Resource February 2012 by 3S Media

Vol 14, No 1, February 2012

Promotin g in teg rated res ou rces man age m e nt

Pikitupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy Eradicating excess waste in Joburg

COP 17 and the Kyoto Protocol The effect on business

Recycling villages

Panel discussion

Community sustainability

Landfill disposal, rehabilitation and extraction

TRANSLIFT AND OMB WASTE GROUP A new acquisition P6

The official journal of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa

is printed on 100% recycled paper ISSN 1680-4902 R35.00 (incl VAT)

www.3smedia.co.za

contents

www.3smedia.co.za ISSN 1680-4902, Volume 14, Number 1, February 2012

Vol 14, No 1, February 2012

Promoting integrated resources management

Pikitup’s strategy Eradicating excess waste in Joburg

COP 17 and the Kyoto Protocol The effect on business

Recycling villages

Panel discussion

Community sustainability

Landfill disposal, rehabilitation and extraction

TRANSLIFT AND OMB WASTE GROUP A new acquisition P6

The RéSource team stands firmly behind environmental preservation. As such, RéSource magazine is printed on 100% recycled paper and uses no dyes or varnishes. The magazine is saddlestitched to ensure that no glues are required in the binding process.

Cover story The official journal of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa

is printed on 100% recycled paper ISSN 1680-4902 R35.00 (incl VAT)

www.3smedia.co.za

Translift and OMB Waste Group – a new acquisition

Regulars

Air pollution / CDM

3 5 60

President’s comment Editor’s comment IWMSA news

Solid waste

Hazardous waste

Pikitup’s new strategy: eradicating excess waste in Joburg

Recycling

Medical waste

14 16 18

Plastics recycling survey results revealed Recycling villages boost local sustainability Excellence in e-waste recycling Consol celebrates official Nigel launch

Exclusive panel discussion: Landfill disposal, rehabilitation and extraction

Waste to energy 33

Renewable heating technology

COP 17 feature 34

COP 17 and the Kyoto Protocol: expectations and outcomes

COP 17 image highlights

2011 Responsible Care Report: the good and bad

Case study: hazardous waste minimisation at medical schools

Wastewater management

Landfills

‘Smart’ buildings reduce GHG emissions Sasol: green washing or step in the right direction? Who will pay the price of carbon tax?

HybridICE: chemical-free toxic water treatment system WWTW upgrade lowers carbon emissions

Plant & equipment 57 59

Mercedes-Benz: raising the bar on waste collection Pilot Crushtec: the ‘pilot’ of asphalt recycling

54 RéSource February 2012 – 1

We are excited to introduce our

140

NEW wheelie bin litre

This product is in line with the waste minimization strategy, as KRXVHKROGV ZLOO JHQHUDWH OHVV ZDVWH WR ODQG ƬOO VLWHV DV D GLUHFW result of recycling initiatives. 587 mm

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liab Ǟ made from HDPE Ǟ suitable for selective collection Mpact Plastic Containers Neil Hare Road, Atlantis, South Africa 9 Piet Pretorius Street, Brits, South Africa PO Box 1551, Dassenberg, 7350 Tel: +27 (0) 21 573 9400/ 0861 672 444 Email: salesforce@mpcsa.co.za www.mpcsa.co.za

President's comment

It’s time for WasteCon 2012

trust that all our members have enjoyed that municipalities will follow the proper a safe holiday season and have returned procurement procedures in terms of the legto face the New Year with renewed enislation and look no further than the many ergy and vigour to tackle the challenges that local waste management service providers, lie ahead this year! both consultants, contractors and vendors, One of the major challenges we face is that are available. They will be surprised to that of procurement in local government, see the wealth of expertise and knowledge especially in waste management. It is heartthat is available. ening to see that government is now taking The Eastern Cape branch, with the assisactive steps and intervening at provincial tance of the IWMSA head office, is well level in an attempt to address the various advanced with the organising of WasteCon issues that are bedeviling procurement and 2012 to be held in East London later proper financial management of provinces this year. A new look WasteCon is on the and ultimately, local authorities. cards as we are in discussions with the Another interesting trend is that a number Department of Environmental Affairs to of municipalities are experiencing challengintegrate the annual Waste Khoro es relating to landfill sites where airspace with WasteCon. This will allow the is running out and they will soon be faced many municipal delegates attendwith a lack of airspace. It is also becoming the Waste Khoro the opportuing difficult to find and develop new landfill nity to attend WasteCon and the sites due to the lack of planning, budgeting attendant exhibition. This will afford and political will. It is thus with this in mind, our exhibitors the opportunity to get that a number of local authorities have exposure to the many municiturned to “waste to energy” as a solution to palities that will be attendtheir problems. In some cases municipaliing. Details of the new look ties succumb to the advances of commerWasteCon programme will cial companies who offer to take over all be released shortly once their waste management woes and promise the arrangements have the earth in terms of what to do with their been finalised. waste, all at “no cost”! It should be remembered that there are no “free lunches” in this world and any service that is provided comes at a cost somewhere down the line. I trust ” Stan Jewaskiewitz, President, IWMSA

A new look WasteCon is on the cards as we are in discussions with the Department of Environmental Affairs

A further call for papers for WasteCon has gone out. Please support your flagship conference and get busy with those abstracts. This is the ideal opportunity to showcase the expertise out there which is so vitally needed within our municipalities and especially in addressing the theme of “Wrestling with Waste”. For those companies still pondering on whether they wish to exhibit, please note that only 20 stands are left. This is the best response we have had in many years when it comes to the sale of exhibition stands! So don’t delay, book now! Finally, we are in an election year again and it will soon be time for those nominations for branch committees and vice-president. Please make yourself available to get involved in the affairs of the IWMSA, particularly at branch level which is the heart of the IWMSA. All our new members are particularly encouraged to get involved – make yourself available and contact your local branch or the IWMSA head office. We need to get “new blood” with dynamic ideas and lots of energy to take this institute forward in the right direction.

Patron members of the IWMSA

RéSource February 2012 – 3

Editor's comment Publisher: Elizabeth Shorten Editor: Candice Landie Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600, candice@3smedia.co.za Creative chief executive: Frédérick Danton Sub-editor: Patience Gumbo Production manager: Antois-Leigh Botma Financial manager: Andrew Lobban Marketing: Martin Hiller Subscriptions sales: Nomsa Masina Administrator: Tonya Hebenton Distribution coordinator: Nomsa Masina Printers: United Litho Johannesburg Tel: +27 (0)11 402 0571

Advertising sales: Christine Pretorius Tel: +27 (0)11 465 8255 christine.pretorius@lantic.net

Publisher: MEDIA No.4, 5th Avenue Rivonia, 2191 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117 Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600 Share Call: 086 003 3300 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5 www.3smedia.co.za Annual subscription: R195.00 (incl VAT) South Africa ISSN 1680-4902 The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa Tel: +27 (0)11 675 3462 E-mail: iwmsa@telkomsa.net

All material herein RéSource is copyrightprotected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or editor, but those of the author or other contributors under whose name contributions may appear, unless a contributor expresses a viewpoint or opinion in his or her capacity as an elected office bearer of a company, group or association. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.

