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Editor Nombulelo Manyana Managing editor Alastair Currie Head of design Beren Bauermeister Designer Lizette Jonker Chief sub-editor Tristan Snijders Contributors Sathisha Barath, Emma Bleeker, Brendon Jewaskiewitz, Stan Jewaskiewitz, Nick Mannie, Anton Nahman, PaulaAnn Novotny, Suzan Oelofse, Garyn Rapson, Michelle Roux, Chris Wiid, Eckart Zollner

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A NEW DAWN for WASTE MANAGEMENT

he growing urban population is

Tinevitably increasing the amount of waste generated, thus also prompting an increase in waste volumes going to landfill sites.

Not only is landfilling unsustainable, with most South African major cities set to run out of landfill airspace by 2030 but, if it is not managed effectively, it can be detrimental to the environment and human health. Cities need to start seeing waste as a valuable resource and adopt sustainable waste management habits that promote the three Rs: reuse, recycle and recover.

This includes promoting separation of waste at source, funding sustainable mechanisms of waste disposal, educating the public on waste management, and developing an effective Integrated Waste Management Plan.

Updating legislation

The good news is that the South African government has already started upping the ante by updating key legislation in order to promote circularity within the waste sector.

The updating of the regulations around plastic carrier bags and plastic flat bags will promote circularity in waste management and product development by ensuring that these plastic bags are made up of household, industrial and commercial waste diverted from landfills. The bags must be made from a minimum of 50% post-consumer recyclate from 1 January 2023, 75% of recycled materials from the start of 2025, and comprise 100% post-consumer recyclate from 1 January 2027.

Additionally, the ongoing conversation around extended producer responsibility schemes also outlines a new approach to waste management in South Africa, which places greater responsibility on the producers and manufacturers of waste.

Personal initiatives

We have also seen a positive rise in initiatives set up by various companies to play their part in reducing waste to landfill – from Woolworths scrapping plastic bags in 50 of its stores, to Coca-Cola South Africa and BanQu launching an innovative payment platform to empower informal waste reclaimers.

All of these initiatives seem to be signalling a dawn for the South African waste sector and ushering in a generation of ecowarriors determined to tackle our waste crisis. In this issue, we take a look at how the waste management sector is adapting to all of these changes and what the various players in the sector are doing to manage waste more effectively.

Nombulelo