Promoting integrated resources management The official journal of the is printed on 100% recycled paper Composting can save the world Circular EconomyRecycling Improved food security through circular agriculture Coca-Cola to bring a world without waste EARTH PROBIOTIC IN THE HOT SEAT Paper makers are no longer restricted to manufacturing paper and cardboard boxes. Mills can use their raw material to make bio-based products, chemicals, plastics and fuels. Not only does this have an environmental and economic benefit, but it also opens up a whole new world ." Jane Molony Executive Director at PAMSA ISSN 1680-4902 • R55.00 (incl. VAT) • Vol. 24 No. 03 • August 2022
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IN THE HOT SEAT CONTENTS August 2022 37 6 ORGANICLANDFILLSWASTE Vol. 24, No. 03, August 2022 12 ON THE COVER With the disposal of organic waste under increasing control and scrutiny, finding on-site solutions will ensure a legally and environmentally compliant waste management system. P6 REGULARS Editor’s comment 3 President’s comment 5 News round-up 8 Events 44 Index to advertisers 44 COVER STORY Composting can save the world 6 HOT SEAT Wood – the ultimate renewable resource for a circular economy 8 INSTITUTE PARTNERS Compaction technology for the toughest sites 12 A new approach to tackling waste management 14 MUNICIPAL FEATURE Turning residents’ organic waste into compost 16 LEGAL COMPLIANCE NEMLA Act to introduce major shift in SA’s environmental legislative landscape 18 RECYCLING South Africa’s newest recycling heroes 20 Coca-Cola brings a world without waste 22 PAPER The paper story 24 THOUGHT LEADER Embracing ESG is good business 26 WASTE-TO-ENERGY The power of waste 28 WASTE MANAGEMENT R44.5 million national waste management fleet launched 30 PUMPS & VALVES Energy efficiency: the key to sustainable wastewater infrastructure 33 PLASTICS V&A Waterfront signs pact to change recycling of plastic packaging 34 Make a difference where you work, live, learn or play 37 E-WASTE eWASA appoints packaging executive for Section 18 EPR 38 CIRCULAR ECONOMY Improved food security through circular agriculture 40 WATER & WASTEWATER Innovation first, waste last 43www.infrastructurenews.co.za HAZARDOUSWASTE 16 RENEWABLEENERGY For three decades, the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) has been promoting the positive economic, environmental and social story of forest-based pulp and paper products. ReSource speaks to Jane Molony, executive director at PAMSA, about the importance of sustainable forestry and fibre production in the quest for a circular, zero-waste economy. P8
With approximately 65% of the waste produced in South Africa being recyclable – meaning that it can be diverted from landfill and successfully beneficiated – focusing on recycling can have major benefits for the industry. Why aren’t we recycling? Recycling just one tonne of paper can save up to three cubic metres of landfill space, while one tonne of recycled plastic saves 5 774 kWh of energy, 16.3 barrels of oil, 98 million BTUs of energy, and 23 m3 of landfill space. Knowing that recycling can have a significant impact on landfill space and the overall health of our environment, one must ask: why are we not recycling our waste?
The main message that has come out of this edition is that recycling is a shared responsibility; rather than squarely placing the responsibility on the public and local government, we must all play our part for a better
Editor Nombulelo Manyana Managing editor Alastair Currie Editorial coordinator Ziyanda Majodina Head of design Beren Bauermeister Designer Lizette Jonker Chief sub-editor Tristan Snijders Contributors Mark Boshoff, Mpendulo Ginindza, Kirsty Kilner, Garyn Rapson, Carma Rossouw Production & client liaison manager Antois-Leigh Nepgen Group sales manager Chilomia Van Wijk Distribution manager Nomsa Masina Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham Printers Novus Print Montague Gardens Tel +27 (0)21 550 2300 Advertising sales Joanne Lawrie Cell +27 (0)82 346 joanne@3smedia.co.za5338 Publisher Jacques Breytenbach 3S Media 46 Milkyway Avenue, Frankenwald, 2090 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel +27 (0)11 233 2600 Fax +27 (0)11 234 www.3smedia.co.za7274/5 Annual subscription subs@3smedia.co.za R200.00 (incl VAT) South Africa ISSN 1680-4902 Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa Tel +27 (0)11 675 3462 Email iwmsa@iwmsa.co.za All material herein 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 of authors expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, editor or the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa. © Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Novus Holdings is a Level 2 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Contributor, with 125% recognised procurement recognition. View our BBBEE scorecard transformationhttps://novus.holdings/sustainability/here: The ABC logo is a valued stamp of measurement and trust, providing accurate and comparable circulation figures that protect the way advertising is traded. ReSource is ABC audited and certified. Nombulelo I t is no secret that South Africa’s eight Category A metropolitan municipalities all have fewer than 10 years of useful landfill life left. This is due to waste management being one of the least prioritised municipal services in most South African municipalities –significantly lagging housing, water, electricity and road infrastructure.
With South African producers now taking financial and operational responsibility for the life cycle of the products they put into the market, through the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations, it has now become even easier to recycle. Various initiatives have been launched at municipal level that make recycling easier. One such initiative is the Langa Organic Waste Diversion Project, which has diverted about 14 tonnes of organic waste from landfills since its inception in November 2021. Big corporations like Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, in partnership with PET Recycling Company (PETCO), are also ushering in a new generation of eco-champions driving recycling in their communities. In this edition of ReSource, we highlight some of the more notable initiatives that are helping to encourage recycling and better our environment.
Experts believe recycling education may be the missing link in the chain of green responsibility and sustainable living. Recycling education encourages people to act towards improving their own lives and protecting the environment, by using materials that would otherwise be considered as waste as raw materials.
The statistics make no bones about it – South Africans are notoriously bad at recycling. And while improving it is not an insurmountable obstacle, we need to be more united in our recycling efforts. to save our future
tomorrow.EDITOR’S COMMENT RECYCLING
IWMSA PATRON MEMBERS
In recent years, there has been increased coverage about the importance of recycling; however South Africans have not yet adopted the practice in their homes, offices and schools. Statistics show that only 7.5% of South Africans recycle, meaning that roughly 90% of waste produced still ends up in landfills.
We also speak to experts about the remarkable waste-to-energy treatment technologies that convert waste to electricity, heat, fuel or other usable forms of energy.
To our past president, Brendon Jewaskiewitz, who will still be a member of Council for the coming year, I really appreciated working with him as vice president and he has always given me invaluable support and guidance. The IWMSA structures, region activities and membership benefits are kept alive by a team of skilled and committed regional branch managers led by our executive officer, Nicolle de Bruyn.
This edition of the ReSource journal focuses on resource efficiency and recycling. I would like to share three Covid-19 pandemic lessons I have taken in and think we can apply in resource efficiency:
Mpendulo President,Ginindza,IWMSA
W hile it feels like yesterday that I became a member of the IWMSA in 2013, there is much to reflect on and look forward to in shaping a brighter future. When I joined the IWMSA, I was at a crossroads trying to shape my career and on a quest to find support to ensure that I achieve the goals I set while I was still a university student fascinated by science and environmental management. The Institute really opened the doors for me to grow in a field I was always passionate about. The training courses undertaken, and conferences attended, clarified my understanding on waste legislation and practices, including strengthening my networks. Get involved to make a difference
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE IWMSA, VISIT OUR WEBSITE I would like to sincerely thank you all for your confidence in the organisation I represent, the IWMSA, and in my person, to hold the presidency of the Institute till June 2024.
appointed Council and the administrative team at our offices for next two years. I would like to congratulate Patricia Schroder as the new vice president, together with the branch chairpersons who are part of the IWMSA Council.
Wastecon 2022 WasteCon (18 to 20 October 2022) – our flagship event – is drawing closer. This is the stage where we display South Africa’s resource efficiency capabilities. An exciting programme, networking and learning opportunities have been prepared. Our keynote speaker is a respected international guest, Howard Robinson. He is an environmental scientist with 47 years’ experience in landfill processes. Make sure not to miss his presentation, which is titled ‘Politicians, the press, and the public: Can they give us sustainable waste management?’ I encourage you to be a part of –and hope to see you at – this memorable event.
PRESIDENT’S COMMENT
1. Our resource management problems are not unique to us, neither are they limited by borders. Local and international cooperation and collaboration will be key in paving our way to circularity.
3. Technology has improved and changed our lives. Our resource efficiency and recycling solutions will be as good as our tech capabilities. I leave the painful memories of the pandemic
2. The weak among us are always the most vulnerable in times of trouble. Transformation and justice are required as we all work towards unlocking the value of waste.
This is my fifth year serving in the IWMSA governance structures and it has been a journey of knowledge generation and wealth of experience gained. I encourage our new and existing members to really get involved in the core business of the IWMSA so that you can reap the rewards/ benefits. One of the concerns of the founders of this organisation was the lack of education and training for anyone interested in fields relating to waste management. We will continue with this vision as we transform the industry. As I take up my presidency, I am grateful to the members who have entrusted me with this position. I look forward to working with the new
Dear Members, behind me with delight in seeing the smiles that were hidden behind masks that we used to reduce our exposure to Covid-19 infections. Let us not rush to flood our already strained landfill sites with the unused masks left in our shelves. There are still other usage functions for this resource.
Having been through a challenging two years, I believe we are an organisation that will stand together and succeed as we navigate the future. Lessons for resource efficiency
SHAPING A BRIGHTER TOMORROW
Earth Bokashi is the essential additive that enables the pre-composting of food waste. Proudly made with indigenous South African microbes
6 AUGUST 2022 | ReSource COVER STORY
The CSIR research estimates that food waste costs South Africa roughly R61.5 billion every year – with a third of the 31 million tonnes of food produced annually going to waste. Gavin Heron, co-founder at Earth Probiotic, says food waste represents a complex South African challenge, which requires a “fast, easy and cost-effective” solution.
Earth Probiotics’ on-site food waste composting solutions are environmentally friendly, and ideal for household or industrial volumes
“Food waste is a major environmental, financial and health problem in South Africa, with a high CO2e emission footprint of 627 kg/tonne when landfilled; however, pending legislation will impact how food waste is managed,” saysFoodHeron.waste is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, producing gases like methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Methane emissions alone account for 30% of global warming and if emissions from food waste were measured as a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world, after the USA andHeronChina.asserts that in order to help mitigate the effects of organic waste on the environment, climate-positive solutions need to be quickly scalable, and: • fast to implement, thus not require extensive refitting or the building of expensive additional infrastructure • easy to implement, with low training and compliance requirements • zero or relatively low cost.
“While recycling organic waste into compost has significant greenhouse gas emission reduction benefits, compost also has other important soil, diversity and carbon sequestration benefits.”
With the disposal of organic waste under increasing control and scrutiny, finding on-site solutions will ensure a legally and environmentally compliant waste management system.
The company’s latest offering, which is revolutionising on-site composting, was developed and manufactured in South Africa. First launched in 2017, the Earth Cycler is an automated IoT-connected in-vessel composter. An in-vessel composter is an enclosed system that automates the processing and conversion of organic waste to compost. These are usually smaller systems that can easily fit into a waste area. Similar to the scalability of home composting, in-vessel composters can be easily installed at a large number of sites and require little investment in infrastructure.
A recent study conducted by the CSIR showed that almost 60% of all waste that ends up in South African landfills is organic and biodegradable. This represents a significant loss of nutrients, that could be used for composting and soil fertilisation.
“We need to adopt a ‘carbon first’ way of thinking – and that includes reducing waste in the first instance.”
Revolutionising composting Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter into a valuable soil amendment that can enrich soil and help plants grow. Earth Probiotic Recycling Solutions has been operating in the food waste composting industry since 2010. The company initially offered home composting solutions and then expanded into commercial and industrial composting solutions.
Of all the organic waste diversion technologies available, the only one that meets all three criteria is composting, says Heron.
COMPOSTING CAN SAVE THE THE WORLD
Compost also delivers ecological benefits that include boosting soil health, encouraging plant growth, reducing fertiliser use, and positively impacting on nitrous oxide emissions, while supporting biodiversity.
Its on-site food waste composting solutions have been implemented across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Mozambique. These solutions are environmentally sustainable – using little energy – and ensure that a waste management system is both legally and environmentally compliant.
All food waste can be processed – including cooked and uncooked meat, seafood, soft bones, dairy, eggshells and citrus – as well as waste paper/board, compostable packaging and food service items.
• Can be driven via solar energy
The Earth Cycler consumes 30 kWh/month and is thus suitable for energy-constrained environments. This low power utilisation also means that it can be connected to off-grid energy systems through an“Theinverter.Earth Cycler is a cost-effective, easy-to-use composting system for any, and all, entities looking to manage food waste in an environmentally responsible manner,” says Heron.
100% South African manufactured
• It requires minimal energy use and can be powered by solar.
