challenges of waste management in south africa

Most of the waste generated by industry (especially metallurgical) and agriculture are disposed of disposed of on the industrial or agricultural premises, with little information available on quantities, qualities or management thereof. Contact our London head office or media team here. About IWMSA. But South Africa recently incorporated objectives of sustainability and social justice into its constitution. Setting targets to minimize waste generation and pollution at source and promoting a hierarchy of waste management practices, namely reduction of waste at source, reuse and recycling with safe disposal as the last resort. “In the era of industrialization, mining and heavy industry became a major factor in the national economy” (Schreck, 1998). The outcome of these effects can be described in terms of governance Trialogue Model (Figure 2). This includes population growth, economic growth, income, level of urbanisation and the globalisation of the recyclables market. Patricia et al 2013 pointed out that waste management is one of the major challenges of urban management in Sub Saharan African countries. According to (Karani & Jewasikiewitz, 2007), in the past, the waste management sector was dominated by private sector with selective operations in what makes business sense through recycling of saleable products. This may involve additional mechanisms and processes that include the following: Improving product and packaging designs to reduce resource consumption; Changing marketing and sales approaches to influence consumer perceptions and behaviour; “Extended Producer Responsibilities” (EPR) of producers of products, which may require producers to accept their used products back for recycling. If the value of processed mineral products such as refined base metals, ferroalloys, iron and steel, and refinery products produced from coal were included, about 60 percent of South African export revenue would have come from mineral-based products. Causes and Effects Of Poor Waste Management, Effect of Improper waste disposal to the environment. Hazardous waste – is waste containing or contaminated by poison, corrosive agents, flammable or explosive substances, chemical or any other substance which may pose detrimental or chronic impacts on human health and the environment. Air pollution by dust releases from particularly mine residue deposits, but also general and hazardous waste sites (methane gas production) and HCRW incinerators. Not based on notions of sustainability, the early gold-economy was simply an extractive industry with little consideration given to possibly adverse long-term effects. Several challenges have plagued the South African mining industry in particular over the past few years – a key driver of the country’s economy. Plastics need to be separated from non-recyclables at the source – in the homes of citizens, at restaurants, stores, hotels and businesses. In 1997, the trend in the table shows that mining was still leading in waste generation while a decline was realized in industrial, domestic and trade and sewage. Because minerals in South Africa are highly diversified, plentiful, and profitable, government has allowed the industry to be privileged, enabling it to maximize profits. AFRICA INSTITUTE OF SOUTH AFRICA BRIEFINg NO 81 SEPTEMBER 2012 Rates and quantities of solid-waste generation, composition and disposition vary across Africa, Waste generation rates in South Africa in 1992 and 1997a. To make sure that those who generate waste or contaminate the environment should pay the full costs of their actions through the principle of pollute pays and producer responsibility. In fact, the quantity of wastes arriving to a treatment/disposal facility may even increase over a period of time because of the industrial growth, unless waste minimization measures are implemented and enforced. The mixed nature of general waste, the high proportion of recyclable material going to landfill, and the presence of small quantities of hazardous wastes are key challenges that need to be addressed. This trend could be as a result of international standards that impact directly on waste generation. Inadequate funding by the government is one of the reasons why some countries are facing poor waste management. Steps towards effective management of hazardous wastes, and these are: Waste characteristics, including waste types, degree of hazards, chemical and physical stability, waste compatibilities, and the ability to segregate ignitable, reactive or incompatible wastes. Table 2 shows that a small number of total waste streams in gold, platinum group metals, and antimony mining, and most of the waste in zinc refining have to be rated as hazardous with acid cyanide-containing goldmine effluents representing the largest hazardous waste stream in mining. It also reduces the volume and allows opportunities for the recovery of energy from waste. Although hazardous waste is produced by practically all areas of society, some of the worst waste produced, with a legacy of the poorest controls, comes from the mines and industries. The choice of disposal should be based on evaluation of economics and potential pollution risks. For example, in coal and other mining operations, surrounding downwind areas, which are not owned by mining firms, are often subject to dust particles emanating from the mines. Inadequately disposed of or untreated waste may cause serious health problems for populations surrounding the area of disposal. The future has great potential for South Africa’s waste sector as Africa’s solid waste is expected to double in volume by 2025. There are large backlogs