ReSource is endorsed by:

Nothing beats a front row seat

o words can describe the feeling of being a delegate at COP 17. Never have I been surrounded by individuals who exude such concern for the environment and the planet as a whole. The talks were electrifying. The passion, contagious! Despite the language barrier, the colour of your skin, or your native country, there was one focus and one focus only – to act now against climate change while we still have the chance. Heads of state and government officials descended on one particular conference room at the ICC, while throughout the venue and Durban metro various other press conferences, launches and talks were being held. Despite the negativity prior the event, good news prevailed with the Kyoto Protocol being reinstated. For more insight into COP 17, the Kyoto Protocol and image highlights from the event, look out for the special RéSource COP 17 feature inside this issue. On a different note though, the tyre industry has been hit by a new levy. For those who haven’t yet heard, an Integrated Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan has been approved by Environmental Affairs Minister, Edna Molewa, and will be implemented and managed by the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA) – a not-forprofit organisation. The South African tyre industry produces more than 10 million scrap tyres every year and it is estimated that anything between 60 and 100 million scrap tyres are stockpiled in the country. Hence the new law is intended not only to support the creation of a sustainable recycling industry deal with a major waste product, but also to create

jobs and foster small and medium-sized businesses in communities throughout the country. A levy of R2.30 per kilogram will apply to all tyres either manufactured or imported on or after 1 February 2012. Tyres already in stock will not be affected. When the plastic bag levy was initiated in 2003, the South African Revenue Services (SARS) pocketed handsomely from the collections, ringing in R61 385 000 for the 2005/06 financial year. However, SARS collected no plastic bag tax for the 2003/04 financial year and it is not clear where the money from the tax went to in the initial year. Let’s hope that the tyre industry doesn’t encounter the same ‘X-files’ scenario. Rattling on about COP 17 and the tyre levy, I completely forgot to welcome everyone to the start of a brand new year and I am sure that 2012 is going to be a great one! To kick start the year, RéSource has a brand new line-up of the best reads in the waste industry including an insight into Pikitup’s waste management strategy, a panel discussion based on landfill disposal, rehabilitation and extraction, and a revolutionary chemical-free toxic water treatment system called HybridICE. This issue also features some interesting recycling stories and news on WasteCon 2012 – yep, it’s time for the biggest waste industry event again! RéSource welcomes all editorial submissions so please send your copy to candice@3smedia.co.za or drop me an email and we can meet and discuss.

When the plastic bag levy was initiated, SARS pocketed handsomely from the collections

Happy reading!

Editor

RéSource February 2012 – 5

Cover story

TRANSLIFT AND OMB WASTE GROUP

International expertise meets local business Translift Netherlands recently became a major stakeholder in OMB Waste Group of companies, South Africa, with the acquisition of the local shareholding early in 2011. Translift is now in the process of establishing a new and revised management structure, which includes the introduction of a fully-participating BEE component.

owards the end of last year, after serving in a mandatory executive position, Les Penny stood down from his position as director at OMB Waste Group. Penny is currently consulting for the company specifically in the area of technical innovation and marketing of the product range, particularly active in other developing and emerging areas. He will concentrate on community upliftment in the waste industry and consult in the structure, selection and implementation of the product. Product development will also form part of his function for the industry. Translift is in the process of establishing a new and revised management structure, which includes the introduction of a fully participating BEE component. The intention is that training and upliftment form the cornerstone of operations in South Africa, both in the administrative and technical areas of the business. Local manufacture has already commenced and a South African flavour will

be applied to all products manufactured both locally and abroad for use within and beyond South African borders. Wherever practical, parts will be manufactured for the international market now that the local entity forms a larger part of the Translift operation. The local manufacture initiative opens new employment opportunities and potential export markets for production and spare parts required locally and elsewhere in the world where Translift has manufacturing and service requirements. The company has recognised the need for a greater participation in the social upliftment of local inhabitants of the country and is eager to share its knowledge and experience with the South African related industry. This proactive approach creates the opportunity for expansion into other African countries, and the intention is to replicate the initiative in other developing countries outside of Africa where the need for environmentally-related commercial initiatives serve a dual purpose by targeting

appropriate waste handling issues and, in doing so, create entrepreneurial Les Penny opportunities for individuals in local communities.

The Translift range Considering the range of equipment in the Translift portfolio, the fabrication of large components and finished goods for local and neighbouring countries makes perfect sense. Given the immensity of transportation costs from abroad, Translift has seen the requirement as an opportunity to become an integral part of the waste equipment and systems industry in the region.

ACTS ACT A AC CTTS sslide-on C lid dee-o -o on frame framee (fi (fitted ed to o existi existi ex issti sti tin ng ng or or new new ccontainers) ne on on ont nttain nta ain ineers errs rs)

6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; RĂŠSource February 2012

Cover story

Bulk containers for use with Translift’s own range of waste collection/transportation and handling equipment should provide a practical base for the extrapolation of the specific product into similar but otherwise applied containers, also found in the region. Rear loader bodies, which are also somewhat costly to ship from abroad, are also a part of the parcel. Manufactured components for new equipment destined for the Translift international market may consist of bin lifter components, compactor components, prefabricated container lifting components and a variety of other similar parts for the bulk container lifting mechanisms. Translift has progressively upgraded its own main manufacturing facility in Dronten, Holland, and will aim to apply the experience and expertise that was gained and applied during the course of the progressive approach. The locally-manufactured spare parts meant for local consumption will be kept in Pretoria for distribution alongside parts imported from elsewhere in the world, such as hydraulic components and PLC products where appropriate. The hardware, being only a part of the bigger picture, sees that an on-going technical support programme is in place whereby the experienced technical team from Holland combined with the newly structured technical team in South Africa, will be available to train and assist their own maintenance personnel, as well as individuals recognised as suitably positioned to undertake whatever service and maintenance activities that may arise from time to time. What is more, Translift will become more actively engaged with supporting waste handling initiatives aimed especially at community level. The variety of options available to the community are numerous and the company has several models from which to select – all of which are aimed at addressing employment opportunities within the collection and transportation component as well as with waste separation initiatives. Their projects will invariably require a degree of funding and that is where Translift is likely to be on top of the game with potential options. It was once said that the ‘extra mile’ is not too busy, simply because not too many people attempt it. Sadly, this is not a very well supported concept but, that too, is because not too many are thus inclined.

Community involvement The principle of community-based waste collection presents the opportunity to engage

the community in the process of waste collection. Primarily the focus is on less affluent areas where unemployment is usually at its highest. Simple arithmetic will demonstrate that less sophisticated equipment is required for waste collection when including the community in sustainable waste management initiatives. The consolidation method has been, and is being used with positive effect but the need for the expansion of the concept appears to have eluded the industry, in all likelihood because first world principles are applied in the areas in question. This is not to say that these principles and related equipment are not applicable in metropolitan areas and affluent society but the fact is that the majority of the population do not fall within that category. For this reason, Translift is focusing on the underprivileged in the context of community involvement. The concept

ABOVE ACTS turntables on a flatbed rail wagon

remuneration of the individuals within the community that are collecting and consolidating the waste. This principle may be applied to the suburban and CBD in a modified format and Translift has the methodology and experience to apply these concepts. When distance to disposal becomes a problem the concept kicks into overdrive and provides further entrepreneurial opportunities than ever.

