Waste privatisation: service delivery issues
Hazardous waste
13
Sustainable waste mining in SA
President’s comment Editor’s comment
47
Recycling 18
Certification for 100% recycled refuse bags
21 23 25
Planting a seed towards sustainability The 2010 SEED Awards
Landfill 28
Machine fleet, operation and sanitary landfills: best practice
Waste to energy 32
Solar power versus coal-based electricity supply
Air pollution 34
Weather and climate change: connecting the dots
36
Development of coastal setback lines
Stepping up the safe management of chemicals: CAIA insight
Wastewater management 50
Unlocking the potential of anaerobic digestion
53
Minimising the wastewater impact in paper-making
Tetrapak turns trash to cash
21
32
Plant & equipment 55 55
‘Boss’ of the refuse industry Multi-million wind energy contract
Product news 56 56
RPMASA’s Happy Drum Project
57 60
Rave reviews for glass campaign
New waste management by-law for Cape Town
Mariannhill Landfill snapshots
53 RéSource August 2011 – 1
making an impact We at Mondi South Africa, one of the country’s largest manufacturers of plastic packaging products, have demerged our packaging division to form a new brand, Mpact. With our new brand, we create growth opportunities with increased ƎH[LELOLW\ while making a PACT to ensure continued e[cellence. In addition to this, we gain a renewed energy to bring more innovation, increased sustainability and a positive service delivery to our clients. With a new impact and the knowledge and H[SHULHQFH we have gained over the years, we are ready to take on our future!
Azteca 3mĆž
when simplicity
rhymes with solidity In launching this Azteca - Mpact Plastic Containers is working together with clients and communities in the selective collection and sorting of waste. These containers are manufactured in 3 variations:
Âş Azteca 3mĆž - Paper Bank Âş Azteca 3mĆž - Bottle Bank Âş Azteca 3mĆž - General Recycling Bank All three of these containers are used for bulk recycling applications. The container dimensions are all standard, with customised openings to accommodate the VSHFLĆŹF waste collection application.
Resistant. Strong. Practical. (ĆŻcient.
Mpact Plastic Containers:
Dimension
PP [ PP [ PP
Weight
130 kg
Load
1219 kg/ unit
Volume
3mĆž
Neil Hare Rd, Atlantis, 7350. Tel: +27 21 577 1200. FD[ 9 Piet Pretorious St, Brits, 0250. Tel: +27 12 250 9100. FD[
President's comment
Cleaning up the health care waste industry
T
he IWMSA hosted the 2nd Biennial Health Care Waste Summit and Expo 2011 in Johannesburg on 16 and 17 May 2011. The summit was highly successful with more than 90 delegates taking part and contributing to a lively discussion and debate on certain hot topics. The main issues identified during the summit, which require further action, included: • The apparent lack of capacity of treatment facilities for the management of health-care waste. • The need for appropriate training of health-care waste generators. • The need for standardised specifications and tender processes for government tenders. • The need to address the problems associated with non-compliance, illegal activities and improper behaviour of service providers in the health-care waste industry. Unfortunately, in the process of trying to move forward and address these issues, the IWMSA constantly finds itself up against members attempting to derail the process and be as obstructive as they can. In this regard, certain members of the Health Care Waste Forum ‘broke away’ to form an independent organisation, namely the African Medical Waste Association (AMWA). Judging from their criticisms in various press reports, their view is that the IWMSA needs to be investigated and that the IWMSA cannot be reformed from within. It is ironic that these self same members have opted to remain members of the IWMSA and make themselves available