The three key benefits of the Earth Recycler are:
• Processes up to 5 000 kg food waste per month including carbon input
• Fully automated composting process including guided C:N input
EARTH CYCLER
The Earth Cycler measures all inputs and outputs and can generate online reports showing:
Importance of composting “Home composting is one of the easiest things anyone can do. At its most basic, it is just an aerobic pile of garden waste that will gradually become compost. At a more sophisticated level, compost can be made using food waste with a bokashi system and a segmented compostbin system. Of course, vermicomposting can also be used in combination, or alone, within a household composting operation,” says Heron.
• Bespoke composting recipes per site
Heron adds that composting on an individual level is also important because, according to the numbers, one million households composting 10 kilograms of organic waste per month would reduce CO2e emissions by more than 74 million kilograms each year.
• Small footprint and can fit into car parking space
AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 7 COVER STORY
• Minimal training required
“With the right incentives and education, millions of households across South Africa could be doing some form of composting where they live – starting today.”
“The energy component of the Earth Cycler is very important because it has an extremely low energy footprint and, as mentioned, can even run off solar. It’s also important to note that this machine makes rich compost that can be used in the environment – it is not just producing a dehydrated waste output.”
• Minimal energy use
• carbon footprint reduction versus landfill
Earth Probiotic Industrial www.earthprobiotic.co.zaIVC
• Utilises indigenous Southern African microorganisms
Data and remote access enabled With a mobile, wireless or wired data connection, the Earth Cycler can be remotely managed and controlled, software updated and performance measured from anywhere in the world.
Environmental impact reporting
The Earth Cycler can process up to 5 000 kg and 10 000 kg of food waste per month
• landfill airspace saving • compost output • potential carbon trading value. Processing capacity
• It weighs and reports on input and outputs, and thus provides a realtime view of waste volumes and the carbon impact of diverting that waste from landfill.
• Its output is less than a third of the waste input, which reduces logistics costs if the output needs to be moved.
Built-in automation
•
Now with two variants, the Earth Cycler can process up to 5 000 kg and 10 000 kg of food waste per month. Both solutions require the addition of compostable packaging, contaminated paper, egg cartons and other low-value, highcarbon materials.
Heron asserts that out of the many benefits of the Earth Cycler, its energy-saving abilities are an important aspect of the machine.
The intelligent control system is programmed to mix on loading and turn to a specific timing cycle, so as to optimise composting throughput. Once the maximum load is reached, an indicator light will flash, showing that a discharge operation is required.
• Manufactured to require minimal servicing and maintenance
The Earth Cycler is a locally produced product that enables composting of the entire food waste stream. Some highlights:
8 AUGUST 2022 | ReSource What is PAMSA’s focus?
RecyclePaperZA, which represents processors of recycled paper fibre. The forestry and fibre story is a great one, and so we aim to share it in any way we can, about how forest products are made, and how they make a difference. Many believe that the forestry and paper industry contributes to deforestation? Is this true? This myth remains one of our biggest challenges! Our sector does not use indigenous trees for productive purposes, yet debunking the notions that industrial forestry is a destructive practice isn’t easy. The global forestry and forest products sector continues to tackle theseManymisconceptions.vilifythesector without understanding its circularity, its ability to store carbon and, crucially, how it helps to cut back on the
Biodiversity, conservation and wetland stewardship also form an integral part of the ecosystem of our sector. While plantations are monocultures, there is a mosaic of commercially farmed plantations and indigenous forests, wetlands, grasslands and natural corridors. It’s all about balance!
Jane Molony, executive director at PAMSA
HOT SEAT
For Manufacturersdecades,threethePaperAssociation
JM Sustainability and circularity are our main goals. And our mission is to provide the sector with a voice on issues relating to the renewability and recyclability of wood-based or fibre products that we use every day for packaging, hygiene and communication. To this end, PAMSA represents more than 90% of pulp, paper, paper packaging and tissue manufacturers in the country. We have supported the pre-competitive interests of and issues affecting our members and the forestry sector at large by way of advocacy with government, especially in terms of environmental matters such as climate change, carbon tax, water, waste and energy. Another big area of focus is education and training, while our research and development efforts help support sustainability andPAMSAdiversification.alsomanages
of South Africa (PAMSA) has been promoting the positive economic, environmental and social story of forest-based pulp and paper products.
woodorinhowever,products.fossil-fuel-basedDeforestation,mustbereducedthecontextofindigenousprotectedforests,andillegaltrade.Treesinplantationsareessentially crops that are planted and replanted in rotations, with only about 9% of the total tree count being harvested in any given year. This means that there are always trees growing, at different stages of maturity, and these trees are all absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and storing the carbon. The fact that trees are planted, harvested and replanted on the same land makes wood and paper a renewable and efficient resource. For a low-carbon future, it’s tremendously exciting. How does this circularity extend to other areas?
Beyond the harvesting and replanting, the circular economy extends to leaving forest residues in situ as a mulch for the next generation of trees. After harvesting, bark, limbs, leaves and small parts of the harvested trees are left on the forest floor, offering sustenance to the soil and refuge for creatures that aid in the decomposition of organic matter, which in turn attracts birds and animals.
ReSource speaks to Jane Molony, executive director at PAMSA, about the importance of sustainable forestry and fibre production in the quest for a circular,economy.zero-waste the ultimate renewable resource for a circular economy use of
At mill level, our members are continually looking at every aspect of their operations to reduce water use, energy consumption and air emissions.
Pulp and paper mills operate in a closed-loop process, by using natural resources efficiently –often more than once. This is also where recycling of paper fibre comes in. As a sector, we use both virgin wood fibre and recovered paper fibre to make products. Some mills will use a combination of both; others are able to use only recovered paper. However, we will always need virgin fibre to keep the paper cycle going, as paper fibres do not have an infinite lifespan – although research from Graz University in Austria has found that paper fibre can be recycled up to 25 times! Process water is reused and recycled, lost fibre is recovered and reused, and spent chemicals are recovered for energy production. Even bark –a biomass – is used to power boilers, producing steam that generates electricity. This sees us using more of the tree, ensuring little goes to waste. How does the forest products industry seek to promote a circular economy? First, we need to increase uptake of wood products in traditional markets – timber in the built environment, shifting to functional paper packaging and driving the use of fibre present in everyday life (e.g. paper, tissue, packaging and celluloseOrganisationsproducts).like the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) recognise wood as a viable substitute for carbon-intensive materials such as steel and concrete in construction, and plastic and textiles in everyday applications.
HOT SEAT
Also key is harnessing the potential of wood fibre and process waste in new applications, such as the use of lignin for batteries for electronics, or extracting sugars and hemicellulose for bio-based chemicals.
Manufacturing sectors such as ours play a key role in terms of adding value, economic growth and green job creation through the supply of renewable raw material for construction, furniture and bioenergy. This takes mills beyond paper, and into the realms of a biorefinery.
The FAO Forest Resource Assessment 2015 states that world forests were sequestering close to 300 gigatonnes of carbon. Commercial forestry achieves this through both growing trees (absorbing CO2) and harvesting them at the right time, with carbon being stored in harvested wood products. Harvesting makes space for younger trees that take up more carbon dioxide than their older counterparts. The climate benefit is thus evident in two places: through a stable and increasing carbon storage in the forest itself, and in the forest products. Climate change is not caused by people in developing countries felling trees. Instead, it’s caused by high- and middle-income countries burning fossil fuels. We need to focus on displacing these fossil-derived emissions by using wood’s inherent power as the ultimate renewable.
AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 9
Credit: Mondi SA
A bioeconomy is circular by nature, relying on technological innovations aimed at substituting nonrenewable resources with bio-based alternatives.
Using their inherent biorefinery technologies, mills can extract a range of components such as cellulose, lignin and sugars from process streams that would otherwise become process waste.
And then, of course, we need to plant more trees to meet this demand. How will a bioeconomy approach revolutionise your sector?
For example, cellulose – the most abundant organic compound and polymer on earth – is the major component of wood and the starting point for various reactions. Dissolving wood pulp, a purified form of cellulose, is suitable for subsequent chemical conversion into a range of products. It is spun into viscose and lyocell textile fibres for use in fashion and decorating textiles, cast into a film, or regenerated into a sponge. Wood also gives us products such as carboxymethyl cellulose or microcrystalline cellulose. This fine powder is extremely versatile. It can bind active medicinal ingredients or vitamins into palatable tablets, stabilise emulsions or increase viscosity –which is why cellulose is added to low-fat yoghurt, and lipstick! It also acts as an abrasive or exfoliant in cosmetics, or an anti-caking agent in washing powders orAdditionally,foods.
nanocellulose –tiny cellulose nanofibres and nanocrystalline cellulose – can be used in wound dressings and surgical gels, food supplements and edible packaging, or even as a composite for screens on electronic devices. A substitute for diesel, bio-oils are obtained by heating wood in an oxygen-free environment, in a process known as pyrolysis. The solid product generated (bio-char) can be used as an enriched growing medium for seedlings or converted into high-grade activated carbon. Can we make a climate case for wood? Yes, and we are shouting it from the rooftops. We stand firm in the fact that a holistic, sustainable and circular forest bioeconomy is essential to fighting climate change. We can probably assume that most people, when considering ways to fight climate change, don’t immediately think of forestry. But there is a unique climate case for sustainable wood – it is the only material that can naturally and significantly decarbonise our planet by driving down demand for illegally harvested wood, and provide functional alternatives to nonrenewable materials that have significantly higher environmental footprints.
www.thepaperstory.co.za
Credit: Sappi Credit: Mondi SA
“Locally, most of the investment has been put into use in the construction of a new plastics plant in Rosslyn, Gauteng, creating 50 new jobs,” says Chris O’Neill, director at Averda South Africa.
The loan will help to significantly accelerate other sustainable projects in allowing Averda to reduce the waste sent to landfills while increasing the volumes composted, recycled and transformed into energy, progressing us towards a more circular economy. Through the new plant, which will be operating by the end of the year, Averda will be processing up to 12 000 tonnes per year of HDPE and LDPE (high- and low-density polyethylene ethylene) by converting them back to reusable, A-grade plastic pellets.
Averda signs landmark deal to support waste management
The groundbreaking agreement will help deliver climate-changing benefits through private-sector-led integrated waste management services. Part of this loan is already in use and is supporting several of Averda’s existing sustainable waste management projects in South Africa, Oman and Morocco.
SOUTH AFRICAN INITIATIVE UPCYCLES USED CLOTHES TO BRICKS
A South African initiative is upcycling used and otherwise non-recyclable fabric and clothing into bricks – and Ackermans is partnering with it to raise awareness. Ackermans recently announced that it has formalised a partnership with Wastecrete, an affiliate of the World of Decorative Concrete (WoDC) and a business specialising in using waste in different concrete applications. Wastecrete was founded in 2021 to convert non-recyclable waste products from the production process or any used and damaged garments that are not fit for wear, into fabric bricks, called F∆BRIC. The fabric waste supplied to Wastecrete is shredded and then converted into fabric strips and offcuts. The team can recycle buttons, zips and other trimmings to ensure everything is used. Now with Wastecrete, Ackermans’ textile waste is shredded, mixed into concrete and baked, producing a building block that resembles a conventional brick, but with a positive and environmental twist. These blocks are sturdy with insulated, fire-resistant properties, ideal for building houses. With the insulation these building blocks provide, homes will not require heating or cooling systems, and hence, they would be carbon neutral. Made of 70% textile waste, they help divert textile waste from landfills and give it new purpose.
A study conducted by a team of scientists has revealed that worsening outdoor air pollution and toxic lead poisoning have kept global deaths from environmental contamination at an estimated 9 million per year since 2015 – countering modest progress made in tackling pollution elsewhere.
10 AUGUST 2022 | ReSource NEWS ROUND-UP SUSTAINABILITY NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
According to the scientists’ analysis of data on global mortality and pollution levels, air pollution from industry processes along with urbanisation drove a 7% increase in pollution-related deaths from 2015 to 2019.
Richard Fuller, a study co-author and head of global nonprofit Pure Earth, says, “We’re sitting in the stew pot and slowly burning but, unlike climate change, malaria or HIV, we haven’t given [environmental pollution] much focus.”
An early study published in 2017 also estimated the death toll from pollution at roughly 9 million per year – or about one of every six deaths worldwide – and the cost to the global economy at up to US$4.6 trillion (R76 trillion) per year. That puts pollution on par with smoking in terms of global deaths. Covid-19, by comparison, has killed about 6.7 million people globally since the pandemic began.
Study reveals pollution kills 9 million people a year in Africa
International Finance Corporation (IFC) is providing a US$30 million (R500 million) loan to Averda, one of the largest privately owned integrated waste management companies in Africa and the Middle East.
ECONOMIC CASE FOR A CIRCULAR PLASTICS ECONOMY
• wide adoption of packaging reuse and refill models to keep plastic packaging in the economy for longer periods.
• a reduction in overall consumption of single-use plastic packaging by 30%, including a phase-out of problematic polymers and formats
According to figures released at the PET Recycling Company (PETCO) AGM in June, 2.1 billion PET bottles were diverted from landfill last year – thanks to the various recycling efforts in which it was involved.