Conclusion Naturally each area is different and for this reason Translift would evaluate the requirement with a view to determination of the range and type of equipment required, whilst endeavouring to preserve what collection infrastructure there is in order not to

The locally-manufactured spare parts meant for local consumption will be kept in Pretoria for distribution alongside parts imported from elsewhere in the world of community based waste collection requiring less capital equipment is fundamental where consolidation is maximised. If a collection vehicle, particularly a large compactor type, is compelled to collect at every household, the time required to load the vehicle is determined by factors such as traffic congestion, accessibility, road conditions and more. On the other hand if the waste were to be collected by the community in a managed fashion and consolidated, the collection vehicle would find itself completing a route in half the time otherwise required. Considering the capital and operational cost savings by optimising the operation of the garbage compactor, the available saving is amortised and applied to the

disrupt the existing operation, but rather to optimise it. With the vast number of options and tweaks that can be applied to the waste collection process, Translift is poised to embrace the challenges of community-based waste collection, recycling at source and environmental stability. Last but not least, all of the Translift concepts and equipment implementation have a significantly positive effect on the reduction of carbon emissions. With quantifiable studies having been performed, Translift is in a unique position to assist in developing systems that ensure the whole community benefits from these lowered carbon emissions. t +27(0)12 460 1973

RéSource offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a cover story and a cover picture to promote their products and services to an appropriate audience. Please call Christine Pretorius on +27 (0)11 465 6273 to secure your booking. The article does not represent the views of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa, or those of the publisher.

RéSource February 2012 – 7

Solid waste

PIKITUP’S WASTE STRATEGY

Eradicating excessive waste production

“We have at least eight years to go before we run out of landfill space in the City of Johannesburg.” Lawrence Boya, MD of Pikitup

he City of Johannesburg’s solid waste management ser vice provider and the biggest waste management company in Africa unveiled its waste minimisation plan for the city – placing sustainability at the forefront of its operations. “Landfill space is fast depleting and is impacting the environment negatively at an alarming pace, mostly because of the rapid population growth in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ),” says Zandile Mpungose, Pikitup’s executive: Legal Environment Compliance and Safety. “That, in turn, links directly to excessive waste production.” Speaking at the annual 2011 EnviroCon Conference, targeted at environmental managers and specialists from large organisations around South Africa and aiming to present solutions and opportunities to the environmental issues which the countr y faces, Mpungose stressed the importance of waste reduction as “we simply do not have the space to accommodate the continuously increasing levels of waste being

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG AND PIKITUP • Total area of 1 625 km² • Home to 3.8 million people • Pikitup responsible for transporting, collecting and disposing of domestic refuse • Pikitup provides commercial services to some 17 000 businesses • Litter picks and sweeps approximately 9 000 km of streets • CoJ generates a total of 1.6 million tonnes of waste per annum • What is takes to keep CoJ clean • Over 4 000 employees in 11 depots • Fleet of around 500 vehicles • Four landfill sites • 44 garden refuse sites • 472 000 new 240ℓ wheelie bins delivered

8 – RéSource February 2012

generated as more people move into the city”. The CoJ’s population is growing at a rate of 9% annually. More than a space issue, the local environment cannot withstand the sustained impact. As the city’s constitutionally mandated solid waste management company, Pikitup needs to find a meaningful and sustainable way of reducing the levels of waste generated and ultimately disposed of at landfill.

reducing the waste that is produced by residents, businesses and individuals so that we have less to dispose of at landfills.” This is in line with the National Waste Management Strategy, which cabinet approved on 10 November 2011. The strategy reveals trends on minimising waste and therefore reducing the negative impacts on the environment. The ultimate objective is to change Pikitup’s current value chain from ‘collect, transport and dispose’ to ‘rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle’. “Even though we encourage people to reduce waste creation, we must accept that, realistically, there will always be some level of waste generated,” says Mpungose. Critical to this process is changing the public’s mindset and attitude towards the creation and management of waste. Pikitup will bolster its education and awareness drive so that Johannesburg citizens can understand what the company is tr ying to achieve as not much can be achieved without public support and active participation.

Manufacturers must take back The plan moving forward Looking at what constitutes waste, how it is generated and ultimately managed, Pikitup’s plan, moving forward, is to drastically cut down on waste produced in order to reduce what needs to be disposed of down the line. Mpungose explains: “We’re looking at

Pikitup is looking to divert at least 33% of waste from landfills through a combination of product stewardship (take-back) programmes where manufacturers take back their own packaging and other recyclable products, and the development of facilities which promote re-use, recycling and

FIGURE 1 CoJ’s intentions on waste minimisation

15%

30%

55%

Waste minimisation through separation at source, composting, crusher plants, centres of excellence

Waste to energy plant construction and initiation

Additional landfill space

General Waste Legislation. Funding. Recycling. Collection

Solid waste

A FEW PIKITUP INITIATIVES Clean City Campaign

Illegal Dumping Programme to combat the problem of illicitly discarding waste in any open space around the city. Clean-up Day an annual event galvanising Johannesburg residents to actively clean up.

Eco Rangers

Pilot phase: creating a generation of environmentally-aware warriors.

Separation at source

Education drive to get households to separate their refuse from home to help minimise what ends up at landfill sites.

composting. These initiatives will, in turn, increase CoJ residents’ participation in recycling and support the roll out of infrastructure for waste diversion, such as materials recovery facilities, composting plants, waste transfer stations, builder’s rubble plants and through extensive city-wide education and awareness outreach programmes. Pikitup has already embarked on a number of initiatives which contribute towards the CoJ’s goal of emitting less carbon emmissions. “We presently run the Clean City Campaign, the highlight of which is the annual Clean-up Day. It also incorporates the Illegal Dumping Programme, which is about combatting the problem of illicitly discarding waste in any open space around the city. In 2012, we will expand the

WASTE DIVERSION TACTICS • Source reduction strategies look at diverting waste from waste streams before any collections. • Waste separated at source reused and/or recycled by residents. • Dry recyclables and e-waste exchanged amongst residents. • Home composting (worm farming strategies) of green and wet waste, facilitating food security as the compost is a critical component of vegetable gardening. • Residents’ training on home composting and assisted implementation. • Community outreach programmes for mindset changes. • By-law enforcement and penalties as a last resort. • Enhancing the role of reclaimers. • Reusing, recycling and composting: the strategy seeks the attainment of 33% waste diversion from landfills through a combination of the following: • Product stewardship (take-back) programmes, whereby manufacturers take back their own packaging and other products. • Development of facilities that promote reuse, recycling and composting. • Increasing residents’ recycling rate participation. • Roll out of builder’s rubble plants. • Extensive city wide education and awareness outreach programmes. • Conversion technologies provide the biggest chunk of recyclables that can be diverted from landfills • The strategy projects 40% diversion of waste from landfills to conversion technologies by 2040. • This methodology not only assists in waste diversion but is a significant contributor to electricity and heat generation that will provide long-term financial sustainability for the city and Pikitup.