for election to the Health Care Waste Forum committee! The IWMSA is committed to moving forward and resolving the challenges facing the health-care waste industry and, to this end, is engaging with government at a high level to resolve the impasse that has arisen. On a happier note, it is interesting to see that our membership has been steadily growing from a low of 688 in 2005 to the current high of 904 at the end of the 2010/2011 financial year. This can be attributed to a growing recognition of the IWMSA, with employers and government organisations citing membership of the IWMSA as a condition in tender processes. We believe it is also the result of a successful communications and marketing strategy. The education and training portfolio has also been very active in this first half of the year, with a number of accredited and non-accredited courses being offered. The branches have been running a number of courses in the various regions and they have been well attended. Training and education remains the number one priority for the IWMSA, particularly in terms of local government, where there is a dearth of trained and experienced waste management personnel. As a result of challenges that have arisen in recent years with regard to certain service providers behaving unethically and in non-compliance of the law, the IWMSA is investigating the possibility of an accreditation/registration process through which all members of the IWMSA would need to be accredited/registered. We are, with this
Stan Jewaskiewitz, president, IWMSA in mind, in the process of appointing the Centre for Environmental Management at the North-West University to carry out a survey for the development of an accreditation and registration body for waste operators. Members will be consulted during the process and kept up to date on progress. We are currently reviewing the Constitution and Code of Ethics and will be sending the proposed changes out to our membership to approve. Please review these carefully and make sure that you vote for the amendments so that we can ensure that our Constitution and Code of Ethics remain relevant in these changing times! On another note, it is almost the time of the year when delegates from around the world meet at COP 17, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The COP 17–CMP 7, scheduled to take place at the end of November, will mark a critical moment in the ongoing international climate change negotiations. The IWMSA has been invited to take part in this event, both as a contributor to a white paper on ‘Greenhouse Gas Control through ZERO WASTE in Africa’, and as an exhibitor. Organisation members who are keen to partner with the IWMSA at the exhibition are urged to contact the head office for further details. Regards Stan Jewaskiewitz President, IWMSA
Patron members of the IWMSA
RéSource August 2011 – 3
Editor's comment Publisher: Elizabeth Shorten Editor: Candice Landie Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600, candice@3smedia.co.za Creative executive head: Frédérick Danton Graphic designer: Hayley Moore Mendelow Chief sub-editor: Cindy Maulgue Sub-editor: Danielle Hugo Production manager: Antois-Leigh Botma Financial manager: Andrew Lobban Marketing: Luzanne Munroe Subscriptions sales: Cindy Cloete Administrator: Tonya Hebenton Distribution coordinator: Asha Pursotham Printers: United Litho Johannesburg Tel: +27 (0)11 402 0571 Advertising sales: Tania Milic Tel: +27 (0)12 331 5168 tania@dfcom.co.za
Publisher: MEDIA No.4, 5th Avenue Rivonia, 2191 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Share Call: 086 003 3300 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 www.3smedia.co.za Annual subscription: R160.00 (incl VAT) South Africa cindy@3smedia.co.za ISSN 1680-4902 The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa Tel: +27 (0)11 675 3462 E-mail: iwmsa@telkomsa.net
All material herein RéSource is copyright-protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or editor, but those of the author or other contributors under whose name contributions may appear, unless a contributor expresses a viewpoint or opinion in his or her capacity as an elected office bearer of a company, group or association. © Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.