This new report comes against the backdrop of a decision at the most recent UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, to work towards a legally binding international agreement on how to manage plastics across the life cycle – from resin production to end of life.
Waste reclaimers collect 700 000 kg of plastic waste
A group of about 50 Gauteng-based waste reclaimers have reportedly collected 700 000 kg of plastic recyclables and covered more than 20 000 km in almost nine months. This is according to the Urban Surfer project, which is supporting this informal industry with equipment, health and safety training, personal protective equipment (PPE), and public awareness programmes through partnerships with the private sector. Since November 2021, the Urban Surfer initiative has been tracking 50 waste reclaimers in Gauteng. Informal waste reclaimers play a vital role in South Africa’s recycling value chain – accounting for the collection of more than half of all post-consumer paper and packaging in South Africa, according to theTheCSIR.reclaimers earn a living collecting, sorting and selling kerbside waste, and help to divert millions of tonnes of paper and packaging waste away from municipal landfills. They have saved the economy an estimated R950 million.
A new report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) shows that a shift to a circular plastics economy by 2050 will lead to positive cumulative effects for Ivory Coast, Kenya and South Africa, resulting in additional GDP growth. This requires a shift away from the current linear model to a circular economy, which endeavours to keep materials within the economic system for as long as possible, reducing the need for continued resource extraction and trying to cope with the ever-increasing volumes of waste.
AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 11
PETCO grew its collection of post-consumer PET bottles for recycling by 14% – from 79 078 tonnes in 2020 to 90 402 tonnes in 2021. Furthermore, 63% of PET packaging that was placed on the market by PETCO members was collected for recycling in 2021, representing a year-on-year increase of 6%.
Over a period of nine months, 50 of these waste pickers collected 700 000 kg of plastic recyclables worth around R1.4 million, and covered a distance of 20 000 km. Statistics from South Africa’s longest-standing plastics producer responsibility organisation indicates that the country’s PET plastic recycling rates are recovering after the lockdown regulations resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over 2 billion plastic bottles recovered for recycling in SA
Three core requirements to represent the circular plastics economy scenario in the macro-economic model from 2019 to 2050 were as follows:
The PET recycling economy created real value, generating a total of R1.2 billion for the South African economy through the placement of end-use products on local and international markets in the year under review.
• 50% of virgin plastic to be substituted by post-consumer recycled plastic
On the back of waste management experts warning that parts of South Africa could soon run out of landfill space, CEO Cheri Scholtz said PETCO’s efforts had saved an area equivalent to 560 495 cubic metres and prevented potential associated carbon emissions of 135 604 tonnes in 2021.
Regardless of whether it is bulky waste, demolition materials or household waste: all of this is the basis for the ‘species-appropriate maintenance’ of a waste compactor. Any contractor who wants to carry out large earthwork projects or manage landfill sites needs to be able to do one thing above all: compact. And to help you achieve the best results, we build the best machines. For over 60 years, our company’s history has also been part of compaction technology history.
About Bomag Bomag is a global construction machinery manufacturer and technology partner for the roadbuilding and earthmoving industries, headquartered in Boppard, Germany. The company’s machines and digitisation solutions for toughestthe sites
Many different features and technologies ensure the best possible results and the lowest possible operating costs. In short, Bomag offers the most efficient solutions for every landfill. In the end, the results largely depend on the driver. Many supporting functions, including programmable work processes, make the driver’s work easier and more efficient. On a landfill, the task is to distribute the garbage homogeneously and to compact it efficiently, because the created landfill space is the capital of our customers.
At the same time, we have developed many new technologies and focus on costeffectiveness: our refuse compactor’s unique polygonal disc wheels, which ensure optimum crushing, and Bomag’s special compaction concept with scrapers and toothed wheels make the machines ideal for any situation. Our globally active specialists and our partners in more than 150 countries are there to support you from the initial machine configuration to the solution of the most demanding challenges. We owe our power of innovation to more than 2 500 committed employees worldwide. This expertise has made us the world market leader in compaction. We are driven by our unconditional commitment to quality: during product development and production, in training our employees, and in providing a level of service that guarantees only the best on-site support.
Bomag soil and refuse compactors are the perfect machines for every task. With our cumulative expertise, we drive innovation and set the pace of an entire industry, as well as in the field of soil and refuse compaction.
It is essential that corporations become more cognisant of the importance of efficient waste and landfill site management. As proud sponsor of Wastecon 2022, Kemach Equipment and Bomag are dedicated to improving waste management through great innovation and technology.
12 AUGUST 2022 | ReSource INSTITUTE PARTNER
T he basis for landfill site profitability is the optimum utilisation of capacity, which means the best possible compaction of all waste materials. Bomag refuse compactors achieve this requirement because they have been specifically designed to work under the extreme conditions found on landfill sites. Big or small, every waste compactor the company produces follows the Bomag philosophy.
Founded in 1957 as Bopparder Maschinenbau GmbH, the company today has six branches in Germany and is globally active with 12 independent subsidiaries. Through a sales and service network of over 400 dealers in 150 countries, the company offers its customers competent and responsive service on-site. Bomag builds its machines in its own production facilities in Europe, China and the USA. The company is part of the French Fayat Group.
For the past 20 years, Kemach Equipment has been one of the leading ‘yellow metal’ construction equipment suppliers in Southern Africa. Originally a single-brand distributor, over the past two years, Kemach Equipment has transformed into a multi-brand equipment solutions provider, offering customers multiple products and after-sales services in one place. Through this business realignment, Kemach Equipment has signed new dealership agreements with some of the world’s leading brands. Now it services not only the construction industry, having extended its industry footprint across the roadbuilding and compaction, mining, materials handling and waste management sectors.
INSTITUTE PARTNER
facilitate the efficient and responsible expansion of road and transport infrastructure.
• Bull – backhoe and skid-steer loaders
• Liebherr – construction and earthmoving equipment
Getting behind WasteCon 2022
Bomag has been writing history in compaction technology with innovative solutions for over 60 years and leads the industry with innovative digital services for the networked construction site. Bomag machines are highly regarded in many areas of the construction industry, landscaping, agriculture, municipalities, and the waste disposal and recycling industry.
With its head office in Johannesburg, Kemach Equipment has six regional branches in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State, as well as a vast sub-dealer network throughout Southern Africa.
For this reason, Kemach Equipment and Bomag saw this sponsorship at WasteCon 2022 as an opportunity to grow in the waste and landfill management sector, as well as to showcase the Bomag range of refuse compactors identifying the benefits and value-adds of using the Bomag range of machines. Kemach Equipment and Bomag will be there on the day with one of the worldrenowned Bomag Refuse Compactors. We have made a commitment to this industry.
Back on track
Due to Covid-19, over the last couple of years, all businesses have taken strain and there was a major slowdown in activity. With the easing of regulations and the decline in infection rates, now is the time for businesses to get ‘Back On Track’.
Kemach Equipment is a proud supplier of the following equipment brands:
• Bomag – compaction and roadbuilding equipment
It is imperative that corporates become more cognisant of the impact and importance of efficient waste and landfill site management. Kemach Equipment and OEM supplier Bomag understand this – and are no exception to this rule!
About Kemach Equipment
• Kemach Forklifts – materials handling.
• McCloskey – crushing and screening
Let’s all look forward to the future and pursue every opportunity to improve our businesses and the lives of those around us.
A conference of this nature, she notes, is the perfect place to learn about the latest innovations and developments in the industry, while it also provides a platform for waste management professionals across all industries to network, share ideas and learn from each other.
“In an industry that is as dynamic and complex as the waste sector, it is also critically important to keep up to date with the latest legislation, trends and solutions. Interwaste will be represented at the event by key personnel working in various disciplines within we are excited to engage with the many delegates, in order to both understand their particular challenges and to demonstrate how our service offering can
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Circular approach According to Stubbs, the company also understands the ‘people factor’, which is why it takes great care to play an active role in
As a proud sponsor of
A new approach to
S ome 90 billion tonnes of primary materials are extracted and used globally, every single year, according to the UN Environment Programme. With the world facing the extremes brought about by climate change, it is now clear that humanity needs to modify both its behaviours and actions, if it hopes to meet the requirement of ensuring a sustainable planet for future Establishedgenerations.in1989, the Interwaste Holdings Group – a Level 1 BBBEE supplier – has grown into one of the largest waste management organisations in Southern Africa. With over 33 years of experience, the company clearly understands the waste challenges the world currently faces, as evidenced by its holistic waste management solutions, which help to manage waste from the point of generation to its final Operatingdestination.across various market sectors throughout Southern Africa, Interwaste provides a diversified range of waste management services to the region. The company understands the importance of compliance, explains marketing director Kate Stubbs, and remains committed to creating sustainable employment, continual innovation and playing a meaningful role in environmental stewardship. “Our actions as an industry positively contribute to the overall sustainability of our environment and the industry as a whole. In the importance of remaining up to date with this evolving industry, we are proud to sponsor the WasteCon 2022 conference,” adds Stubbs. She indicates that Interwaste understands the vital role of events such as WasteCon.
tacklingmanagementwaste
INSTITUTE PARTNER
“Weassist.willbe happy to explain how we process waste through a variety of facilities and methods, such as waste-to-energy, landfill, H:H solid and liquid, recycling, safe destruction, and effluent treatment. We look forward to meeting representatives of the many industries – such as oil and gas, mining, FMCG, chemical, pharmaceutical, industrial, logistics, as well as paper and packaging – that we serve.”
InterwasteWasteCon,understandstheimportanceofleveragingtechnologyandinnovationinthefightforagreenerfuture.
AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 15 INSTITUTE PARTNER the communities in which it operates. In the same manner, it adds a human element to its partnerships with clients, as it assists them to achieve their integrated waste management goals.
“Interwaste, in fact, constantly highlights the crucial role that effective waste management can play and works with clients to ensure they too understand its importance. We have already assisted several clients in achieving their zero waste-to-landfill, landfill diversion and recycling goals. This was achieved by developing or finding alternative solutions for the reuse, repurposing or recycling of their wasteWhilestreams.”there is no doubt that digital technologies offer new and exciting ways to optimise waste management, the ultimate country goal of achieving a zero waste-to-landfill strategy remains a challenge.
“To this end, Interwaste has developed its Integrated Waste Management Model designed to focus comprehensively on waste handling and treatment methodologies, with the goal of significantly reducing waste volumes for disposal in landfill facilities. By leveraging this integrated service, we are in a position to help clients better understand their strategies and waste streams, while meeting their sustainability goals,” she concludes.
The circular economy model is crucial to waste management in the modern world, as it is premised on the concept of avoiding, reducing, repurposing, recycling, recovering, treating and containing, before seeking to dispose of. The adoption of this approach, she says, is crucial, as it is imperative that humankind moves away from its current ‘use and dispose of’ culture. Within a circular economy framework, businesses are expected to strip out all unnecessary waste materials, energy losses and related carbon emissions across their supply chain. They must then find solutions to ensure that these materials, resources and energy can be ‘fed’ back into the cycle, such managementwasteIntegrated
“We look forward to discussing the theme of the conference in depth, as our own recycling initiatives have long been centred around finding solutions to meet circular economy thinking,” she says.
“However, through minimisation, recycling, reuse and recovery of this waste – as well as beneficiation technologies – we can still build a circular economy that can properly tackle this challenge,” she continues.Stubbsnotes that Interwaste also has a role to play when it comes to waste that can’t be recycled or reused. The company helps clients to repurpose this waste as an alternative energy source. Turning waste into energy, she notes, offers twice the value, in that it both meets the zero waste-to-landfill requirements and plays a role in impacting positively on South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis.
Employees: +/-1 500 Specialised waste handling vehicles: over 750 Operational centres: 28 ININTERWASTENUMBERS: • Zero Waste-to-Landfill • Waste Classification • Recycling • Reporting • Waste-to-Energy • Waste Disposal • Waste Treatment • Safe Destruction & Disposal • Landfill Construction & Maintenance • On-Site Management • Waste Logistics • Legal Compliance • Laboratory Services • Specialised Services (including plant/equipment hire and industrial cleaning offerings) INTERWASTE SERVICES
After all, South Africa only recycles around 10% of its waste at present.
“The beauty of the circular method is that it not only offers adopters the chance to make positive environmental practices the norm, but also creates huge potential to deliver more inclusive economic growth and increased job opportunities.