INTERIM MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT (12 MONTHS) • Focus on short-term gains in the Waterval area and prepare for roll out to other areas. i.e. Randburg, Selby, Southdale and Roodepoort depot areas. • Investigate the viability of the Robinson material recovery facility (MRF). • Initiate feasibility studies for the MRF at Linbro Park transfer station. • Upgrade two garden sites to centres of excellence (subject to feasibility studies).

LONG-TERM MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT (TWO TO FIVE YEARS) • Mobile buy back centres. • Buy banks – flats and townhouse complexes. • Make recycling facilities available at all 44 garden sites (two new sites established). • Establish 100 tonnes per day clean MRF at Marie Louise landfill site, based on recommendations of feasibility study. • Complete the construction of a MRF at the transfer station at Linbro Park landfill site. • Review business operations of Pikitup to support waste minimisation strategy. • Five year target is to recycle 160 000 tonnes of recyclable waste generated in the CoJ per annum.

Separation at Source initiative to include more suburbs, and this will feature an education drive to get more households to

FIGURE 2 (above) Pikitup’s waste minimisation objectives

separate their refuse from home to help minimise what ends up at the landfill site,” Mpungose concludes.

FIGURE 2 (above) Pikitup’s waste minimisation objectives

Traditional waste hierarchy

Today

Proposed Strategy

20% 33%

Potential paradigm shift for COJ Pikitup

40%

93% Traditional Waste Hierarchy

Potential Paradigm shift for CoJ / Pikitup

RéSource February 2012 – 9

70469B

Let’s recycle our way to a better future.

We at Pikitup Johannesburg (Pty) Ltd. aspire to be the leading integrated waste management company in Africa. It’s why we’ve made it our mission to provide sustainable and innovative waste management solutions that exceed stakeholders’ expectations time and time again. Our service offering includes Round Collected refuse, Business Waste, Hazardous Waste, Special Waste, Landﬁll Sites, Garden Sites and Green Waste Recycling; just some more ways we’re working toward a better, greener South Africa.

Recycling

PLASTICS RECYCLING SURVEY

Plastics – too valuable to waste Plastics get the spotlight in this edition of RéSource. We take a look at the plastics recycling survey results and Plastics SA’s achievement at The Green Expo.

ulfilling its mandate of promoting the responsible and sustainable use of plastics as a material, Plastics SA conducts annual surveys into the state of plastics recycling in the country. A complete survey of the plastics recycling industry in South Africa was concluded in 2009, with the updated estimates for 2010 recently released. According to the updated recycling figures released by Plastics SA, the recycling of plastics in the country has shown a steady increase during 2010. There were 194 recyclers operating in 2010, who have managed to: • recycle 241 853 tonnes of plastics • provide 4 800 jobs • create 35 000 indirect jobs with an annual payroll of R240 million.

derived recycling rate for plastics packaging is therefore 30.1%. Plastics packaging recycling rates will be even higher, thanks to Tiger Brands’ decision to stop using oxo-biodegradable bread bags. The South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) welcomes this decision as all bread packaging can now be recycled,

average tonnage per recycler has increased in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga as well as in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. “The overall tonnage increased by 17% from 2009 to 2010 in the Western Cape and the tonnage per recycler with 10%. A number of separation at source collection systems are in place in the Western Cape and the

Tonnages recycled “The most significant impacts of plastics recycling were job creation, the reduction of carbon footprints and the re-use of nonrenewable resources,” says Anton Hanekom, executive director of Plastics SA. According to Hanekom, the most recent survey reveals that the recycling rate of plastics (all plastics converted) has increased to 18%. “These statistics clearly show that there is a growing demand for recycled plastics that has proven it to be versatile, economic and reliable,” he says. Similarly, the growth in virgin material consumption showed a 4.7% increase (from 1 280 000 tonnes to 1 340 000) during the same period.

a development which will improve the recycling rates for PE-LD/LLD.

Plastics packaging

Provincial representation

Out of the 241 853 tonnes of plastics that were recycled, 182 032 was plastics packaging. This is an increase of 6% which is mainly due to the increased recycling rates for PE-LD/LLD (for example,pallet wrap, shrink wrap, shrouds, liners, bags, form-fill and seal packaging, general flexible packaging, protective wrapping, bubble wrap, etc) and PET beverage bottles. The total amount of plastics packaging in the waste stream was recorded as 605 000 tonnes in 2010. The

The 2010 survey results indicate that the TABLE 1 Tonnages recycled

2009

2010

Total tonnes converted

1 280 000

1 340 000

Total tonnes recycled

228 057

241 853

Recycling rate

17.8%

18.0%

Out of the 241 853 tonnes of plastics that were recycled in 2010, 182 032 tonnes was plastics packaging

increased tonnage could be a result of more recyclable material of improved quality that became available in 2010. Similar initiatives were also started towards the end of 2010 in Gauteng and it remains to be seen if the recycled tonnage will increase as a result of more and cleaner available recyclables,” Hanekom explains.

Source of recyclable plastics Interestingly, the survey also reveals a definite change in the source of recyclable

RéSource February 2012 – 11

12 Tungsten Road, Isando, Gauteng, South Africa • P.O.Box 746, Isando 1600, South Africa Tel:(011) 974-5660 • Fax: (011) 974-5143 • Email:ottosa@global.co.za

Recycling

plastics waste from 2009 to 2010. Preconsumer materials increased by 38% and post-industrial by 44%, while post-consumer and landfill materials dropped by 14%. “We attribute this change to the 2010 economy,” Hanekom says. “In an attempt to reduce operating costs, recyclers sourced cleaner materials to recycle, hence the increased figures for post-industrial and preconsumer materials.” Hanekom said consumers, recyclers and the industry as a whole have a huge role to play in helping the recycling statistics to increase. “We believe that the largest growth potential in recycling lies in postconsumer, household recyclables. However, the costs of washing and drying are prohibiting recyclers from sourcing more post-consumer and landfill recyclables,” he continues. Other hindrances facing local recycling operations include the high cost of water and electricity, wages, transport, repairs and maintenance required on the recycling plant and its equipment.“Whilst a number of larger recyclers were able to overcome these obstacles by investing heavily in their recycling plants in order to improve efficiencies of their washing and drying facilities, we need government’s support and a collective effort to find more energy efficient solutions in the years to come.” The Packaging and Paper Industry Waste Plan submitted to the Department of Environmental Affairs early in 2011 stated

an overall plastics packaging recycling rate of 35% by 2015. The last updated statistics for 2010 indicate that this could be achieved as long as the current growth rates are maintained. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs

Enviropaedia Award for recycling On a different note, Plastics SA was awarded the 2011 Enviropaedia Award for Recycling, at the inaugural Eco-Logic Awards ceremony which took place in Cape Town in November 2011, in partnership with The Green Expo. “We are honouring companies and individuals who are helping us fight both the symptoms and the causes of environmental problems,” says David Parry-Davies, editor of The Enviropaedia, South Africa’s

reference to the green revolution and the driving force behind the awards. The organisation impressed the judges with its ongoing commitment to increase public awareness about the importance of plastic recycling through its various Enviromark activities. Under the auspice of its sustainability director, Douw Steyn, this non-profit organisation has launched and driven numerous annual activities through the years, including initiatives such as National Recycling Day, Clean-Up South Africa Week and the international Coastal Clean-Up Day, which takes place in September every year. The Enviromark and its team of eco-warriors have also become a familiar sight at large international sporting events such as the annual Cape Argus/Pick‘n Pay Cycle Race and the Two Oceans Marathon, where they pick up and recycle the litter that gets left behind by participants and supporters. “Plastics are often unfairly blamed for polluting the environment,” said Steyn, after he received the award. “However, we are trying to educate the public that plastics don’t litter – people do. Used plastic packaging or discarded plastic products should not end up in landfills. We have a thriving, innovative and successful plastic recycling industry in South Africa that creates new products from virtually every type of plastic – whether it is used water bottles, plastic shopping bags or yoghurt tubs.”

