SwasteWaste not want
SwasteWaste not want notMunicipal waste is the most “visible” of the waste streams as we see it every day as consumers and residents. Havingworked in the South African waste sector for nearly 30 years, Professor Linda Godfrey has had the opportunity to see howthis sector has changed over the years. Service met up with the professor.WWhat are the challenges facing the waste sector in South Africa?We face a significant municipal waste problem across our citiesand towns in South Africa: the increase in illegal dumping andlittering, failure in waste collection in many towns, failure to roll outseparation at source systems across all metropolitan municipalities,secondary cities and large towns as well as non-compliance in theoperation of many of our waste disposal facilities.According to the latest General Household Survey by StatsSA,“the percentage of households whose refuse was removed at leastonce per week dipped below 60% for the first time since 2008.This decline was accompanied by an increase in the percentage ofhouseholds that reported using their own refuse dumps”.However, the difference in waste collection services between urbanand rural areas is dramatic, with only around 12% of householdsin rural areas receiving a regular weekly waste collection service.It’s not surprising then that this results in increased uncontrolleddumping and open burning of waste. The intentional burning ofwaste appears to have become a regular management practice formany of our municipalities to manage their waste, causing significantair pollution and potential human health issues for workers andlocal communities.There is also good news from the sector. We are seeing the adoptionof alternative waste treatment technologies, albeit slower than we’dlike given the fact that the waste hierarchy has been embedded inSouth African policy since 1999. But because South Africa is about20 to 30 years behind the global north in the management of waste,we can drop technologies into South Africa quickly, with a focuson technology localisation and adaptation – if we have the rightenabling environment, appropriate policy and enforcement of thatpolicy on both the public and private waste sectors.We’re also seeing innovative new technologies emerge out of ouruniversities and science councils. This has been a strong focus of theDepartment of Science and Innovation through the national WasteResearch, Development and Innovation (RDI) Roadmap; to supportthe diversion of waste away from landfill towards value-addingopportunities, including prevention of waste and the optimisedextraction of value from reuse, recycling and recovery, to createsocial, economic and environmental benefit.You led the compilation of the Waste RDI Roadmap for SouthAfrica (2015-2025). What was the roadmap’s objective? Did itmeet its objective? What happens after 2025?Over the last nine years of implementation, the Waste RDI Roadmaphas funded almost 60 research grant projects which has built muchneededskills for the sector and has produced invaluable evidenceto inform the sector, and innovative technologies, many of which arenow being further developed or implemented together with privatesector partners.For example, we’re seeing beneficial research out of the Councilfor Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Biorefinery IndustryDevelopment Facility (BIDF) on the recovery of high-valueproducts from forestry, pulp and paper sector waste streams. Thesetechnologies have the potential to reduce the environmental burdenon industries and to unlock new enterprises.The Waste RDI Roadmap, as a strategic document to guidethe investment and direction in waste research, developmentand innovation in South Africa, comes to an end now in 2025.But we won’t stop what we’re doing. There’s still so much workto be done in this space. Instead, the activities of the Waste RDIRoadmap are being incorporated into the Department of Scienceand Innovation’s new Science, Technology and Innovation for aCircular Economy (STI4CE) Strategy. This new strategy is currentlybeing finalised in response to government’s new STI Decadal Plan(2022-2032) which recognises the circular economy as a growthopportunity for South Africa.What does the circular economy mean for South Africa as adeveloping country?This concept of a circular economy – to design out pollution andwaste, to keep products and materials in use and to regeneratenatural systems – has gained a lot of traction globally and locally overthe past five or so years. There is still, unfortunately, this misnomerthat the circular economy is just about waste, or worse still, that it’sa synonym for recycling.Waste is a logical entry point into the circular economy, a “lowhanging” fruit in terms of implementing circular solutions, butthere is so much more to the circular economy than that. Thecircular economy is about sustainable resource management. Iwould go so far as to say that the circular economy is about nationalresource-security in support of socio-economic development30 | Service magazine