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Waste as resource According to the City of Cape Town, 22 495 households have already received free home composting bins and are composting food and garden waste in their own backyards. One Cape Town community has taken it a step further by developing the Langa Organic Waste DiversionAccordingProject.to Twigg, the project was conceptualised and implemented by the City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Minimization unit, which found three young local men keenly
Alderman Grant Twigg, MMC for Urban Waste Management Over 19 tonnes of organic waste have been diverted from landfills to create compost for local feeding schemes
Turning residents’ organic waste COMPOST
MUNICIPAL FEATURE INTO
A City of Cape Town Urban Waste Management project is creating short-term jobs in local communities, by turning residents’ organic waste into compost.
ccording to GreenCape’s 2016 Market Intelligence Report, the Western Cape dumps around 7.7 million tonnes of waste every year – with 2.9 million tonnes of that being organic, compostable waste. This waste – which ends up at already full landfills across the province – slowly decomposes and produces methane, a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide. Organic waste also creates leachate, which is another by-product of organic waste decomposition and a pollutant that can seep into local water sources close to landfills if not managed properly. As part of its efforts to reduce the disposal of organic waste at landfills, the City of Cape Town is testing various strategies that can help to achieve the ambitious diversion targets contained in the Urban Waste Management Sector Plan, and the Provincial Integrated Waste Management Plan. These documents target a 50% reduction in organic waste disposal at landfills by 2022, and 100% diversion of organic waste from landfill by 2027. This plan was adopted partly in response to the ever-decreasing availability of landfill space within urban areas. According to reports, the City of Cape Town is set to run out of landfill airspace as early as 2032 – with municipal landfills having airspace capacity for the next 10 years.
Landfill airspace refers to the volume of space on a landfill site permitted for the disposal of municipal solid waste. Alderman Grant Twigg, MMC for Urban Waste Management, says that through the adoption of various recycling initiatives, the metro would be able to divert waste from landfill, while simultaneously addressing their airspace problem.
He adds that the City is currently working on scaling up the project significantly and rolling it out into other communities. Approximately 400 households have been recruited through local schools to participate in this project and, from the beginning of the new school term, they are being requested to separate their organic waste for the benefit of local feeding schemes. EPWP workers will be operating bicycle-drawn trailers, which will be used to collect the organic waste.
Residents are also being urged to make use of weekly refuse collection services to dispose of waste and to utilise the various initiatives within their local communities, to help divert their waste into projects such as the Langa operation.
The project involves collecting waste from various fruit and vegetable traders in the community and transporting it to a composting facility site in Langa, where it is beneficiated for use by local food gardens. The waste is dried out and then turned into a compost – which is then resold to community members in that same area.
“We want them to become entrepreneurs, with the necessary skills to continue the project once the EPWP contract comes to an end,” says Twigg. Community involvement He points out that over R300 million in City resources was allocated to clear illegal dumping. This money could be used for something more constructive if people made use of drop-off sites and were educated about the benefits of waste.
“Internally, we are also providing training opportunities for these young men and have taken them to other organic waste beneficiation sites to get a better understanding of how they can grow this initiative. We are also getting different departments involved, to assist with production and pricing.
MUNICIPAL FEATURE interested in better managing the organic waste in their community.
“It is really amazing to see what these young men are doing in that area. Instead of sitting back and letting the frustrations of unemployment get them down, they are working with the government to not only empower themselves but are also helping to clean up their community,” says Twigg.
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Twigg points out that in Langa, like in many local areas, there is a booming informal sector where people are selling fruits and vegetables. When new stock comes in, the older stock gets dumped, ending up at municipal landfills. The programme was born from the view of helping the community to divert that waste and utilising it to benefit the community.
“We are currently working with five fruit and veg traders, two feeding schemes and two schools that are participating on the project. We hope to get to a level where we at least divert 9 to 14 tonnes of organic waste per month,” says Twigg. Since mid-November 2021, over 19 tonnes of organic waste have been diverted from landfills to create compost for local feeding schemes through the Langa project. Additionally, the project has also prevented roughly 24 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from seeping into the environment, and has produced over 2.5 tonnes of nutrient-rich compost, which was then issued to food gardens. There were also three job opportunities created through the Langa project and Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The EPWP is one of government’s key programmes aimed at providing poverty and income relief through temporary work for the unemployed. Through the EPWP, the City is able to provide the young men with a monthly stipend and access to various training programmes, to upskill and assist their efforts.
“The City has looked at various ways of diverting organic waste from landfill, as per the provincial goals set out. This project was just one of the ways we identified to help the Langa community in getting rid of the waste being dumped in and around the area.”
“Diverting organic waste to composting programmes can help the community food gardens that feed so many of our most marginalised residents and whatever angle you look at this project from, it is a win for the people of Cape Town,” Twigg concludes.
Upskilling and education
Once the compost has been unloaded at designated sites, the team will measure and record, decant the materials, clean the containers, prepare and maintain the compost heaps, and sieve the ready compost for distribution back into local food gardens.
“For too long, we have assumed that people know that they should not waste, that they need to recycle – but we need to educate the communities. We need to show them that there is value in their waste,” says Twigg.
U ndoubtedly the most significant piece of environmental legislation that has been published since the implementation of the One Environmental System (OES) in 2014 has finally been signed into law (the Act). This Act started out as the National Environmental Laws Amendment Bill, known as ‘the NEMLA Bill’ or ‘NEMLAA4’, when it was introduced to Parliament in 2017. More than five years on, this Bill has finally ended its Parliamentary journey, which involved much debate and numerous changes following its rejection by National Assembly in 2018, its lapsing and subsequent revival in 2019. We were kept on tenterhooks until the very end, when, despite being passed by both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces on 1 March 2022, it took almost four months for the Bill to be published. Once the Act comes into operation, it will officially introduce a wholesale shift in South Africa’s environmental legislative landscape. Many of these changes are intended to clean up a range of issues associated with the rollout of the OES – which overhauled the manner in which environmental issues are regulated on mine sites, among other things. Overall, it is clear that the changes imposed by the Act aim to deter non-compliance with environmental laws by, among other things, introducing new offences, increasing the quantum of fines and administrative penalties where laws or licences have been contravened, and extending enforcement powers to enable more widespread enforcement of environmental laws.
ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIVE LANDSCAPE NEMLA Act to introduce major shift in SA’s
18 AUGUST 2022 | ReSource LEGAL COMPLIANCE
The NEMLA Bill finally became an Act on 24 June 2022. It will introduce a major shift in South Africa’s environmentalnon-compliancelegislationenvironmentalanddeterwithlaws.
By Garyn Rapson, Kirsty Kilner & Carma Rossouw*
LEGAL COMPLIANCE
In addition, the maximum administrative fine that must be paid in order for a section 24G application to be processed will be increased from R5 million to R10 million. Section 22A of NEMAQA (relating to air quality) will also be overhauled.
Expanded enforcement powers Municipal managers will also be empowered to issue NEMA section 28(4) directives for contravention of the duty of care obligations. Designated environmental mineral and petroleum inspectors will also be able to issue section 31L compliance notices. These proposed changes are likely to see an increase in administrative enforcement action.
Changes to financial provisioning (FP) The changes to FP will pave the way for the muchanticipated final replacement FP Regulations under NEMA. The definition of ‘financial provision’ will be amended to refer specifically to a ‘holder’ (i.e. a person to whom a right/permit has been granted in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 [MPRDA]), a holder of an ‘old order right’ (as defined under the MPRDA), and an ‘applicant’ (i.e. any person who has submitted an application for an environmental authorisation under NEMA).
PROUD PATRON MEMBER OF: LINER SPECIALISTS IN LANDFILL APPLICATIONS, WE HAVE FACILITIES.(HAZARDOUSINCLUDINGNUMEROUSLINEDLANDFILLSH-HWASTE) Email: ggsales@gundleapi.co.z Tel: +27 11 813 www.gundlegeo.co.za2180 VISIT OUR STANDS AT
When such instances have been prescribed, the FP must be ‘determined’ before an EA is issued.
This is significant, because applicants were not often required to cease activities pending the outcome of the rectification application.
Section 24P will apply generally to the remediation of environmental damage in relation to specific instances that can be prescribed by the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (Environment Minister) (or MEC in concurrence with the Environment Minister).
*The authors are practising attorneys at Webber Wentzel.
Previously, only the guilty person who carried out the unlawful activity without the required environmental authorisation or waste management licence, as the case may be, could apply. It will also become mandatory for the competent authority to direct the applicant to, among other things, cease the unlawful activity pending a decision on the rectification application.
A new section 24PA will be introduced to specifically regulate FP requirements for mining. Failure to comply with certain requirements under section 24P or 24PA will become criminal offences under NEMA and will constitute Schedule 3 offences for which director liability may be imposed.
Changes to rectification provisions under NEMA and NEMAQA
The scope of section 24G rectification applications under NEMA will be extended. ‘Successors in title’ and ‘persons in control’ of land on which a listed activity under NEMA or NEMWA has been unlawfully commenced may now submit a rectification application.
This change will clarify that the NEMA FP requirements apply to both new applicants and holders of EAs for mining activities since the OES came into force, as well as historical holders who have now transitioned to the NEMA system under the OES. The new definition will make it clear that government should not bear the financial burden of rehabilitation, closure and postclosure activities – which should be covered by the aforementioned categories of persons.
Winners are recognised for embracing EPR, contributing to driving plastic recycling and reflecting the principles of sustainability, the circular economy, SMME development, and the advancement of women in the value chain.
Cheri Scholtz, CEO, PETCO, noted that the awards highlighted a cross section of actors in the collection and recycling value chain.
individualsNine beenorganisationsandhaverecognisedfortheirinnovativeandimpactfulworkinrecycling.
T he waste management sector is attracting a growing number of ‘wastepreneurs’ – including waste pickers and buy-back centre entrepreneurs – who play a valuable role in diverting waste out of rapidly filling landfills and into the circular economy.
“For us, it’s about understanding that your waste has an alternative use. It doesn’t have to go to landfill, it doesn’t have to be dumped and it doesn’t have to fill the environment,” said Sue Benningfield, area manager: KwaDukuza, Litter4tokens.
With almost two decades of experience in this landscape, PETCO has served its members by growing the collection and recycling of PET bottles and advancing local recycled PET (rPET) capacity.
AFRICA’S NEWEST
RECYCLING
PETCO Awards
“We salute these winners’ efforts – their grit, determination and innovativeness. The aim is more than just purely to educate – it is PETCO’s desire to inspire, to help grow the awareness of recycling as an economic enabler and as a powerful solution to one of modern society’s greatest challenges – waste,” she said.
“We found out that in over 80% of the schools in our township in Umlazi, there is zero recycling taking place,” said founder Londiwe Mbuyisa.
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The PETCO Awards is the premier national environmental awards initiative in South Africa, recognising excellence in reuse, recycling and waste minimisation among businesses, organisations, community groups and individuals within the South African plastics industry.
Honouring these efforts is the PET Recycling Company NPC (PETCO), which announced its latest award winners at the annual general meeting on 7 June. Nine individuals and organisations have been recognised for their innovative and impactful work in recycling –an expanding industry that is creating employment while cleaning up urban and ruralPETCOlandscapes.isaregistered producer responsibility organisation (PRO) that was originally incorporated in 2004 as a voluntary extended producer responsibility (EPR) organisation to represent the South African plastics industry’s effort to self-regulate post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling.
Recycling champions Jointly recognised as winners in the 2022 PETCO Awards Best Community Recycling Initiative category were Litter4tokens and Umphakathi Recyclers.
The organisation, with branches around the country, gives collectors tokens that they can redeem for household necessities and food in return for every bag of recyclable materials they bring in. About 1 230 families benefit from the programme each month. Umphakathi Recyclers, based in Soweto, was recognised for using recycling to stimulate innovation, enabling community members to bring in recyclables in cumulative exchange for items that will provide their loved ones with a dignified burial. The initiative employs six people, while the burial scheme covers 438Founderhouseholds.Smanga Mthembu believes waste only becomes trash when you throw it away. “Let’s do something with your recyclables. Let’s save the environment. Let’s create jobs. Let the community prosper. Let the community benefit from recyclables,” he said. “Instead of me giving them money, I can help people without funeral cover,” Mthembu said.
The Best Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative award went to Isphepho Enviro Ambassadors in Durban, which works with 70 registered community collectors and employs 25 staff – many of them unemployed graduates. Isphepho runs a recycling buy-back centre, conducts awareness campaigns, assists 25 schools to collect and separate waste, and organises regular beach clean-ups.
SOUTH recycling heroes
CATEGORY: Recycling Partnership Gamechanger
2022 PETCO AWARDS WINNERS The Top Woman in Recycling went to Lisa Steenkamp, founder of Roodepoort-based Westworld Recycling. Having launched a buyback centre during the height of the 2021 Covid-19 lockdown, Steenkamp has successfully grown the business into a fully fledged operation. Aside from growing her business, Steenkamp is focused on assisting her waste picker ‘foot soldiers’, distributing personal protective equipment and providing transport to collect their recycling from various sites.
According to PETCO, the Worth in Your Waste category winner, the Zonda Insila Programme (ZIP) in Mpumalanga, has shown extraordinary ingenuity in turning plastic and other recyclables into a chain of self-sustaining businesses. Participants in the programme run their own recycling cooperatives with the support of the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, and the assistance of private companies and local municipalities.
“I think being a woman, I sometimes look at things a little bit differently than a man would,” Steenkamp said. “I like things to be organised and clean, so my workshop gets cleaned every day. In my opinion, behind every great woman is a better team.”