RéSource February 2012 – 13

LANDFILL COMPACTORS (FOR SALE) FIGURE 3 Random mixture of plastic elements in soil for different reinforcement concentration

from R395,000 - R995,000 Machines available in stock ex Durban (23 – 30 tons) Regular imports of (23 – 45 tons)

HANOMAG, BOMAG & CAT

Machines repaired & serviced at our workshop FIGURE 2 Guillotine used for the slicing of plastics into strips

Hanomag parts agent

PTN PARTS & EQUIPMENT CC CONTACT STEVE 031 700 3907

CELL 083 226 6156

Recycling

RECYCLING VILLAGES

Adding sustainability to local communities An exciting recycling initiative was launched in the Katorus and Greater Alberton areas, which will initially be piloted by Monde School in Katlehong, and will provide surrounding communities with the facilities to recycle.

WYZE valuables insurance, in partnership with the Wildlands Conservation Trust, launched this initiative on 17 October 2011, which will provide surrounding communities with the facilities to recycle, and reward the schools for recycling efforts. Wildlands has successfully rolled out similar projects in KwaZulu-Natal, and the insurance company has now partnered with the nongovernmental organisation to make the first Gauteng implementation possible. “The fact that Wildlands is already running a successful recycling programme in KwaZulu-Natal at various schools and shopping centres encourages us to believe that this project will do just as well in Gauteng,” says Willem Smith, chief executive of iWYZE. “Based on results from Wildlands’ current projects, we hope to roll it out to the broader community, starting this year.” FIGURE 1 Recycling villages at school will aid in increasing sustainability within local communities

14 – RéSource February 2012

Monde Primary School was a good fit for the team as the school is already considered an eco-school, with a multitude of ecoprojects already in place. The school has an eco-council overseeing initiatives such as bird watching clubs, a full vegetable garden and the rehabilitation of indigenous trees in the area – evident that the school is already on route to becoming an ambassador for the environment. Instead of throwing away household waste so that it ends up in a landfill, members of the community will now be able to deposit their waste at a central point. Recycling villages, comprising eight different types of bins – each one labelled for a specific type of waste material (including paper, polystyrene, plastic, cans and glass) – have been set up at the pilot school. Parents, pupils and members of the community will be encouraged to separate their waste into the different categories and deliver it to the recycling village at the school. Not only will this initiative help the community with its recycling efforts but there is also a direct benefit to the school itself. Each school will receive a 40% rebate on the recyclables collected, valued according to weight. This money can then be used to improve the school’s facilities, which in turn will benefit the children.

Recycling

Excellence in e-waste recycling In a mountainous world of e-waste, lists of legislation, ever-changing working processes, e-waste recyclers need a structured approach to key processes and waste streams in order to ensure sustainable e-waste recycling excellence.¹ By Pieter van der Merwe*

here are two types of electronic waste recyclers: informal and formal. Informal collecting off landfill sites operating without infrastructure, with no identified waste streams and formal waste collection, processing and recycling services are rendered to electronic equipment importers, IT providers, telecommunications industries, corporations, government, educational and medical institutions. In the context of excellence, truly excellent recycling organisations are measured by their ability to achieve and sustain outstanding results for their stakeholders. The approach to sustainable e-waste recycling excellence is supported by the fundamental concept of excellence and requires total management commitment and a management team with clearly identified waste streams and a full understanding, and acceptance, of the eight fundamental concepts: results orientation, customer focus, leadership and constancy of purpose, management by processes and facts, people development and involvement, continuous learning, improvement and innovation, partnership development and public responsibility. Once the concepts of excellence are deployed, accepted and operational, we need to answer the question: Where are we now in relation to these concepts? At the start-up phase, on the way or a mature level? Once we have these answers, we will be able to E-Waste is loaded at customer premises and transported

assess and refine results to determine what the real benefits of excellence and the influence on our e-waste footprint are.

Organisational maturity stages Start-up • All relevant stakeholders are identified. • Customer satisfaction is assessed. • Vision and mission are defined. • Processes to achieve desired results are defined. • People accept ownership and responsibility in terms of solving problems. • Improvement opportunities are identified and acted upon. • A process exists for selecting and managing suppliers. • Legal and regulatory requirements are understood and met.

On the way • Stakeholder needs are assessed in a structured way. • Goals and targets are linked to customer needs and expectations. Loyalty issues are researched. • Policy, people and processes are aligned. A leadership model exists. • Comparative data and information is used to set challenging goals. • People are innovative and creative in furthering organisational objectives.

• Continuous improvement is an accepted objective for every individual. • Supplier improvement and achievements are recognised and key external partners have been identified. • There is active involvement in ‘society’.

Mature • Transparent mechanisms exist to balance stakeholder expectations. • Customer satisfaction needs and loyalty issues are understood, measured and actioned. • Shared values and ethical role models exist at all organisational levels. • Process capability is fully understood and used to drive performance improvements. • People are empowered to act and openly share knowledge and experience. • Successful innovation and improvement is widespread and integrated. • The organisation and its key partners are interdependent. Plans and policies are co-developed on the basis of shared knowledge. • Societal expectations are measured and actioned.

Benefits of excellence and its influence on the e-waste footprint In an industry where legislation and regulatory standards are increasing and becoming

KEY Processes

FIGURE 1 Key and support processes

E-Waste arrives at Desco and is weighed in on the weighbridge

Secondary Processes

E-Waste is forwarded to the Receiving Yard, where it is sorted and secƟoned into bins

Main Key Process - Dismantling E-Waste dismantled & stripped on the Desco premises and sorted into speciĮc waste streams

PC Boards

16 – RéSource February 2012

Printer cartridges

Lead Acid BaƩeries

Monitors and CRT’s

Non-Ferrous Metals

Ferrous Metals

PlasƟcs

Cardboard & Paper

PVC Cable

1 Collection of e-waste 2 Weighing of e-waste 3 Sorting the first level waste streams 4 Dismantling and further sorting into the relevant waste streams 5 Segregation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals 6 Shredding of PC boards

the norm, the main strategic target areas are seen as being focused towards the environment, customers, society and people – all of which are addressed through key processes, secondary and support processes, all of which linked to downstream vendors, ensuring that reuse and recycling takes place with very little or no landfill at all. Waste Electrical and Electronic (WEEE) recycling is becoming more and more regulated and having structures and permits in place will not have a noticeable influence on the e-waste footprint should the necessary infrastructure and waste streams not be in place and monitored. To be ISO 14001 certified and compliant would be commendable and having a mature excellence system, which involves applying excellence concepts, would be priceless.