ReSource is endorsed by:
Don’t judge a landfill site by its name
N
South Africa has witnessed a marked ow that the August issue is offiincrease in the intensity and frequency cially out, there is just one more of extreme storms, bringing issues edition of ReSource to go before such as coastal erosion and shoreline we round up 2011. I’m sorry; I know retreat into sharp focus. The article this cliché has been used to death, but I focuses on the development of setback have to say it: where has this year gone? lines in accordance with the National As I write this editor’s note, I’ve Environmental Management: Integrated just gotten back from a tour at the Coastal Management Act and NEMA. Mariannhill landfill site in Durban. Also on the agenda is the issue of solar Durban Solid Waste (DSW) manages the power use in Africa as a main energy landfill site and hosts three-hour-long source. A special ‘thank you’ is owed educational tours to interested schools, to the Sustainable Energy Society of colleges, etc. So I decided that instead Southern Africa (SESSA) for its input on of simply meeting with a consultant the matter. onsite and going through the techniFor those of you who attended the cal aspects (which have been covered Health Care Waste Summit in May extensively in ReSource), I would join and were as impressed with Stuart these students on the educational tour – Hamilton’s presentation as I was, you and I’m glad I did! will be happy to know that he has conMariannhill Landfill is the only landfill tributed a feature on the destruction of site in the world (yes, the world!) to pharmaceuticals based on this presentareceive Conservancy status. The site tion. On the solid waste front, we have boasts an impressive conversancy site an interesting paper on sustainable complete with 80 different species of waste mining. The City of Cape Town birds, a bird-hide, a forest-like nature currently disposes of approximately trail nestled in an abundance of flora 2.5 million tonnes of general municipal and fauna, duikers, snakes, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, wetlands and an waste per annum, and is looking ahead at integrating its waste management educational boma that is used for presstrategies, which includes the incorporaentations and talks during the tours. tion of the mining of landfill waste. The tours teach students about the But before I give too much content importance of conserving ecosystems, away, let me wrap things up and leave why and how to recycle, the concept of you to enjoy the penultimate edition of separation at source, the advantages ReSource for 2011. of wetlands and even leachate extraction and treatment for the site’s CDM Happy read reading! project, which hails as thee largest gas-to-energy project in South outh Candice Landie, editor Africa. Information on just about Cand every component that makes kes APOLOGY: ReSource extends the Mariannhill landfill sitee AP a sincere apology to presiunique is covered during the tours. Snapshots from m ddent of the IWMSA, Stan the tour are featured in JJewaskiewitz. In Stan’s profile, which was published this issue. p in the May 2011 edition, Also featured in this there were a few errors edition is a rather interth regarding his career and esting article on coastal re work history. We do apolosetback lines – a case w gise, Mr President, for any study from the Overberg Editor, Candice Landie inconvenience caused. District.The coastline of
RéSource August 2011 – 5
OILKOL
R
Oilkol and the Youth of South Africa Cradle to life responsibility At the time of writing this article, it was Youth Month in South Africa. Our future is the children and we are not paying attention to them, like we should. For this issue Oilkol decided to show its involvement with the youth of South Africa. Oilkol is not just about the environment, it is also about the people that need the environment to survive and thrive.
Bringing hope Oilkol established close ties with the KiNDERSTRAND™ in Glenmore KwaZulu-Natal. This haven at the coast was created in 1938, with the purpose of bringing poor children to the sea. South Africa has moved on, but the disadvantaged children living inland may never see the coast in their lifetimes.
Some of the generators of used oil do not want to receive money for their oil and prefer it to be donated to charity. This enables Oilkol to invest, on behalf of our customers, and also ourselves, valuable resources into the youth organisations that we focus on. Being involved in the community, it is easy to become unfocussed, not making a difference in the end. The youth of our country is the future and it is part of Oilkol's strategy to concentrate considerable resources on them. We focus on bringing hope, education, training, safety and security to disadvantaged children, among others.
KiNDERSTRAND More than 60 years ago, during one of the worst droughts in South Africa's history, a little girl's heart was touched by
KiNDERSTRAND 30 years
086 110 1961
ISO 14001: 2004 CERTIFIED
E OILKOL TH
the poverty and misery which surrounded her. So she sent her entire savings of 10 shillings to the editor of Die Vaderland, asking him to buy a gift or two for needy children. This simple gesture resulted in money pouring in, to help underprivileged children all over South Africa. The money was used to establish the KiNDERSTRAND™ in 1938. Its main objective is providing a holiday destination at the sea for needy children. A complex was built at Glenmore on the Natal South Coast, comprising a school, a hall, sleeping quarters, dining hall, a well-equipped kitchen and a sick bay. Every year since then underprivileged children from all over the country are given the opportunity of a lifetime – a holiday at the sea and a chance to dream of a better future.