In three years, it has grown from 4 to 14 projects. Linah Duduzile Ndala, provincial coordinator at ZIP, pointed to the significant role local municipalities played in generating employment from waste.
The role of stakeholders like municipalities and the province is very important – they need to take the lead, because there is a lot of rubbish out there and much of it is an income for someone.”
CATEGORY: Top Woman in Recycling Winner: Westworld Recycling (Gauteng)
CATEGORY: Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative Winner: Isphepho Enviro Ambassadors (Durban, KwaZulu-Natal)
CATEGORY: Design for Circularity Winner: PepsiCo (Gauteng)
CATEGORY: Best Community Recycling Initiative Joint Winners: Litter4tokens NPC (KwaDukuza, eThekweni, Hillcrest, Gqeberha, East London, Richards Bay, Mpumalanga and Estcourt), and Umphakathi Recyclers (Gauteng)
“To say waste is trash is outdated. Waste is not trash; it is a crucial part of the economy.
RECYCLING AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 21
CATEGORY: Worth in Your Waste Winner: Zonda Insila Programme (Vezubuhle, Tweefontein B2, Waaikraal, Botleng, Hendrina, Sabie, Mpuluzi, Luphisi, KaNyamazane, Zwelisha, Pienaar, KaBokweni, Barberton, Bushbuckridge and Sibambayane, Mpumalanga)
CATEGORY: PET-repreneur Winner: Ahmed Scholtz, The Artell (North West)
Joint Winners: Safripol and partners (Gauteng), and Masekhethele – a joint venture between Siyavuma Foundation and Thinavhuuo Recycling (Limpopo, with plans to expand nationally)
Coca-Cola recognises the important role it plays in empowering and investing in the South African recyclingThroughsector.itscommitment to designing, collecting and partnering to achieve a World Without Waste, Coca-Cola aims to recycle a bottle or can for each one it sells by 2030. The company is also working on designing packaging that is 100% recyclable by 2025 and ensuring that all its bottles contain 50% recycled material by 2030.
22 AUGUST 2022 | ReSource
New statistics from PETCO indicate that the country’s PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic recycling rates were finally recovering after the Covid-19 lockdowns. These figures show that more than 2 billion PET bottles were diverted from landfill last year – thanks to various recycling efforts.
National Environment Month – which takes place annually in June – encouraged everyone to ‘Reimagine, Recover and Restore’ their global ecosystems, through effective recycling.
COCA-COLA BRINGS
According to figures released by the PET Recycling Company (PETCO), billions of bottles were diverted from landfill last year as a result of various recycling efforts.
Increased recycling Through its partnership with PETCO in South Africa, Coca-Cola is indirectly helping to collect and divert packaging waste from landfills, by supporting the recycling sector while creating economicPETCO’sopportunities.2021Annual Report, released earlier in June, shows that its funded collection volume increased by 14%, from 79 078 t in 2020 to 90 402 t in 2021. This represents the collection of 63% of the PET packaging waste placed on the South African market by its members. In addition, the availability of food-grade recycled plastics (rPET) in 2021 increased by 17% through PETCO support.
“We strive to make beverage packaging part of the circular economy. Packaging materials have value, and we needed to capture that value in the design process and prevent it from becoming waste at the end of its life. Coca-Cola’s World Without Waste commitment does this by helping change the consumer’s perception of plastics from disposable to valuable,” explains Mandela. In partnership with several corporates and 40 municipalities, PETCO also provided a world without waste
The company’s global goal is to be a net-zero carbon entity by 2050. Babongile Mandela, director: Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at Coca-Cola South Africa, says the global conversation about plastic pollution and calls for urgent, collaborative action are “Increasingintensifying.reusable packaging and dispensed options responds to our consumers’ preferences for affordability and sustainability, making it one of several sustainable commercial levers to help achieve our World Without Waste goals and contribute to the circular economy.”
AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 23 financial support and equipment for more than 250 projects. In addition, training was provided to more than 1 600 stakeholders from the informal collection sector to support their collection operations and businesses. The result was that it collected roughly 2.1 billion bottles in the year (5.7 million bottles daily).
Packaging design Since 2020, CCBSA has successfully launched its 2-litre returnable bottles, also known as refillable PET (RefPET), in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga and parts of the Free State. There are plans under way to expand this reusable packaging to offer consumers value for money, while including them as an important part of the recycling value chain. A 1.5-litre bottle has been in existence for many years in the Western Cape. Further innovation across the Coca-Cola System includes the Bonaqua brand 500 ml bottle, which is now made from 100% rPET, and the iconic green Sprite bottle has gone ‘clear’, meaning more bottles can be collected, recycled and reused to make newThroughones. the global packaging targets that the Coca-Cola Company has set for 2025 and 2050, the company continues to refresh the world and make a
difference.RECYCLING
Earlier in June, bottling partner Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB) kicked off one of its projects on World Environment Day 2022 on 5 June with a beach clean-up at Sunset Beach, Milnerton. This supported the Plastic Free Mzansi 2022 campaign, bringing together various partners to drive a campaign of caring for the environment and people. CCPB is bringing positive change towards creating a World Without Waste. The pandemic highlighted the interconnected nature of our world and revealed that the best solutions often lie in local capacity, collaboration and knowledge that can be scaled. It aims to create this through a more sustainable business and a better, shared future for its people and the communities in which it operates. Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), Coca-Cola’s other bottling partner, has also made sustainability integral to its business strategy. For example, in 2020, CCBSA launched its Coke Ville project, an off-grid solar-powered groundwater harvesting and treatment programme. This project targets indigent communities facing water insecurity challenges. To date, more than 15 000 households across Limpopo, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal have benefited from 150 million litres of water.
Launch of sustainability platform
For Coca-Cola, water stewardship throughout is critical to the company’s long-term sustainability.
Earlier this year, the Coca-Cola Africa Operating Unit (AOU) and its bottling partners launched JAMII, an Africa-focused sustainability platform that will house existing and new sustainability initiatives. Coca-Cola’s approach to sustainability focuses on achieving the most significant impact and tackling the issues that matter most. Through JAMII, Coca-Cola collaborates with like-minded partners to help accelerate the on-the-ground impact of its initiatives in the areas that reflect its value chain: water, waste and wealth (i.e. the economic empowerment of women and youth). The company is committed to sustainable water use, a World Without Waste (through sustainable packaging design and recycling), and empowering South African communities. Beach clean-ups and water stewardship
“Coca-Cola’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We understand that our business can only flourish if our continent flourishes too. Therefore, we act in ways to create a more sustainable and better future: doing business the right way is making a difference to our planet,” he added.
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REPULPING
THE PAPERSTORY
SEPARATION-AT-SOURCE CONVERSION
The first step in the recycling process is separation; this is arguably the most important step in the process. This involves keeping and storing used paper products in designated recycling containers in homes, schools, universities, offices and businesses.
The jumbo rolls will then be sent to a converter who will make the required paper product. Brown kraft paper is made into paper packaging such as paper bags and cardboard boxes. Jumbo reels of tissue paper are cut and wound into smaller rolls –the type you purchase at the supermarket.
The bales of paper products are then sent by conveyer into the pulper, where water is added to make a pulp slurry. The type of recycled paper being made (packaging or tissue) will determine what paper grade is used in the recipe. The pulp is then put through a screen (sieve-like machine) to extract other contaminants before being delivered to the paper machine, where it is formed and dried into jumbo reels of paper.
PAPER
SORTING
The paper recycling sector in South Africa is thriving, and this is thanks to the efforts of waste management providers, collectors and consumers.
COLLECTION
Once the paper has been collected, it will then be taken to a buy-back centre or sorting facility where the products will be sorted and baled into various ‘grades’ – such as newspaper, magazines, white paper, cardboard boxes, paper grocery bags, paper cups or milk and juice cartons, and mixed paper.
STEP 2 STEP 3
South Africa’s paper recycling target of 70% was met in 2017 – three years ahead of schedule –after 1.3 million tonnes of paper, cardboard and liquid packaging was recycled.
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The local recycling rate is above the global paper recycling rate of 59.1%. These impressive recycling statistics are proof that the industry is working, growing and flourishing. However, do you know what happens to your paper once it’s thrown into the recycling bin? Here is the recycling process, as explained by the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA), in five steps.
The next step involves the collection of waste paper by waste pickers, recyclers or waste merchants who will collect the paper materials (and other recyclables) from your pavement or designated collection points.
Adopting ESG Adopting environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria should become part of any company’s business ethos rather than be used as just another marketing tool. ESG criteria are a set of standards for
Over the past decade, ‘sustainability’ has become a global buzzword; however, the imperative behind the word is more than just a box-ticking exercise. By Mark Boshoff*
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Sustainability framework
opportunities
Delivering sustainable-development finance to the right business at the right time creates a positive change, to ensure that not only businesses prosper, but the people and planet too, and that further harm to our environment is halted and reversed.
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The Nedbank Sustainable Development Framework was conceived in 2017 to focus attention and resources on the most material goals and targets, which were selected using a rigorous proprietary methodology created by Earth Security Group. Given that the greatest contribution a bank can make to the sustainable-development agenda is through its commercial offering, we give primacy to the products and services lever. We focus our efforts and identify strategic focus areas with business opportunities and risks, as well as cost savings. While the precise value of these savings and opportunities may differ across geographies at a global level, they are colossal, with the Business and Sustainable Development Commission estimating them to be over US$12 trillion (R200 trillion) annually by 2030. We have prioritised 9 of the 17 SDGs where we believe we have the greatest ability to deliver meaningful impact through innovation in our banking products as well as lending and investment practices. These nine goals are championed by nine group executives who are mandated to ensure that the percentage of our lending and investment towards sustainable-development finance grows in a manner commensurate with the needs of our clients. This activity is a key part of Nedbank’s overall strategy, driven through the ‘creating positive impacts’ focus area.
uring 2015, the UN adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 we achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. However, according to Euromonitor International, a London-based market research company, there are five key trends one must be wary of, which affect global sustainability. They include: climate action circular economy commodity price volatility resource security environmental pollution. Keeping abreast of these trends as they evolve beyond the pandemic and understanding the link between them and business performance will help companies to identify risks and new related to sustainability. As part of the launch of its Commercial Banking climate-resilience digital campaign, Nedbank is playing a key role in supporting sustainable business practices for the future, with the emphasis on funding solutions in respect of renewable energy, clean water and sanitation, and waste management.
Embracing ESG is GOOD BUSINESS
What’s more, on average, the franchising industry contributes 2.7% to the national GDP of nations in which members of the World Franchise Council operate. Therefore, it makes business sense for investors, shareholders, employees, consumers and society to adopt responsible consumption and business practices collectively. The key climate change principles that franchises should focus on involve identifying and quantifying the risk, as well as identifying resilient strategies that would allow for portfolio tilt, namely moving away from sunset sectors towards new sectors emerging from the climate change movement. Transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewables would be a first step. Another step would be to reduce the business’s carbon footprint by lowering transport costs. These changes would send a clear message that the company is seriously relooking its own operations and activities in line with its sustainability commitments, to ensure perceptions change and that they are seen as a caring rather than an exploitative enterprise. This not only makes business sense, but it would also make an employer attractive to
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Solar technology, in particular, has come a long way and grid-tied solar plants offer a cost-effective solution to forecourts by drawing on renewable energy.
a company’s behaviour used by socially conscious investors to screen potential investments. Environmental criteria consider how a company safeguards the environment, including corporate policies addressing climate change. Social criteria examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers and the communities where it operates. Governance deals with a company’s leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls and shareholder rights.
The franchising sector is primed to play a key role in this regard.
While its impact is broader, franchising in South Africa is already embracing ESG criteria to ensure the industry becomes a better steward of the planet. South Africa’s franchise sectors –such as food, fuel, retail and automotive – rank among the world’s top five for economic output as a percentage of GDP. According to the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA), the country’s franchise industry contributes around 15% (R721 billion) to GDP, putting it on par with the likes of France, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.
like-minded workers. Businesses would be better able to retain employees who are aligned with sustainable business practices, having hired them in line with recruitment policies aimed at identifying applicants who would ultimately foster the company ethos, and training them to practise responsible ethics in business and operations.
One of the main legacies of the Covid-19 pandemic is remote working, which forced businesses into changing the way they operate while also showing resilience to overcome unprecedented challenges. This has made the need for sustainability on all fronts clear. Many fuel and retail franchises have shifted their focus to embracing renewable energy.
*Mark Boshoff is the head: Transformation and Sustainability at Nedbank.
As for any recycling initiative, the crucial starting point for a waste-to-energy project is commercial viability. “Of foremost importance is understanding your feedstock – what type of waste you have, its quality, quantity and consistency. This will determine the technology to employ, which must be appropriate for the South African market. Equally important is a guarantee of constant, 24/7 waste streams to feed the plant to ensure a sustained energy baseload, plus a secure independent power producer agreement so that the commercial model works in practice,” Stubbs explains.