– through sustainable resource utilisation. This iswhy transitioning to a more circular economy is nolonger a nice-to-have, but an economic, social andenvironmental imperative for every country.Research by the CSIR has shown that resourcescarcity is a driver for South Africa to transition toa more circular economy. We’ve seen the impactsof energy insecurity on the national economy, andwater insecurity on regional and local economies.Available information suggests that South Africahas 18 critical and strategic minerals, five of whichhave less than 50 years of economically viable miningremaining, assuming no new reserves are found.And unfortunately, more than 90% of these mineralsare exported leaving us with little ability to recoverthem at end of product life and reintroduce theseresources back into the South African economy.Materials insecurity, particularly for non-renewableresources, is a reality for South Africa, as it is for allcountries. I believe that the circular economy alsopresents significant opportunities for South Africaand Africa – a different kind of growth path for thecontinent – a more sustainable, low-carbon, efficientand sufficient growth path that meets the needs ofall, and with it the potential to create significant jobs.And that’s incredibly exciting.Zero organic waste to landfill policy sends the rightsignals to the private sector which will move to adoptand invest in appropriate technologies for SouthAfrica. We hope that the gazetting of the mandatoryExtended Producer Responsibility will have the samebenefits for South Africa – increased investment inappropriate technologies to beneficiate these wastestreams locally and keep these resources (and jobs) inthe country for as long as possible before they mustenter the global market. SProfessor Linda Godfrey, PrIncipal Scientist, CSIRHOW MUNICIPALITIES CAN TURN ORGANIC WASTE INTO A RESOURCEUp to 40%* of all landfilled waste takes up unnecessary space, as it isboth organic and biodegradable. This so-called “organic waste”, whichincludes food, garden and agricultural waste, makes up a significantportion of municipal solid waste in South Africa.“This is an opportunity that has to be tapped into,” says MpenduloGinindza, past president of the Institute of Waste Management ofSouthern Africa. “The correct treatment of organic waste matters. Itprotects the climate by reducing methane emissions from our landfills,reduces waste, recycles organic materials into valuable compost andcreates green jobs.”Approaches neededThe government has implemented several initiatives to address theproblem, including the National Environmental Management WasteAct (NEMWA), which encourages waste diversion from landfills throughrecycling, composting and anaerobic digestion.“Composting is seen as a cost-effective method of organic wastediversion,” Ginindza explains. “However, municipalities are alsorequired to develop integrated waste management plans that includeorganic waste, but these are often not executed to their full potential.”Ginindza points out that some local urban areas show promisinginitiatives. The Western Cape and Gauteng have more developedorganic waste recycling programmes, with food waste and gardenwaste collection.“The Western Cape region has a complete organic waste diversiontarget of 2027. Since 2022, home composting efforts have increased,with the City of Cape Town rolling out home composting bins andraising awareness of the importance of composting.”Organic wasteAccording to Ginindza, there is no single challenge that hinders SouthAfrican municipalities from implementing large-scale organic wastediversion programmes.“Rather, it is a range of issues, including the implementation ofthe National Organic Waste Strategy, economic and financial viability,behavioural change and investment mechanisms,” she explains.Making a few key changes could support the transformation oforganic waste into resources like compost, biofuel or energy. Thecost factor of implementing programmes can be tackled by thinkinginnovatively about partnerships between municipalities, private sectorentities and communities.“A multi-faceted approach would involve collaboration, incentivesand shared responsibility,” Ginindza explains. “Through public-privatepartnerships (PPPs), contracting out services and joint ventures,municipalities can collaborate with private firms to build compostingfacilities, anaerobic digestion plants or biogas plants using municipalland and private investment.”She says in their goal to attract private sector involvement,municipalities can offer incentives that align with sustainability goals.“Implement tax rebates or reductions for companies that invest inorganic waste recycling infrastructure or offer waste collection andprocessing services. Green certifications or public recognition canbe given to companies participating in organic waste managementprojects, which can enhance their brand value and CSR reputation.”*According to an audit by the CSIRService magazine | 31