Identifying key and secondary support processes in e-waste recycling Identifying e-waste streams To identify waste streams and downstream vendors, taking shared responsibility to process and recycle further is to be seen as a prerequisite to the e-waste recycling business as no single recycler would be able to handle the waste streams economically and completely. Typical waste stream related to e-waste would be: • plastics • cardboard and paper

Recycling

• ferrous metals • non-ferrous metals • PVC cable • monitors and CRT glass • lead acid batteries • printer cartridges • precious metals. Desco processes Collection, sorting, dismantling and shredding processes ensure controlled, sustainable onestop recycling of e-waste. Minimising e-waste to landfill: Very little landfill, or none at all, will take place should all e-waste recyclers segregate and sort e-waste for allocation to selected downstream recyclers. Recyclers then pass on fractions to one another, ensuring further processing such as smelting, precious metal extracting, plastic converting and final disposing.

Conclusion Having the necessary infrastructure in place, working in accordance with set procedures and processes and keeping the fundamental concepts of excellence operational will prove that excellence is not just a theory. It is the achievement of tangible levels of results in key areas that are ‘best in class’ and instilling confidence that these results can be maintained, thus leading to sustainable e-waste recycling excellence.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Costa and Desiree Airaga at Desco Electronic Recyclers for their e-waste vision, commitment and dedication. *Management Systems manager, Desco Electronic Recyclers. ¹Excellence as defined by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) is defined as outstanding practice in managing the organisation and achieving results based on a set of eight fundamental concepts.

RéSource February 2012 – 17

Recycling

SUSTAINABILITY HAS A NEW HOME

Consol celebrates launch of new plant Eighteen months ago, Consol Glass began construction of an environmentally efficient glass manufacturing plant in Nigel. An incredible 1.2 million man-hours later, the first phase of the factory is complete, with the N1 furnace now operational.

Arnold, the Nigel factory’s production capabilities have been designed with flexibility in mind, with the technology deployed capable of producing the glass manufacturer’s complete range of products.

Construction magnitude

he new Nigel N1 furnace will contribute 110 000 tonnes of capacity to the glass business, increasing its production capacity by approximately 12%. This equates to an estimated 530 million glass containers per year. A site that is able to facilitate up to six furnaces, Consol’s second furnace will take less than nine

months to install and commission, and will contribute a further 110 000 tonnes of glass capacity annually. Market demand will determine when this second furnace will be brought online, and like the first furnace, this too will have an output of 400 tonnes per day. According to Consol Group managing director, Mike

The enormity of the undertaking is unmistakable when reviewing the facts surrounding the project’s construction. To level the terrain required moving enough soil to fill 300 Olympic-size swimming pools. Building was initiated using enough bricks to build 30 three-bedroom houses; 16 Olympic pools’ worth of concrete, and steel that weighed the equivalent of 2 000 medium-size cars was used. The cladding of the structure utilised metal sheeting which, if laid end-to-end, would form a line 80 km long. In respect of investment in the area’s upliftment, the new plant is already contributing towards development in the greater Nigel area. Growth has been seen in infrastructure, employment and community development projects. LEFT The brand new Consol glass plant in Nigel BELOW First glass production at the Nigel plant

REUSE, RECOVER, RECYCLE • Recycling remains a key internal focus on a group basis in order to minimise Consol’s demand for raw materials and to optimise energy efficiency. Accordingly, the Nigel factory includes a basic cullet processing facility to recycle all waste produced at the site. • The master layout for Nigel includes provision for an external cullet processing plant as part of its future expansion programme. • Initially the Nigel plant will be supplied with externally processed cullet from the existing Consol processing facility at its Clayville factory, as this plant currently has excess capacity following a recent investment GOING LIVE • The New IS machine, the first of its kind at Consol, was started on 5 September 2011 with the assistance of NTB in Japan. From that moment, the team worked tirelessly to fine tune the process essential for good glass. • Just four weeks after the first trickle of glass the Nigel team achieved the first 90% pack to melt, and only a week after the startup of the last machine the first load of bottles left the gates of Nigel, headed for customer selling lines. THE GREEN IN GREENFIELD • The largest energy consumer on site is the furnace. However, it is foreseen that the chosen furnace design will yield a total energy saving of up to 20% when compared to older furnaces. • Compressed air and cooling fans are the second largest electricity consumers at the plant. The chosen forming machines consume less compressed air and cooling wind, and will contribute to electricity savings on the fans, compressors and other greenfield site infrastructure. • Annealing ovens also have significant energy consumption levels and Consol have invested in the most energy efficient gas-fired units that are available today. Gas-fired units are not only more efficient with the delivery of the energy, but are also much lower in carbon footprint. • As a rule, all electrical motors were specified as high efficiency units and several hundred variable speed drives were installed throughout the plant where they can offer energy benefits.

18 – RéSource February 2012

“We have injected an estimated economic contribution of R50 million directly into the greater Nigel area. Though an impressive figure, this is not where the impact of this facility ends. The real impact on the Nigel community will be felt in the positive impact on the rest of the community so that those who have not been directly involved will also benefit,” says Arnold.

Commitment to the environment In keeping with the recently announced African Green City Index which ranks Johannesburg as South Africa’s greenest city, Consol, as part of its commitment to the environment, investigated the most appropriate Energy Efficient (EE) design for its Nigel Plant. EE design and

A look inside Consol’s new state-of-the-art facility

construction considerations were applied to the entire plant, as well as the administration block, hence the construction of the factory complied with the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) environmental prescriptions. “Our commitment to the environment is widely recognised, a fact that has again manifested during this project and the site planning. Throughout the construction process, an external environmental practitioner monitored the project with regards to the agreed Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and we are very proud that the factory has achieved a clean bill of health.” Recycling remains a key internal focus on

a group basis to minimise the glass manufacturer’s demand for raw materials and to optimise energy efficiency. Accordingly the Nigel factory includes a basic cullet processing facility to recycle all waste produced at the site. In addition, the master layout for Nigel includes provision for an external cullet processing plant as part of its future expansion programme. Initially the Nigel plant will be supplied with externally processed cullet from the existing processing facility at the Clayville factory, as this plant currently has excess capacity following a recent investment. Construction of the Nigel cullet plant will begin when recoveries from the waste stream exceed the currently installed processing capacity. RéSource February 2012 – 19

Waste Tire Recycling Plants

■ Most Advanced Technology ■ Most Efficient ■ Most Professional ■ Less Maintenance ■ Less Energy ■ Less Spare Parts ■ Integrated Rubber Granulate Production AMANDUS KAHL GmbH & Co. KG Dieselstrasse 5, D-21465 Reinbek / Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 (0)40 727 71-0, Fax: +49 (0)40 727 71-100 info@amandus-kahl-group.de www.akahl.de

Johannes Schuback & Sons (S.A.) PTY Limited, Johannesburg / RSA Phone: +27 11 7062270, Fax: +27 11 7069236 jsssa@mweb.co.za

Landfills

PANEL DISCUSSION

Landfills Disposal, rehabilitation and extraction With the City of Johannesburg’s population growing at a steady 9% per annum, the city has about eight years to go before it runs out of landfill space.

oupled with this and other shocking statistics, municipalities countrywide are undertaking to find meaningful and sustainable ways of reducing their waste impacts through the roll out of infrastructure for waste diversion, such as materials recycling facilities (MRFs), composting

plants, and waste transfer stations. But significant waste minimisation efforts will only be achieved if the regulations governing domestic separation at source are properly enforced. In the interim, landfills are a huge source of gas to energy projects and still require remediation and rehabilitation; whilst

the landfill layers need to be constructed out of impermeable geosynthetics in order to prevent leachate contamination. In addition, sustainable drainage techniques that have been developed to collect, store and clean runoff before releasing it into the environment, are essential.