ASouth African company with a 33-year track record for innovation, Interwaste forms part of French multinational waste management specialist Séché Environnement, which operates in 15 countries across Europe, South America and Africa. Locally, Interwaste’s integrated solutions cover the full spectrum of general and hazardous waste, with the company operating its own licensed Class B waste landfill in Delmas, Mpumalanga.
Allied operational focuses encompass waste-toenergy, waste recovery and complex hazardous waste treatment solutions.
crisis – South Africa has a power crisis that needs urgent interventions,” saysWithinStubbs.therenewable energy space, solar and wind are the most logical options for clean, net-zero power. However, Stubbs points out that waste-to-energy plants serve the added benefit that they can also safely dispose of toxic and hazardous materials that cannot be reused, alongside more renewable biogas options.
increase, so too do waste streams, placing increasing pressure on their safe disposal. For waste that cannot be recycled, there are other alternatives, like energy generation, says Kate Stubbs, group marketing director at Interwaste.
By Alastair Currie
“The strategic advantage of being part of the Séché Environnement group is that Interwaste can draw on best-in-class technological solutions that support our offering within the Southern African region,” says Stubbs.
A prime example is the development of a new leachate and industrial effluent treatment plant at its Delmas site. The first of its kind in South Africa, the plant is currently under construction and scheduled for commercial operation by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
Based on studies, wind and solar typically costs less than R1/kWh to produce, and waste-to-energy around R1.50/kWh. However, the added cost is outweighed by the environmental gains.
South African opportunities
A working example is Bio2Watt, based in Bronkhorstspruit, which operates a 4 MW Kate Stubbs, group marketing director at Interwaste
WASTE-TO-ENERGYAspopulations
“In line with current and future legislation, Interwaste’s strategy is to provide clients with expert advice on how best to manage and implement processes that optimise their waste streams, both from a sustainability and operating cost perspective,” Stubbs explains. Waste as a resource Handled correctly, waste can be a valuable resource that promotes reuse, growth in the circular economy and a zero waste-to-landfill methodology. “The reality is that South Africa is fast running out of landfill airspace, and constructing new facilities is not the only answer from an environmental standpoint. Therefore, we need to find solutions urgently, drawing from international best practice,” she continues. For waste that cannot be recycled, one highly viable option is to reprocess this as an alternative fuel source. In parallel are renewable waste-to-energy opportunities derived from landfill gas, organics, as well as wastewater treatment plants. In developed countries, waste-to-energy is a common practice and receiving increasing focus. Within France, for example, Séché Environnement operates various large-scale plants. These include its project in Laval, France, where landfill gas is converted into energy, alongside the production of a refusederived fuel (RDF), both of which provide the town with its power requirements.
Another example is Séché Environnement’s operation in Lyon, France, where hazardous waste from a local chemical plant is processed and converted into energy using thermal destruction technology. In terms of its agreement with the client, the electricity generated is wheeled back to power the plant.
The power of
“There are major opportunities for South Africa to harness the value of waste-to-energy as we transition away from fossil fuels. Plus, it’s very evident that – on top of our growing waste
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“There is a general perception that waste-to-energy pollutes. In fact, thanks to technological advances, the emissions from these processes are often cleaner than the air around us,” says Stubbs. Assessing commercial viability
Organics ban In terms of South African legislation, a national ban will be imposed on the disposal of organic waste to landfill by 23 August 2027. As a proactive measure, the Western Cape government took the decision to start the process early and in 2022 has set a 50% landfill reduction target for organics. Organics in landfills create methane gas, which is far more toxic than carbon dioxide. Additionally, methane creates leachate, which poses a risk in terms of groundwater contamination. For existing sites, part of the environmental solution is to install biogas plants that can convert this methane to usable energy.
At its facility in Germiston, Interwaste specialises in producing refuse-derived fuel materials. The final processed material is close to A-grade coal quality in terms of its calorific value
WASTE-TO-ENERGY
A prime candidate is the multilayered material used in the FMCG sector, such as foil plastic packaging, which can be especially challenging toAtrecycle.its facility in Germiston, Interwaste specialises in producing RDF materials. The final processed material is close to A-grade coal quality in terms of its calorific value. It can be used as a fuel source for firing cement kilns as a supplement or alternative to coal. Hazardous liquid wastes (such as hydrocarbon sludges), oils and greases with a calorific value – but not pure enough to be converted into more direct fuels – can also be processed for thermal energy. For this purpose, Interwaste uses a blending platform at its Germiston operation that employs a special formula to create an alternative liquid fuel suitable for co-combustion with traditional fuels. Interwaste’s research and development teams continue to explore solutions suited to the South African market that can process waste of any
Essentially,requirements.anaerobic digestion produces natural, methane-rich gas during the decomposition process, which is then converted into electricity.
Interwaste supplies Bio2Watt with some of its feedstock
There are major opportunities for South Africa to harness the value of waste-to-energy as we transition away from fossil fuels.”
RDF Within the mix, RDF is another waste-to-energy platform gaining traction. The latter is created from solid, dry, non-recyclable waste typically found in industrial and municipal waste streams.
“Therecomplexity.has to be a shift in our thinking towards waste. It’s happening, but there needs to be far more public and private sector collaboration, and funding support for waste infrastructure. Within this context, wasteto-energy projects make environmental and commercial sense, and need to become a permanent feature of South Africa’s power mix,” Stubbs concludes.
“There’s no doubt that the opportunities for anerobic digestion and biogas plant operators are favourable going forward,” says Stubbs.
AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 29 anaerobic digestion plant that supplies electricity to an automotive manufacturer in Rosslyn in terms of an offtake agreement.
In late May 2022, the Minister of the DFFE, Barbara Creecy – as part of the National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) – handed over waste collection and landfill management vehicles to 20 municipalities, valued at R44.5 million.
• waste minimisation
• compliance, enforcement and awareness.
Minister Creecy has reiterated that, in order to achieve the goals of this strategy, all stakeholders must play their part.
ue to insufficient budget, most local municipalities find themselves facing serious challenges with waste collection services. As a result, some residents and businesses take to dumping waste in open spaces, thereby creating illegal dumps. Waste disposal facilities in most municipalities are also often seriously non-compliant, as waste is not properly managed due to inadequate fleets and equipment.
The NWMS, which was revised in 2020, aims to provide a framework for government policy and strategic interventions for the waste sector. It is aligned and responsive to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030 adopted by all UN member states. It is also aligned and responsive to South Africa’s National Development Plan: Vision 2030, which is our country’s specific response to, and integration of, the SDGs within our overall socioeconomic development plans. The strategy is based on the update and revision of the 2011 version and is said to be built on the success and lessons learnt from the previous iteration.
• effective and sustainable waste services
The 2020 version focuses on the introduced concept of a circular economy, aiming to reduce environmental impacts by the reuse and recycling of processed materials. The concept and strategy are further expanded on through the three strategic pillars:
D
To improve waste management in municipalities, the department is assisting in the development of their integrated waste management plans, and training on sustainable waste management practices. They have also
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“National and provincial government must support municipalities to develop local integrated waste management strategies. We must ensure our landfills comply with the regulatory environment and waste does not leach into groundwater or into the soil. We must invest in the yellow fleet and, every year, we must ensure more and more homes have access to safe waste disposal.”
In an attempt to assist such municipalities to address waste collection issues in unserviced areas, as well as illegal dumping and landfill operations in selected municipalities across all provinces, the DFFE in 2018/19 engaged with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and National Treasury to enable municipalities to procure waste collection and landfill operation vehicles through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG).
Launch of R44.5 million
NATIONAL WASTE MANAGEMENT FLEET
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has launched a national waste collection fleet worth R44.5 million to improve waste management in municipalities.
National strategy
Monitoring & Power Generation Leachate
& Treatment Mine Waste Management, Pollution Control Systems, Closure and Rehabilitation Integrated Waste Management Recycling, Composting, Anaerobic Digestion & Thermal Treatment Waste to Energy +27 (0)11 425 2810 +27 (0)31 023 info@envitech.co.za0980www.envitech.co.za Solutions I Consulting I Projects
Geosynthetic Lining
& Construction
Collins Chabane Local Municipality received a compactor truck and a skip loader, together valued at more than R5 million, to assist in waste collection and the processing of waste at landfill. Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality received a waste compactor truck and a TLB with a combined value of nearly R4 million.
Municipalities allocated yellow fleet vehicles (TLB = tractor loader backhoe; FEL = front-end loader) Province Municipality Item description Quantity Cost Mpumalanga Mbombela 1x compactor truck 2 R2 551 881.81 Mbombela 1x skip loader truck R2 849 049.05 Bushbuckridge 1x compactor truck 2 R2 551 881.81 Bushbuckridge 1x skip loader truck R2 849 049.05 Limpopo Ba-Phalaborwa 1x compactor truck 2 R2 849 049.05 Ba-Phalaborwa 1x TLB R1 065 211.87 Collins Chabane 1x compactor truck 2 R2 551 881.81 Collins Chabane 1x skip loader truck R2 849 049.05 Western Cape Matzikama 1x skip loader truck 1 R2 186 150.00 Cederberg 1x skip loader truck 1 R2 849 049.05 Free State Masilonyana 1x compactor truck 1 R2 849 049.05 Matjhabeng 1x compactor truck 1 R2 551 881.81 Metsimoholo 1x TLB 1 R1 065 211.87 Gauteng Merafong 1x skip loader truck 1 R2 849 049.05 Rand West City 1x FEL 1 R1 003 124.20 Eastern Cape Makana 1x skip loader truck 1 R2 849 049.05 KwaZulu-Natal Ray Nkonyeni 1x TLB 1 R1 065 211.87 Umhlabuyalingana 1x TLB 1 R1 065 211.87 Dannhauser 1x FEL 1 R1 065 211.87 Northern Cape Emthanjeni 1x TLB 1 R1,065,211.87 Dawid Kruiper 1x FEL 1 R1 003 124.20 Kai Garib 1x FEL 1 R1 003 124.20 North West Moses Kotane 1x FEL 1 R1 003 124.20 Ramotshere Moiloa 1x FEL 1 R1 003 124.20 Total 20 municipalities R44 586 713.46 cooperated with CoGTA to change the MIG Policy so that municipalities can now access this grant to fund their waste collection and landfill management vehicles, also known as a yellow fleet. The fleet As part of these interventions and to raise awareness on the amendments of the MIG Policy, the department used R44.5 million of its own money to provide 24 vehicles to 20 municipalities across the country. The vehicles include skip loader trucks, front-end loaders, compactor trucks, TLBs and other trucks required to transport waste within these areas.
(ELLS) Landfill Gas
Environmental Engineers & Project Managers Engineering, Auditing, Monitoring, Closure & Rehabilitation Systems Quality Assurance Location Services Management, Management
Public-private collaboration Creecy asserts that the private sector must also promote the circular economy and divert waste from landfills, seeing as government has already set up the regulatory environment for extended producer responsibility schemes to promote recycling in the packaging, electronics and lighting industries, with recent regulations gazetted for new sectors such as used oil and“Governmentpesticides. and the private sector must work with waste reclaimers so that we build a dignified waste reclaiming industry that promotes waste diversion from landfills, promotes the circular economy, and gives a decent livelihood to the tens of thousands of men and women who do the daily, backbreaking work of the recycling industry,” Creecy concludes.
Landfill
Electric Leak
Energy efficiency:
Since this contributes hugely to the municipal bill, this means it has the greatest potential to be the starting point of electricity-saving measures. By engaging in energy-efficiency measures within the water and wastewater infrastructure cycle, municipalities also improve their fiscal efficiency.
2017 guide compiled by Sustainable Energy Africa, Sustainable energy solutions for South African local government: a practical guide, “The indications are that on average water and wastewater accounts for some 17% of energy consumption in a South African metro. In terms of electricity consumption alone (i.e. excluding liquid fuel use for vehicles), the proportion is far higher – often representing as much as 25% of the entire municipality’s electricity bill.”
Du Plessis reiterates the importance of how will not only help municipalities obtain, retain and improve their Green Drop and Blue Drop certification but will also eventually allow customers to see the difference in their rates and taxes
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THE KEY TO SUSTAINABLE wastewater infrastructure
W ater and wastewater infrastructure is one of the biggest consumers of energy within a municipality’s operations and it is critical to start looking at ways to implement energy-efficient measures within theseAccordingoperations.toa
“Inefficientbill. pump systems will not be able to keep up with the ‘backlog’ of water when load-shedding occurs. KSB Pumps and Valves is willing to assist with site energy efficiency audits, as we are a provider of complete solutions. We have the expertise and experience to assist municipalities to make the transition to more energy-efficient systems.
“Reliable, energy-efficient pump systems will not only result in energy and cost savings, but there are also other benefits for the municipality, which include: no spillages, optimum uptime, decline in downtime, as well as better water quality,” Du Plessis concludes.
With no end in sight for South Africa’s power struggles, it’s important for municipalities to start engaging energy-efficiencyin mechanisms in their water and wastewater infrastructure.