All the children deserve the right to a happy childhood – KiNDERSTRAND™ helps to make it possible. Together with KiNDERSTRAND™, Oilkol is trying to create hope of a brighter future for our youth. The activities offered at the KiNDERSTRAND™ range from Ecotraining to just experiencing the sea. Creating a future for orphans Orphanages are struggling to survive financially. Oilkol is involved in trying to create a constant stream of income for the Abraham Kriel orphanage to enable them to become financially self sustaining. The orphanage uses an Oilkol vehicle to earn an income. This vehicle is provided and maintained free of charge to the orphanage. If you have a need for transport and want to utilise the services of Abraham Kriel Emdeni transport services contact Lenie van der Walt at 086 110 1961. The insurance on this vehicle is kindly sponsored by our insurance brokers Anré Makelaars in Krugersdorp. (Contact Willie Smit at 011 955 5660.)
KiNDERSTRAND Four times a year, a group of 120 children between the ages of 9-18, travel down to Glenmore to spend 10 funfilled days of sun, sea, laughter and friendship. It's a chance to meet children from other parts of the country, as well as from other cultures because KiNDERSTRAND™ is totally non-racial. During their time at the coast, the children are involved in a variety of programmes, comprising life skills, nature conservation, relationship skills, and adventure and once a week the children are taken on a day-trip to Margate, to visit the amusement park. Many of our past participants have returned to KiNDERSTRAND™ and told us of how much it meant to them. For most children, it's their first time to experience a life other than one filled with poverty and misery. It is a chance to dream of a better future.
30 years
Truck supplied by Oilkol to the orphanage What happens to orphans when they leave school and have to leave the orphanage? When orphans leave school, they have to leave the orphanage and placing them somewhere where they can be employed is a challenge. In an effort to assist in addressing this challenge, Oilkol started a driver training scheme. Oilkol employs the services of APLHA Driving School (011 660 4127) to assist with the training. ALPHA also trains and annually evaluates all Oilkol drivers. For this purpose Oilkol has made a truck available to ALPHA Driving School to enable it to train these drivers. This scheme is not limited only to orphans. This truck is dedicated to driver training and used by ALPHA to also train members of the public. The insurance on this vehicle
Email: info@oilkol.co.za ISO 14001: 2004 CERTIFIED
E OILKOL TH
is kindly sponsored by our insurance brokers Anré Makelaars in Krugersdorp.
Thusong Daycare Centre in Kagiso, Krugersdorp is for physically and mentally challenged children. These special needs children are the responsibility of us all and Oilkol is involved in the continuous development of the centre. Thusong projects on the go
Truck supplied by Oilkol for driver training
Various projects are on the go. In one of our projects we created a vegetable garden that feeds 123 people daily. Excess vegetables are sold for additional income. The next step in this project is the erection of plastic tunnels over the vegetable gardens.
Six orphans employed by Oilkol to date Abraham Kriel Emdeni Orphanage identifies the children interested in qualifying as truck drivers and we provide training for ten drivers per annum. Oilkol sponsors the training and offers the opportunity to these newly qualified drivers to gain experience and find employment. Caring for those that are unable to Mentally and physically challenged people are not adequately provided for. Many of these special needs children are left in the care of poor or absent parents. The conditions and treatment they have to suffer has to touch all of us and like a wise man once said: “You can give without caring, but you cannot care without giving.”
Vegetable garden We also started a composting project that mainly creates compost for our future vegetable gardens as the soil quality is unsuitable for gardening, but we hope that we will one day also be selling compost to Oilkol and the community. Composting is also an activity that the children can participate in without fear of injury. The idea is not to exploit the children, but to give them something useful to do.