Candice Landie facilitates this panel discussion, drawing attention to landfill sites holistically including the durability of geosynthetic linings, waste-to-energy projects, and consultancy and/or engineering services offered in terms of landfill remediation/rehabilitation.

RéSource February 2012 – 21

Specialist Waste Management Consultants Sustainable and appropriate engineering solutions with integrity and professionalism. Stanford Drop-off

Hermanus Materials Recovery Facility

Kupferberg Landfill t t t t t t t t t t t t

Integrated Waste Management Plans Waste Disposal Strategies Identification and permitting of landfill sites Design of General and Hazardous Waste sites Design of Solid Waste Transfer Stations Design of Material Recovery Facilities Optimisation of Waste Collection Systems Auditing of Waste Management Facilities Development of Operational Plans Closure and Rehabilitation of Landfills Quality Assurance on Synthetic Liners Waste Recycling Plans

Velddrif Transfer Station

Botrivier Drop-off

Gansbaai Recycling Centre

Jan Palm Consulting Engineers Tel +27 21 982 6570

/ Fax +27 21 981 0868 / E-mail info@jpce.co.za / www.jpce.co.za

40 years of better solutions

Kaytech has provided revolutionary improvements in geosynthetic solutions in South Africa for 40 years. With continuous technological innovation and a specialist support team of 20 professionals, you can rely on Kaytech for the complete solution. Ongoing technological innovation includes: t professional support and consultation t job creation through local manufacture t 100% recycled bidim geotextile t environmentally protective construction and waste management solutions

For more information, call us on Johannesburg 011 922 3300 East London 043 727 1057 Cape Town 021 531 8110 Durban 031 717 2300 Or contact us on-line at www.kaytech.co.za

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Landfills

PANEL DISCUSSION With regard to landfill rehabilitation and extraction, what services are offered by Kaytech?

GJ We manufacture and supply geosynthetic products to the waste industry and also provide technical support and advice to consultants, regulators, owners and clients. Our products for new landfills extend to protecting the immediate environment from contamination from landfill waste – a vital factor in making a landfill site successful – by providing lining and drainage solutions. Our reinforcement products are also used extensively in landfills in hilly terrain as well as capping systems in the rehabilitation and closure of landfills. We are the only local manufacturer of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) which offer the low permeability properties required for general waste and piggy-back landfills. Our EnviroFix GCLs help prevent ground water contamination especially when laid in conjunction with a geomembrane to form a composite liner in more hazardous landfills. Many landfills have to be constructed in areas with significant topography resulting in the design of liners on relatively steep slopes and our Rockgrid reinforcement grids are utilised in the design to relieve the stresses imposed on the liner by the overlying drainage system and waste. Depending on the type of waste in the relevant landfill, extra prevention of contamination by leachate may be required and depending on the lay of the landfill, any of our Zipcore, Zipdrain, Geopipe and Flownet products can be used in the leachate RIGHT TOP Bidim used as liner protection. Vissershok South and North Waste Disposal Site, Cape Town RIGHT BOTTOM Laying Envirofix (geosynthetic clay liner) to prevent leachate contamination: Bellville Waste Management Facility, Western Cape

Garth James, marketing director, Kaytech

detection systems under the geomembrane lining or in the leachate collection systems above the liner to drain away excess contaminated water.

With geosynthetics being an important factor in helping to minimise leachate contamination, what are the quality factors that Kaytech looks for when selecting geosynthetic layers? Our business is manufacturing and supplying geosynthetics and we have been providing solutions to successful projects for 40 years. Our factory is based in Atlantis in the Cape and among the products, bidim, specifically, is manufactured from 100% recycled polyester. The polyester is derived from plastic cool-drink bottles sourced prior to disposal or directly from landfillsorting areas or transfer stations. Regarding quality, the process of creating bidim as a nonwoven needle punched continuous filament geotextile means it has a high tensile strength and comes in thick, heavy grades. Its density renders it highly resistant to abrasion and piercing. Both the density and strength make it the ideal cushioning protection above or below geomembrane liners as used in landfills. Another important factor, from a contractor’s perspective, is the efficient and easy installation that this product offers compared to layers of sand, stone or natural clay.

to landfill sites assist in the detection and/or collection of contaminated water in the form of leachate. Depending on the type of waste in the relevant landfill, extra prevention of leachate contamination may be required and depending on the lay of the landfill, any of our products mentioned in question 1 can be used above or below the geomembrane lining to collect and drain away excess contaminated water. Geosynthetic products, besides offering volume savings, are light and easy to install on slopes particularly. Their drainage properties are dimensioned to fulfill the requirements of the drainage systems within the landfill. Generally water run-off is collected, stored and treated in other more conventional ways. However run-off from a capped landfill slope can cause damage to the soil cover layer and different geosynthetic products may be used to prevent soil erosion. These include the Multi-cell geocell system which is filled with soil that cannot migrate

The polyester is derived from plastic cool-drink bottles sourced prior to disposal

down the slope because of the confining nature of the cellular structure. The slope could also be covered with a geojute open mesh structure called SoilSaver, which prevents erosion but also facilitates vegetal growth. We also have erosion control blankets which are more dense in structure but have a greater resistance to surface flow on slopes up to 1:1.

By what percentage do landfill remediations / rehabilitations extend the life of a site? Rehabilitation of a landfill refers to a site which has reached the end of its design life and thus no longer has the capacity for waste. It is then closed and as previously mentioned may be converted into a sports field or recreation area, for example. The life of a waste disposal site cannot be extended per se but the land usage may be extended for other activities. The contentious issue of creating more landfills for our waste prevails and the need for recycling is paramount.

Can you give me examples of the drainage techniques used by Kaytech to collect, store and clean run off on landfills? Our drainage products supplied

RéSource February 2012 – 23

Landfills

PANEL DISCUSSION Stan Jewaskiewitz, director, Envitech Solutions R With regard to landfill rehabilitation and extraction, what services are offered by Envitech? SJ Envitech offers the full range of landfill engineering services, from design of the facility through to closure and rehabilitation of the landfill. Included in these services are the design and installation of landfill gas extraction systems, both during the construction and operation of the landfill, and after the closure of a landfill.