Making multiple differences
He notes that the most energy-hungry aspects within the water services system relate to the water treatment and pumping stages.
“We have found that the aeration stage is one of the stages that consumes a lot of energy – as it requires large pump systems – and municipalities may not always pay attention to this aspect. They may neglect to overhaul these due to the expensive nature of more energy-efficient systems. However, what is important to remember is that although the initial expense may be high, the benefits of cost saving in the long run will be worth it,” explains Hugo du Plessis, senior project engineer, KSB Pumps and Valves.
Myburgh says: “Close to 15% of all recycled waste at the V&A is plastic – and in 2017, the V&A Waterfront made a public commitment to eliminate single-use plastics across the property. This has helped us turn the tide against plastics through active engagement with tenants to recycle.”
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V&A Waterfront signs pact to change recycling of plastic packaging
T he V&A Waterfront is signing up to the SA Plastics Pact, as well as hosting a new research study with restaurants in the precinct on ways to eliminate harmful plastics.
“Similar programmes in the US showed the potential annual cost saving per restaurant of around R57 000 and 891 kg of plastic,” says Diony Lalieu of Ocean Pledge. The project hopes to realise a quarter of a million rand in savings between the participating restaurants, while removing a significant amount of plastics and creating a blueprint for food courts in other shopping malls to follow.
The V&A precinct, as a sea-facing property, sees at first-hand the amount of waste –particularly plastics – that pollutes the ocean and shoreline, notes Myburgh.
The V&A Waterfront has reaffirmed its commitment to lessening the impact of plastics on the environment.
An innovative example of plastics recycling was useWaterfront’stheof
Recent statistics show that, globally, at least 8 million tonnes (Mt) of plastics end up in the world’s oceans annually, constituting a mammoth 80% of all sea debris. Among the most common items are shopping bags, coffee cups and lids, straws, water bottles, earbuds, sweet wrappers, and takeaway containers. South Africa generates 2.4 Mt of plastic waste annually, or 41 kg per person per year. The global average is 29 kg. While 70% of plastics waste generated is collected, only around 14% is recycled. A total of 3%, or 79 000 t, leaks directly into the environment, where it results in the ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of marine species.
“We know that a total of 94% of waste on South African beaches is plastics, with 77% being single-use plastics,” says Lalieu. Recovery and recycling at V&A
The Plastics Pact aims to change the way plastic packaging and products are designed, used and reused. This is to ensure that plastics are valued and not regarded as cheap and easily disposable waste.
At the V&A, a dedicated team of more than 90 people collects, handles and sorts all the waste on the property at the V&A’s Waste Recovery and Recycling Centre.
There are 384 collection points on-site and 550 bins are cleared twice a day. In 2021, the team collected over 4 300 t of waste and managed to divert 36%, or 1 540 t, from landfill through recycling and composting. Of this, 26 t of waste came from the waterways alone. Plastics make up an estimated 20% of all waste collected in the Waterfront.
Petro Myburgh, senior manager: Custodial Services, V&A Waterfront, says that joining the SA Plastics Pact is one more step the Waterfront is taking in its efforts to be “a neighbourhood free of single-use plastics” and to be a world leader in systems-based circular design and innovative plastic waste management practices.
In partnership with Ocean Pledge, the Waterfront is due to launch a research study involving five tenant restaurants in its food court area, where most of the property’s single-use plastics are found. The goal is to try to eliminate the most harmful of it while implementing a campaign that encourages a shift in consumer behaviour.
Under Ann Lamont, executive chair and head: Ocean Cluster at the V&A Waterfront, the foundation’s team runs the Turtle Rehabilitation and Marine Wildlife Management programmes, as well as other well-established and respected marine science education programmes that monitor the health and quality of the waters of the Waterfront canals, marina and basins.
SOLVE SOLVE, the V&A’s innovation hub, was set up to address key global challenges but, at a localised level, is exploring ways to drive the V&A’s vision of a cleaner and healthier precinct. This includes data analysis and a portal to allow tenants to see their own waste data, as well as to monitor the overall waste data of the precinct. Tenants will also be provided with information programmes, including training related to the how and why of waste management. The V&A will also support plastic accelerator programmes as part of the plastics value chain, with SOLVE creating space for the testing and prototyping of new and less harmful plastics. Lamont, also head of SOLVE, adds that the V&A was committed to creating a dedicated plastics ‘circularity lab’, as well as showcasing retailers upcycling goods. Recycled materials are also being used in the development and construction of commercial buildings, as is happening with the construction of the Portswood food kiosk, where the goal is to achieve a net-zero carbon structure.
AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 35 eco-bricks in
The sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation programme has been running for almost a decade and attained global fame with Yoshi, an injured turtle who was rehabilitated and released into the wild 20 years after her rescue.Turtles of all sizes and subspecies are brought to the Two Oceans Aquarium by rescue groups. These turtles
Seals and other marine animals are regular visitors to the Waterfront, and even whales and dolphins are sometimes spotted in the harbour.
500 two-litre plastic bottles were stuffed with waste such as chip packets, candy wrappers and plastic shopping bags. The eco-bricks were then used as void fillers in certain foundation areas to reduce the amount of concrete that would otherwise have been needed. The initiative was a first for a large commercial building.
To date, the V&A Waterfront has been awarded a total of 12 Green Star ratings from the Green Building Council South Africa, elevating the precinct still further as a benchmark for environmentally responsible development.PLASTICS
With funding and support from the V&A Waterfront, the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation formalised the Marine Wildlife Management Programme to reduce conflict between marine wildlife, shipping and other activities, and to minimise injuries to wildlife in the harbour through education.
In 2020, the programme disentangled 42 seals and responded to 178 wildlife call-outs for marine wildlife rescues and checks.
Lamont concludes: “All of us need to find ways within our sphere of influence and operation to see how and where we can reduce our plastic wastage and prevent this from entering our ocean systems.”
Marine ManagementWildlifeProgramme
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Forwhileingestedthosecare,treatmentrequireoftenlong-termandespeciallywhohaveplasticsoutatsea.plastics-freeJuly, the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation and the V&A Waterfront offered their tenants an exclusive behind-thescenes experience, enabling them to learn about plastics while experiencing the turtle rescue programme.
Two Oceans Aquarium and Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Programme
A key driver of ocean sustainability is the V&A-owned Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation, a non-profit and public benefit organisation established just prior to the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.
“We noticed that people started to focus much more on cleaning their immediate surroundings. When lockdown prohibited them from attending large public clean-up events, eco-warriors took to their own streets, local schools, rivers, beaches and public spaces. As a result, we saw significant amounts of visible litter being removed, separated and sent for recycling,” Steyn reports.
This will be the 26th year that Plastics SA coordinates South Africa’s involvement in the International Coastal Clean-up Day (ICC) that will be taking place at beaches around the country on Saturday, 17 September. In partnership with volunteer organisations and individuals around the globe, the ICC engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways.
For people eager to participate in coordinated clean-ups this year, he suggests visiting the official website (www.cleanupandrecycle.co.za) for information on how and where to get involved.
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Multiple facets Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week is actively supported by all packaging streams’ producer responsibility organisations, various sponsors, business and industry, national and local government, community organisations and municipalities.
Apart from useful background information and photographs of previous years’ events, details of event sponsors and partners, users can also access the national list of clean-up coordinators or register to attend nearby clean-ups.
Plastics SA – the umbrella body representing the entire plastics industry – is calling on South Africans to participate in the annual Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week.
Make a difference WHERELEARNWORK,YOULIVE,OR PLAY
A growing influence Despite the fact that Covid-19 restrictions prevented large groups of people from attending public clean-ups over the past two years, Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week continued to grow from strength to strength.
Apart from raising awareness among the general public and industry partners, Plastics SA will also be actively supporting various clean-up initiatives taking place throughout the month of September. The umbrella body representing all sectors of the South African plastics industry will be distributing more than 500 000 refuse bags to support clean-up events.
S outh Africa is facing a waste crisis, but every citizen can make a difference to reduce the amount of waste that pollutes our environment or ends up in landfill.” This is the opinion of Douw Steyn, sustainability director at Plastics SA and coordinator of the annual Clean-Up & Recycle SA Week, which will be taking place from 12 to 17 September 2022. According to Steyn, approximately 54 million tonnes of waste is produced on a yearly basis in South Africa – the majority of which ends up in landfill. “This is enough to cover an entire soccer field 10 m deep every day. The amount of waste we generate puts our landfill sites under extreme pressure,” he says.
“Since its inception, more than 17 million volunteers have collected close to 1.6 million kilograms of litter globally – making our coasts cleaner and our oceans healthier. As a result of the success of this annual event, we decided to turn the entire week into a nationwide awareness campaign that encourages citizens of all walks of life, ages and backgrounds to make a conscious effort to pick up and remove litter from their streets, neighbourhoods, schools, inland water sources and streams or nearby beaches,” Steyn explains.
The week includes River Clean-Up Day (Wednesday, 14 September), National Recycling Day (Friday, 16 September) and the ICC/World Clean-up Day (Saturday, 17 September), which unites 180 countries across the world for a cleaner planet.
Electrical and electronic equipment waste has always been our core competency but now we also have great expertise in the packaging sector,” says Anderson.
T he waste management association announced the appointment of Adri Spangenberg as packaging executive with effect from 1 July 2022. Keith Anderson, CEO of eWASA, says in order for the association to be compliant with the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (No. 59 of 2008) and the Industry Waste Management Plan (IWMP), eWASA has registered as a PRO (Producer Responsibility Organisation) in three sectors, namely electrical and electronic equipment, lighting, as well as paper and packaging.
Explaining why the company decided to register as a PRO for paper and packaging, Anderson says it was done primarily to assist its producer members who have different waste streams to deal with across all three sectors.
“So, we are not only bringing operational efficiencies to our members but also simplicity andAndersoncost-effectiveness.”saysthatbringing in Spangenberg
– who has ample experience in dealing with packaging, recycling, developing end markets and understanding the challenges in the industry – is of great benefit to the organisation.
“We have already seen the benefits of introducing this new position. Adri and the rest of our team have already had a number of positive workshops with our producer members, enabling them to understand and comply with the packaging EPR (Extended
for Section 18 EPR
packaging executive
“All three of these sectors have their own types of packaging, which need to form part of our strategy as we aim to create a ‘one-stop shop’ for our members. Since inception, we have always strived to be different at eWASA. That is why we are the only PRO to be registered in all three sectors under the EPR Regulations.
38 AUGUST 2022 | ReSource E-WASTE
eWASA appoints
eWASA (e-Waste Association of South Africa) has appointed a new packaging executive to help improve the reporting and treatment of packaging waste streams, while also creating logistics networks that will boost efficiencies.
With support from the Global Knowledge Partnerships in e-Waste Recycling programme, initiated by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and implemented by the Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, several projects were initiated successfully in KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Gauteng, as early as 2004.
E-WASTE T: +27 (0)21 982 6570 F: +27 (0)21 981 0868 60 Bracken Street, Protea Heights Brackenfell, South Africa, 7560 P O Box Brackenfell,931,7561 • Waste Collection Optimisation • Transfer Station Design • Material Recovery Facility Design • General Waste Landfill Design • Hazardous Waste Landfill Design • Landfill Closure and Rehabilitation Design • External Auditing of Waste Facilities • Regional Waste Studies • PPP Involvement in Waste Management • Alternative Technologies for Waste Diversion • Integrated Waste Management Plans • Closure/Rehabilitation Cost Provisions Specialist Waste Managementwww.jpce.co.zaConsultants
As an industry association, eWASA also works closely with all levels of government and has positioned itself as an expert in the field of e-waste management. Both the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and Trade and Industry agree that eWASA is ideally placed to manage the e-waste take-back system under the EPR requirement in the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (No. 59 of 2008).
Through its EPR scheme, eWASA says its primarly focus will be to divert waste from landfill and increase the environmentally sound treatment and circularity of the products put on market by its producer members. Furthermore, the association wants to expand education and awareness about the various waste streams, as well as job creation in both the formal and informal sectors.
About Adri Spangenberg
SUSTAINABLE E-WASTE MANAGEMENT
Producer Responsibility) Regulations as well as the other waste streams.”
eWASA was established in 2008 to manage the establishment of a sustainable environmentally sound e-waste management system for the country. Since then, the nonprofit organisation has been working closely with manufacturers, vendors and distributors of electronic and electrical goods and e-waste handlers to manage e-waste effectively.
Over the past 12 years, Spangenberg was instrumental in growing South Africa’s polystyrene recycling industry to become one of the world leaders in her position as CEO of the Polystyrene Association of SA (PolySA). She was also the CEO of the SA Vinyls Association (SAVA). Commenting on her new position, Spangenberg expressed that she is very excited about the opportunities and experiences that await her as part of the eWASA team.