Compost heaps
30 years
E OILKOL TH
ISO 14001: 2004 CERTIFIED
Upgrading facilities of Thusong Day Care Centre The next project that we will be launching soon will be the creation of suitable permanent buildings that will provide all their needs and also move them out of the temporary structures they find themselves in. The buildings are quite unique as they can be erected in a very short time and will last for a 100 years. Should they ever have to move from their premises, the buildings can be relocated. The geysers in these buildings will kindly be provided by WE Geysers (Pty) Ltd, the only geyser with a ten year guarantee. For more details on the geysers contact Ettienne Holder at 011 769 1387
KiNDERSTRAND
Pilot project for the new facilities at Thusong Centre
KiNDERSTRAND
Other companies in Chamdor have joined forces with us and are assisting Thusong Centre in creating work for the children that is intended to keep them busy. Being busy for special needs children is important as it has therapeutic value. The long-term objective is making the centre self-sustaining, but it does create a much-needed sense of self for the children. Should you feel the need to assist in this project please do not hesitate to call Helen at 086 110 1961. Why did we write this article? Simply to say: Come on guys, our country needs us; our children need us. Get involved and let us as the waste industry make a concerted effort to help invent the future!
Oilkol, caring for the environment, because we care!
30 years
KiNDERSTRAND E OILKOL TH
ISO 14001: 2004 CERTIFIED
Solid waste
A SERVICE DELIVERY ISSUE
Privatisation of waste management SA has experienced many changes in the waste management industry over the last 25 years. Although many of these have been for the good, it is unfortunate that, in certain instances, change has been non-existent, with some situations actually getting worse. by Stan Jewaskiewitz
H
Uncollected waste piling up on street corners and in open areas
Illegal dumping of waste in open areas
10 – RéSource August 2011
aving lived through some interesting times, although we are still experiencing change, we still face basic challenges in terms of waste management ser vice deliver y today. We now have much-improved legislation in terms of both the environment and waste management. However, we appear to have gone backwards when it comes to ser vice deliver y. We still have problems with the fundamental aspects of waste management, namely collection and disposal. Collection at municipal level and, in particular, in informal and rural areas, still leaves much to be desired and huge backlogs are evident in many of our towns. One of the fundamental building blocks in any waste management system is the provision of adequate disposal facilities, which are properly designed, constructed and operated to minimise the impact on the environment. These issues remain a major challenge as there is ample evidence of non-existent or poorly managed disposal facilities, which can only be described as dumps. So what is the reason for this? • Lack of qualified and experienced staff to fulfill the various roles in waste management. • Lack of adequate finance or budget to carr y out these ser vices. In consultation with various municipalities, these issues generally come to the fore. In many cases, although staff engaged in waste management are enthusiastic and endeavour to improve their skills in waste management and provide the required ser vices to their communities, they become frustrated owing to a lack of support from senior officials and councils and, more
Solid waste
importantly, the shortage of funding. We then have an interesting situation in that, when looking at solutions to these challenges, high-tech solutions imported from elsewhere tend to be considered, with little consideration given to the high cost and sustainability issues associated with them. Unfortunately, in some cases, politician involvement in these initiatives is self-ser ving and a contributing factor to their failure. The new Waste Act and National Waste Management Strategy have, as their main objectives, waste prevention, minimisation, recycling, energy recover y and disposal. So, when considering the
Uncontrolled dumping of waste, with no compaction or covering to prevent the development of odours and fly infestations, on a municipal landfill site
There is ample evidence of non-existent or poorly managed disposal facilities, which can only be described as dumps challenges we face, the question is: how are we going to implement this? It is becoming increasingly evident that the only way this situation can be resolved is for municipalities to investigate alternative means of ser vice deliver y, including privatisation. These would include: • Contracting out the various ser vices directly to private contractors, over three- or five-year contract periods. • A public-private-partnership (PPP), wherein the municipality partners with the private sector, which provides the financing and operational ser vices. • A concession wherein a private sector company is granted a long-term concession to implement and operate a waste management system. In order for a municipality to consider one of these options, an investigation in terms of Section 78 of the Local Government, Municipal Systems Act (No. 32 of 2000) would need to be carried
Waste dumped and being burnt illegally (creating a pollution hazard) out. Important considerations in this process would be the issue of labour which is employed by the municipality and the cost of the ser vice to be provided. Existing labour needs to be accommodated within the municipal structures or by the private company that is being engaged to carr y out the ser vice. The cost of the ser vice also needs to be realistic and sustainable. In conclusion, it would appear that, for the majority of municipalities, privatisation may be the way to go if we are to provide a significant improvement in
waste management ser vices and comply with the objectives of the Waste Act and NWMS.
