S O L I D WA S T E TECHNOLOGIES SA
FEATURE
waste, ONE MAN’S
treasure ANOTHER MAN’S
SWTSA is proof of the opportunity that exists within South Africa’s waste sector, as South Africa Magazine discovers.
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Sold Waste Technologies SA FEATURE
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olid Waste Technologies SA (Pty) Ltd (SWTSA) was established in 1993 to seek business opportunities within the waste sector in South Africa. The company, led by visionary CEO Edgar Adams, conducted research into various waste technologies internationally and eventually signed agreements with the very best in the UK and United States. Some of these technologies include waste to energy, automatic waste recycling systems and the manufacturing of products from recycled materials. They all represent vast opportunity. But why? Well, our daily lives generate a lot of solid waste, not only directly in the home, but also indirectly in factories that manufacture goods purchased by consumers. Solid waste management is a system for handling this; SWTSA seeks opportunity in that very basic fact. “SWTSA was formed in 1993 with the aim of being the best waste technological company in Africa, providing high standard health care risk waste services,” says Adams, an ambitious entrepreneur, with 29 years experience in the industry and a determination to turn waste “into something useful”. “Waste to energy, waste recycling and those things are a fantastic business opportunity, especially in South Africa,” says Adams. “We see solid waste as the ideal alternative energy source,” he continues. “It is a great way to turn discarded trash into a renewable source of energy, which can provide homes with heat and electricity and be beneficial for the environment at the same time. “When our waste is turned to energy, there is less space required in our landfills.
It is well known that waste to renewable energy programmes reduce the demand for harmful fossil fuels, because the energy received from these programmes can be used instead,” Adams adds. SWTSA is “not quite in ready” to generate electricity from waste just yet, but it has “done the groundwork”. Approvals are underway. “We haven’t produced any electricity yet,” says Adams. “But we are ready to do it. We are in the process of notifying the Department of Environmental Affairs of our intentions. The legal aspects need resolving, but in terms of the mechanics, we can do it; we have researched thoroughly, have the technology and have the experience. “We are confident we’ll get approval and our waste will be used to generate electricity for our plant and the surrounding areas,” he adds. Adams says Eskom has an enormous challenge to match demand and supply in the near future. Renewables are set to contribute a lot more. “Renewables are an area of huge opportunity,” he admits. “As well as energy from waste, we have entered the solar market. We have signed an agreement with Solairedirect SA and it is our vision to join with them to penetrate the market in Africa. It has huge potential. “These are not the only areas of interest; we are involved in many different parts of the waste management industry. One of our more important markets is medical waste,” Adams continues. “SWTSA is a preferred health waste partner in South Africa with Stericycle, the largest health care waste systems supplier in the world. We are the owners of a 25-ton a day processing plant in Cape Town with a monthly capacity of 1200-
We see solid waste as the ideal alternative energy source
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Sold Waste Technologies SA FEATURE
We are the only health care risk waste tons and a plant at City Deep in Gauteng with a daily capacity of company with a 50 tons and a monthly capacity national footprint of 2,540-tons.” The proper disposal of and have the medical waste is one of the most pressing, yet least talked largest treatment about, aspects of our society. A huge amount of medical waste capacity in South is properly disposed of every Africa year, Adams says, and as new technology continues to adapt, offering clean and safe medical waste removal, regulated medical waste will continue to be disposed of in a neat and virtually silent way. That being said, the system of waste disposal (especially medical) is not yet flawless, he admits. “I don’t think the South African medical waste stream is on a par with what is happening in Europe and the US. The biggest problem we have is in terms of sorting on site. People are not properly trained at hospitals to sort waste and things often end up going into 4
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the wrong container. I think we will solve the problem,” Adams says. “There is always more to do or that could be done, even in the most developed waste management markets,” he adds. “But I am delighted with what we have achieved and continue to achieve. We have grown this company from a company that had a zero customer base to a leader in South Africa. I see that the opportunities in this field are big, if you have the right knowledge and experience. “We are looking at listing the business and the potential for our development is huge; we have been inundated by companies from Africa who want us to join them; they have asked us to put our technology into the market, into Africa. I see that is taking place in 2011/12. Africa needs South Africa and
BCL , part of the Berco Group of Companies, has provided a holistic medical waste management service to generators including the specialised containment, transportation in permitted vehicles and disposal via high temperature licenced incinerator for the past 14 years in the Western Cape. BCL is planning expansion into other provinces utilizing the Ai-Tec Macroburn VMED 500C during 2011 to ensure certain waste streams including anatomical waste is incinerated as per legislation.
Contact details:
Tel: 021 955 2447 Fax: 021 955 0283 Email: info@bclmedicalwaste.co.za
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S R A YE Y
TR ON G!
South Africa needs Africa. If we can all go together we can create an environment that works well and we can move quite far. I am confident that the Government is behind us; the Department of Environment is giving us full support and guidance.” Adams says that over the last six months SWTSA has been approached by a number of individuals, groups and bodies offering finance, noticing the obvious potential the firm is showing. “We’ve had it all, from banks to equity partners; they want to work with us to take things further and grow the market. “Within SWT Investment holdings we have SWT Medical Waste Technologies, SWT Properties, and SWT Energy - which has projects in Methane gas, Coal waste, Waste to Energy and Solar. There is potential everywhere.” SWTSA is the only health care risk waste company with a national footprint and has the largest treatment capacity in South Africa. END
AN S DS TILL GOING
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