“Since its inception in 2008, eWASA has grown an impressive footprint in the country. They represent some of the largest producers of the household electrical and electronic industry. Moreover, many of their recyclers have a national footprint and are therefore in the ideal position to handle packaging collection and recycling. I am grateful for the opportunity to apply my knowledge of both the packaging and the recycling industries as I assist eWASA with the development of their collection and recovery initiatives for packaging waste that accompanies the“Weproducts.notonly have to ensure that we meet the strict targets that have been set by government, but must also strive to do it in such a way that it helps to grow and benefit the industry and develop a true circular economy,” Spangenberg concluded.
Agriculture plays a vital role in South Africa’s economy, being central to many other industries and their operations. However, the agricultural sector is resource intensive, with heavy reliance on water, energy, soil, nutrients and natural cycles, as primary inputs. These resources are limited and are already facing constraints.
Improved food security THROUGH CIRCULAR AGRICULTUREeconomycircularECONOMYThepresents a promising strategy for supportingrestorativesustainable,andregenerativeagriculture.
The published study, titled Improved food security in South Africa through a more circular agricultural sector, explores how a circular economy approach to agriculture can benefit the sector in South Africa – from a resource perspective. The research project was designed to inform public and private sector responses on where immediate circular economy opportunities are achievable.
The study focused on exploring two main 1)questions:Whatis the current development path for the South African agricultural sector? 2) What could a circular development path for the South African agricultural sector look like? Method The methodology employed included an initial desktop study aimed at understanding the relevance of the circular economy to the South African agricultural sector. This was followed by a more in-depth study, which involved collating secondary data through a literature review, gathering primary data through stakeholder engagements, survey questionnaires, and stakeholder workshops/ focus group discussions.
CIRCULAR
The sector also currently faces numerous challenges like climate change, which is directly affecting agricultural productivity in South Africa through changes in precipitation, temperature patterns, surface water run-off, and new pests and diseases. It also has knock-on effects, which impact economic growth and transformation.
South Africa is a major producer and exporter of agricultural products, and the country has consistently remained a net exporter over the last decade. This has translated to an increase in employment from 780 000 jobs to a record 829 000 in 2021. Despite the good news, the sector is still facing numerous challenges. Growing food demand has resulted in environmental impacts such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, land degradation, eutrophication and greenhouse gas emissions, impacting negatively on food security.
40 AUGUST 2022 | ReSource
Changes in agricultural practices, such as monocropping and overgrazing have resulted in soil productivity losses and degradation. There is an opportunity to embrace circular economy principles to create a more resilient agricultural sector.
Current state of agricultural sector
To feed a growing South African population will require embracing new farming methods that can help increase productivity, while reducing associated environmental impacts. This is according to research study efforts funded by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI).
Researchers found that employing a systemic approach based on circular economy principles can build a value-preserving model that would be regenerative, resilient, non-wasteful and healthier. When applied to the agricultural sector, the circular economy principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems will provide a framework for South Africa to address food security. Circular agriculture centres on a regenerative system, with the production of agricultural commodities using a minimal amount of external inputs, decoupling production and processing from resource utilisation, closing nutrient loops, restoring soil fertility and reducing discharges to the environment.
The second highest rated challenge was the need for pilot and demonstration facilities to showcase circular interventions to stakeholders such as farmers and policymakers. Awareness creation and the availability of the right technologies were also some of the barriers inStakeholdersscaling. identified climate change as a severe challenge facing the South African agricultural sector, while agriculture itself has major impacts on the environment, being a leading contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water consumption, nitrate and ammonia pollution. Mitigations proposed were generally towards regenerative agriculture interventions that can reduce GHGs.
Conclusion Circular agriculture is not a new concept and was widely practised by pre-industrial societies. However, it has been pushed aside by modern farming. New farming methods could help the agriculture industry reduce its environmental impact while still increasing productivity. While previous evolutions in farming have largely been driven by mechanical improvements, the next big transformation is being driven by digital tools and lifestyle changes that will force the sector to think differently.
Agro-processing: Agro-processing involves the transformation of primary agricultural products into value-added products. These could be food products, nutraceuticals, cosmetics or African traditional medicines.
Packaging technology: Purposeful packaging employs materials that can be repurposed, recycled or biodegraded to increase the shelf life of food products.
Biogas/anaerobic digestion: Biogas is a mixture of gases, primarily consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, organic fraction municipal waste, etc.
Composting: Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter, such as leaves and food waste, into a valuable fertiliser that can be used to improve the soil and feed the plants.
Vertical farming: Vertical farming is the agricultural practice in which crops are grown in controlled environmental greenhouses on top of each other to minimise space, save water, energy and fertiliser use.
The proposed circular economy interventions presented are based on the desire to produce agricultural commodities using a minimal number of external inputs, decoupling production and processing from resource utilisation, closing nutrient loops, restoring soil fertility, reducing discharges to the environment, and driving greater food security.
Aquaponics/aquaculture: This couples agriculture with hydroponics, whereby nutrient-rich aquaculture water is fed to hydroponically grown plants.
This is an editorial summary of a study compiled by Okole, B., Gordon, G., Brown, B., Pillay, B., Schoeman, C. and Godfrey, L. To read the full text, visit https://wasteroadmap.co.za.
Challenges The main findings show that the South African agriculture sector is ready, and has already implemented some circular economy interventions, although at various scales. However, there are a few interventions that will take longer to implement as a result of certain challenges facing the sector, which are exploredFinancingbelow.was identified as the most persistent barrier. This includes the high upfront investment costs for some interventions. Researchers assert that although enterprises are mostly profit oriented, for the sector to become sustainable, entrepreneurs and companies should be able to access conventional financing with preferential rates.
AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 41 of the state of the South African agricultural sector and the main pressures facing the sector, together with a review of expected trends in the sector, including local and international circular economy practices, a number of circular economy interventions were identified. Some of the interventions suggested include the following:
Chemical leasing: Chemical leasing is a performance-based business model for sustainable chemicals management. Less chemical same effect.
African Energy Week 2022 Africa is transitioning to a new energy landscape. WILL YOU BE PART OF THE JOURNEY? www.aecweek.com Attend registration@aecweek.com Media media@aecweek.com Speak speakers@aecweek.com Sponsor & Exhibit sales@aecweek.com Cape Town South Africa 18 - 21 October 2022 Exploring and Investing in Africa’s Energy Future while Driving an Enabling Environment African Energy Week 2022, an interactive exhibition and networking event, will unite global and African energy stakeholders, drive industry growth, and promote Africa as the destination for Africafocused events.
“Supplied by US company New Logic Research Inc, VSEP uses a patented membrane vibration system that thrives in robust water conditions, making this treatment option ideal for waste streams that are just too dirty for conventional membrane systems,” sheOversays.the last few years, more waste streams have been prohibited from landfill, such as liquid wastes (>40% moisture) and, more recently, brine. “Evaporation and conventional treatment methods are an option but tend to be energy and opex intensive. We explore more sustainable solutions that have been proven to reduce the volume of waste that needs to be evaporated, reduce costs and address product life extension and water recovery,” addsWithMartens.rapidurbanisation, water scarcity and population growth, effective solid waste management is critical to a sustainable future. By offering robust, cost-effective solutions, Talbot helps South Africa get one step closer to a climate-neutral waste sector.
WATER & WASTEWATER
AUGUST 2022 | ReSource 43
In light of rapid managementgrowth,waterurbanisation,scarcityandpopulationeffectivesolidwasteiscriticaltoasustainablefuture.
T he waste industry of today faces greater challenges than ever before. Rapidly increasing waste generation, together with complex waste streams – like brine, plastics and contaminants of emerging concern – contributes to a broader challenge that affects human health and theButenvironment.it’snotall doom and gloom.
“More than this, Talbot’s speciality is the innovative treatment of waste streams, often turning what was once regarded as a liability into a resource while, at the same time, recovering water, minimising disposal costs and diverting waste from landfill to promote the circular economy,” saysOneMartens.example of this is Talbot’s use of vibratory sheer enhanced process (VSEP) technology, which treats problematic wastewater streams that conventional technologies simply cannot. This results in the recovery of resources – from precious group metals to molasses – and clean water, both of which can be returned to the production cycle.
“The future-focused National Environmental Management: Waste Act (No. 59 of 2008) provides direction and is excluding a growing number of streams from landfill. This adds impetus to the global movement to find solutions that make waste more sustainable,” says Micole Martens, associate director: Laboratory, Talbot. Proud to re-join the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa as a Patron Member, Talbot has spent more than three decades offering lab testing to the waste industry. Its SANAS-accredited laboratory provides clients with guidance, testing and reporting for disposal requirements. This includes assessment, classification and the compilation of safety data sheets for literally hundreds of waste streams using an automated system that incorporates legislative details at the touch of a button. Innovative, sustainable treatment
Innovation first, waste last www.talbot.co.za
Venue: Expo Centre, Nasrec, Johannesburg Date: 5 to 9 September 2022 Website: www.electramining.co.za
WASTECON 2022 African Energy Week/SVW 42 AKS Lining Systems 2 Athermal Retort Technologies IBC CSIR 32 Earth Probiotic Recycling Solutions OFC Enviroserv Waste Management OBC Envitech Solutions 31 Gundle Geosynthetics 19 JPCE 39 KSB Pumps & Valves IFC PAMSA 8 Plastics SA 36
Venue: Sun Exhibits, Grand West, Cape Town Date: 7 to 8 September 2022 Website: www.africanconstructionexpo.com/totally-concrete
Visit Southern Africa’s largest trade show across the mining, electrical, automation, manufacturing, power and transport industries – an exciting showcase of new technologies, groundbreaking machinery and equipment, cutting-edge products, systems and services, and more.
Venue: Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg, Gauteng Date: 2 to 4 November 2022 Website: conference.imesa.org.za
Join industry leaders at Electra Mining Africa to build connections that matter most to you.
Venue: Emperors Palace, Gauteng Date: 18 to 20 October 2022 Website: www.iwmsa.co.za/wastecon/ Theindextheme of the biennial conference and exhibition, currently planned to be held as a face-to-face event at Emperors Palace in Gauteng from 18 to 20 October 2022, will be ‘Back on Track? Perspectives on Waste and Circularity’. The theme essentially encompasses a reality check on where we are now in respect of the state of waste management and circular economy, what we have done well or badly in the past, what we should continue doing well, and what we should be doing better or differently in the future. WasteCon is hosted by the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa, a multidisciplinary non-profit association committed to supporting professional waste management practices.
Africa’s only all-things-concrete expo! The Big 5 Construct Western Cape, previously Cape Construction Expo, is the only event dedicated exclusively to the building and construction industry in and for the Western Cape. This free-to-attend expo features a unique opportunity for product manufacturers and distributors, as well as service providers, to network with key buyers from the sector. Taking place from 7 to 8 September 2022 at Grand West in Cape Town, the expo promises amazing talks, exhibitions and a jam-packed programme.
The IMESA Conference & Exhibition has grown steadily over the past 85 years and has become a very important feature in the municipal engineer’s calendar. Delegates from across South Africa and beyond exchange knowledge and information on the latest developments and challenges in engineering, making this annual event the go-to conference for the professional engineer. The conference attracts 800+ national and international delegates from both public and private sectors. Join IMESA from 2 to 4 November 2022 at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Gauteng.
Taking place from 5 to 9 September 2022 at Nasrec in Johannesburg, the trade show has five decades of accumulated experience since its inaugural show. Electra Mining Africa has built a strong reputation for its ability to effectively connect people and industries.
44 AUGUST 2022 | ReSource INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Upcoming EVENTS EVENTS 2022
is able to treat the following hazardous waste through thermalexpiredpesticideslaboratorydestruction:wastechemicalspureorgano-chloride and organosulphide permanentwastedestruction of persistent organic Pollutants (POPs) cyanide decontaminationwaste of containers used in the chemical and pesticides industry sludges and wastewater/liquids contaminated with heavymetalorgano-chloridescontaminated waste such as mercury waste
Division
The A-Thermal chemical division
Pharmaceutical
The A-Thermal pharmaceutical division
Chemical
SPECIALISTS SERVICESenvironmentallyresponsiblesafethermaltreatmentofhazardousandtoxicwaste 28 Keramiek Street | Clayville | Olifantsfontein | 1665 t +27 (11)316 1800 | f +27 11 316 4999 | e info@athermal.co.za www.athermal.co.za
Division
specialises in permanent, secure destruction of pharmaceuticals. Waste treated includes: finished pharmaceutical products (expired and intermediatediscontinued)products raw materials quality assurance retention samples natural, homeopathic or complimentary medicine clinical laboratoriestrials in pharmaceutical industries medical schedulecosmeticdevicesindustries5–6drugs (overseen by full-time on-site pharmacist) CONNECT NOW
TODAY’S WASTE IS TOMORROW’S RESOURCE FIND OUT MORE 27 588
From waste to resource
With over 40 years’ experience in the waste management industry, collaboration with customers is how we drive the circular economy. We implement agile and innovative waste solutions, proudly ensuring environmental peace of mind through our commitment to industry standards.