Service delivery strikes
RéSource August 2011 – 11
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Solid waste
INSIGHT INTO THE FINDINGS OF AN INVESTIGATION AT COASTAL PARK
Sustainable waste mining in South Africa The City of Cape Town currently disposes of approximately 2.5 million tonnes of general municipal waste per annum and is looking ahead at integrating its waste management strategies, including the sustainability of mining landfill waste. by R Emery* and A Lindgren**
T
he ability to establish new landfill sites, as well as social and environmental responsibilities, requires the City of Cape Town (CoCT) to look at alternative forms of waste management. The immediate question that arises is whether the mining of landfill waste is sustainable, viable and a true opportunity for improved waste management. A trial mining operation was carried out at Coastal Park, at five different locations on the site, each with varying ages of waste. Over 250 t of waste was extracted and characterised. The benefits of manual versus mechanical separation were reviewed.
• avoiding groundwater contamination • recovery of recyclables • reuse of land.
Historical practice of mining old waste internationally
The site The Coastal Park landfill site is located within the former South Peninsula
At the 2009 Sardinia International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, D Geysen presented a paper on the mining of waste and the benefits of what he refers to as ‘enhanced landfill mining’ (ELFM), largely aimed towards planning how to dispose of waste at landfills for future extraction. Geysen talks of landfills becoming ‘stockpiles’. The very first mining-of-waste activity was done in Israel in 1953. Other such projects have also subsequently been undertaken, in the USA (Naples) in 1986, India (Mumbai) in 1989, the USA (Edinburg) in 1994, Germany in 1994, the USA (New York) in 1999 to 2001 and the Netherlands in 1999 to 2001. The purposes of all of the above projects were primarily: • recovery of compost/soil for reuse • reclamation of landfill capacity
The physical mining of old waste The general process followed was: • Meet those ‘in the know’ of how the site was managed from inception (1980s). • Agree on the methodology of extracting the ‘old’ waste, sorting and evaluating. • Agree on the equipment to be used for screening the waste. • Decide on the locations (and number of these) for excavating the ‘old’ waste. • Physically carry out the exploration. • Report on the findings.
(although this level varies greatly over the site area).
The methodology • Waste was uncovered from five different locations on the site, all within 300 m of the sorting operations. • A minimum of five truck loads was taken from each location and sorted. • 10 m³ (mimimum) trucks were used to transfer the waste to the sorting area. • All operations were monitored by a responsible person at all times. Sequence of events • The contractor constructed sorting infrastructure. • The contractor removed all topsoil (temporary capping) from the waste area for each location.
The very first mining-of-waste activity was done in Israel in 1953. Other such projects have also subsequently been undertaken administration area of the CoCT and is approximately 8.5 km east of Muizenberg on the Cape Flats. A permit was issued by the DWAF, authorising the use of the site for waste disposal with conditions and classifying the site as a GLB+ site on 16 May 2000. The wet-weather water table is generally > 2 m below NGL. The natural ground level ranges from approximately 5 to 6 m above mean sea level. The ‘old waste’ in the unlined phase 1 area extends vertically from near the groundwater table up to approximately 12 m above mean sea level
• The contractor carried out a topographical survey before removing waste for each location. • The contractor excavated waste and loaded it onto a 10 m³ (min.) truck (which equated to approximately five truck loads per hole). • Trucks were weighed at the weighbridge (empty and full-level with vertical sides of the truck), the net weight was recorded and then the waste was offloaded onto the sorting platform. • Any bags were split by hand on the platform. All large fractions were removed,
RéSource August 2011 – 13