in the waste collection services, with the General Household Survey of 2007 indicating that 39% of households are receiving a regular waste collection service. Best available technology (BAT) for handling the particular wastes. Land, the focus being on provision of suitable locations for landfills and waste services. Promoting cleaner production and establishing mechanisms to ensure continuous improvements in best practices in all areas of environmental management. Consider extended producer responsibility as a means to emphasize waste minimization. Assessment of the environmental and health impacts of the wastes, if such waste reaches critical human and ecological receptors. More specifically: Pollution of watercourses and groundwater by leaching of pollutants from waste inappropriately disposed of, or where waste management service provision is inadequate, particularly evident for dense urban informal settlements. and power industries, ore extraction, pulp and paper, petrochemical industries, etc. South Africa’s re-integration into the global economy and the Southern African political arena necessitates an improved pollution and waste management system. The analysis is based on a study by the Department of Environment Affairs on Hazardous Waste in South Africa which among others estimates hazardous and non-hazardous waste streams for different sectors (Department of Environmental Affairs [DEA], 1992a) and assesses the economic impact of alternative policies towards hazardous waste management (Department of Environmental Affairs [DEA], 1992b). 1). The rest of the waste materials estimated at 10.2 million tons of both general and hazardous end up in landfills. Integrated Waste Management (IWM) maintains that waste management can be planned in advance because the nature, composition and quantities of waste generated can be predicted. We share our knowledge and peer-reveiwed research papers with libraries, scientific and engineering societies, and also work with corporate R&D departments and government entities. Mosidi Makgae (August 23rd 2011). 119-125. Poverty encourages salvaging on waste sites for recyclables, refuge materials, fuel and food. By implication, it will require a conscious, comprehensive and intentional decision and effort by all stakeholders to ensure that waste and the secondary effects of poor waste management can be reduced through waste minimization to increase landfill site lifecycles and the environment. Proper waste management is the set of provisions for the collection, transportation and environmentally sound disposal of waste. This includes: Waste Prevention: the prevention or avoidance of the production of certain wastes, sometimes by regulation. According to the outdated 2011 national waste information baseline (NWIB), South Africa generated ~108 million tonnes of waste in 2011. Materials mostly recycled included paper and hard board, plastics, glass, tinplate and aluminum. Currently, the population of sub-Saharan Africa is around 1 billion as of the year 2019, the amount of generated waste is 180 million tonnes at the rate of 0.5% per capita per day, the amount that is openly dumped is 70% and the plastic waste generated annually is 17 million tonnes. To secure a reduction in the impacts from waste on human health and environment, especially to reduce the hazardous substances in the waste through precautionary principle. Today’s waste management challenges are systemic in character and cannot be tackled in isolation. Improper waste management and illegal waste shipments can have negative impacts on both environment and public health. (Department of Environmental Affairs [DEA], 2009). Publishing on IntechOpen allows authors to earn citations and find new collaborators, meaning more people see your work not only from your own field of study, but from other related fields too. - dincludes highly, moderately and low hazardous waste. Resource Recovery: recycling of wastes of one process as raw materials, or the recovery of energy through incineration or biodegradation. espite spendingD between 20% and 50% of their Patricia et al 2013 pointed out that waste management is one of the major challenges of urban management in Sub Saharan African countries. The health effects of poor waste management to the environment has many studies have investigated include: Recommended article: How to be happy in life always, Your email address will not be published. - bAgriculture is not included in the survey cincludes power generation. Pollution of watercourses and groundwater by leaching of pollutants from waste residue deposits, particularly mine and power station waste dumps. By making research easy to access, and puts the academic needs of the researchers before the business interests of publishers. For the waste sector in South Africa this means care must be given to raw material use, product design, resource efficiency, waste prevention, and minimization where avoidance is impossible. Unfortunately, many countries have sidelined the management of waste. 2. HeadquartersIntechOpen Limited5 Princes Gate Court,London, SW7 2QJ,UNITED KINGDOM. Higher costs for waste management lead to changes in macroeconomic aggregates which have to be included in the analysis. Brief introduction to this section that descibes Open Access especially from an IntechOpen perspective, Want to get in touch? Journal of Human Ecology: Vol. The condition of the municipal solid waste management (SWM) of Africa is critical. ‘First, the nature of environmental and health risks from mining makes them difficult to quantify and even more difficult to evaluate in monetary terms.

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