Can you cite two gas-toenergy projects undertaken by Envitech in the past three years? The eThekweni Metro – installation of landfill gas to electricity systems on three landfills,

namely: Mariannhill, La Mercy and Bisasar Road (gas engines only). These projects are CDM projects, which means that landfill gas (a greenhouse gas) is destroyed, thereby having a positive effect on the environment and at the same time earning Carbon Emission Reduction (CER) credits for the metro. Other benefits for the metro include reduced environmental impact of the landfills (less odour and gas emitted), stabilising effect on landfills through biodegradation of organic materials and settlement, which results in additional airspace; and generation of

electricity for own use in the local grid. The Ekurhuleni Metro – installation of landfill gas extraction systems on four landfill sites, namely: Simmer & Jack, Rooikraal, Weltevreden and Rietfontein. The next phase will include the installation of gas engines for the generation of electricity. These projects are CDM projects, which means that landfill gas (a greenhouse gas) is destroyed thereby having a positive effect on the environment and at the same time earning CER credits for the metro. Other benefits include reduced environmental impact of

Benefits for the metro include reduced environmental impact of the landfills

the landfills (less odour and gas emitted), stabilising effect on landfills through biodegradation of organic materials and settlement, which result in additional airspace; and when the gas engines are installed, generation of electricity for own use in the local grid. Another current project is located on the Kupferberg Landfill in Windhoek, Namibia. This turnkey project was recently awarded and is currently in the design phase.

What are the quality factors that Envitech looks for when selecting geosynthetic layers? Geosynthetic liners are used at the bottom of landfills to prevent

24 – RéSource February 2012

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Landfills

the seepage of leachate into the surrounding ground and underlying ground water body. Geosynthetic liners are normally referred to as geomembranes and can be made from various materials. However, the preferred choice of materials is high density polyethylene (HDPE). Some of the properties of the geomembrane, which impact on the quality of the liner include: • the geomembrane liner must be impermeable • the density of the liner • tensile properties • tear resistance • stress crack resistance During construction or installation of the liner, we also look at appropriate installation procedures, leak detec-

and or infiltrating the landfill and then becoming leachate. This runoff is diverted through the use of catch water drains consisting of a lined drain and earth berm and the water is discharged to the environment as it is considered to be uncontaminated. This type of drainage is also implemented on sections of the landfill that have been closed and rehabilitated in order to minimise the amount of water entering the contaminated water system. All contaminated water runoff arises from the operational areas of the landfill including the operational landfilling face. All contaminated runoff water is collected in lined drains and channeled to a contaminated water pond or

HDPE Geomembrane deployment on landfill site in Qatar

tion using electric scanning procedures, testing of welding seams and we take samples for testing in an independent laboratory to confirm that the specifications for the geomembrane liner have been complied with.

Can you give me examples of the drainage techniques used by Envitech to collect, store and clean run off on landfills? There are two types of runoff, namely: clean storm water runoff and contaminated runoff. The clean storm water runoff should normally be diverted around or away from the landfill to prevent it from becoming contaminated

dam to prevent any uncontrolled release to the environment. The contaminated water dam is also used as an evaporation dam to reduce the volume of contaminated water. Dependant on the quality of the water, it can also be used for dust suppression on the landfill itself.

By what percentage does landfill remediation/rehabilitation extend the life of a site? Landfill rehabilitation in itself does not extend the life of a landfill. However, biodegradation (sometimes referred to as bioremediation) of the organic materials, which can range from 30% to 45% of

the waste stream, gives rise to the production of landfill gas, water and carbon. This process in itself reduces the mass and hence volume of the landfill through settlement which results from the overlying landfilled materials compressing the lower biodegraded materials. Case studies have shown that up to 30% settlement of the landfill can be attained during the life of a landfill. This means therefore that some 30% airspace can be recovered and hence the life of the landfill can be extended by that amount. This process can be stimulated through the process of landfill gas extraction which helps to speed up the process of biodegradation and hence results in a faster settlement process. The amount of settlement that can be achieved depends on a number of factors, including, waste quality, waste types, organic fraction, compaction and the presence of moisture amongst other things.

What are your thoughts on domestic separation at source and waste minimisation? Domestic separation at source and waste minimisation are essential if we are ever going to reach a stage of being able to “save” our landfills! Many of our municipal and even the large Metro landfills are reaching the end of their lives and it is becoming more difficult to find and develop new landfill sites. This is because of the “unpopularity” of landfills near communities, the lack of adequate planning and the lack of funding. We therefore need to engineer and manage our landfill sites in such a way as to extend the lifespan of landfill into the foreseeable future.

RéSource February 2012 – 25

Landfills

PANEL DISCUSSION Chris Liebenberg, business unit manager, WorleyParsons RSA With regard to landfill rehabilitation and extraction, what services are offered by WorleyParsons? CL WorleyParsons has a team of waste engineers and waste specialists that, inter alia, deals with professional services for landfill rehabilitation. This includes rehabilitation closure designs, costing for closure and rehabilitation, and the waste management licence application for closed or to be closed landfills in terms of the National Environmental Management Waste Act (NEMWA), 2008.

Can you cite two landfill remediation projects undertaken by WorleyParsons in the past three years and how these projects have benefited

the relevant municipalities/ cities? WorleyParsons have dealt with the professional services to close and rehabilitate the existing Vryburg and Goedemoed Prison landfills during the past three years. Contracts to supply the services for closure, construction and rehabilitation for these sites are in the process now. We have rehabilitated the Zuurfontein landfill in Emfuleni Local Municipality adjacent to a mall in Vanderbijlpark, and it aesthetically looks appealing, especially for the people visiting the mall. WorleyParsons also did the rehabilitation and extension

of the Karwyderskraal landfill in Cape Town, as well as the rehabilitation of the Standerton landfill. The closure and rehabilitation of the landfill site will result in complying with legislation with regard to responsible waste management and for the landfill to have a finalend-use,for example, being used as a sports field.

We have rehabilitated the Zuurfontein landfill in Emfuleni Local Municipality.

What are the quality factors that WorleyParsons looks for when selecting geosynthetic layers? The quality parameters of the supplier are scrutinised to ascertain if sufficient quality

testing has taken place for the specific conditions on site that would include leachate chemical characteristics. The geosynthetic contractor/installer in these instances issues a guarantee or warrantee with the supply and installation of their products to ensure peace of mind of the engineer and client.

Can you give me examples of the drainage techniques used by WorleyParsons to collect, store and clean run off on landfills? Surface drains, for example, hearing bone drain systems,

26 – RéSource February 2012

METERING METERING

RENEWABLES RENEWABLES

WATER WATER

LARGE LARGE INDUSTRY INDUSTRY

INFRASTRUCTURE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT INVESTMENT

T&D T&D / / SMART GRIDS SMART GRIDS

GENERATION GENERATION

WASTE WASTE MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT

Waste Management

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Landfills

cut-off drains, toe drains, carpet drains, storm water cut-off channels, storm water cut-off berms, and sub-surface cut-off drains are some of the methods, but not limited to, for transporting run-off in a legal manner, that is, into the environment if it complies with standards or contained in collection dams. Collection dams can be constructed and lined by various means ranging from concrete to geosynthetic liners. Treatment options vary depending on budget, chemical characteristics and treatment standards required, for example, reverse osmosis, settling tanks, physical and chemical treatment options.

By what percentage do landfill remediations/rehabilitations extend the life of a site?

Rehabilitation, for example, daily compaction and covering, does not extend the life of a landfill but rather makes for good operations. This also reduces the cost of the final rehabilitation.

What are your thoughts on domestic separation at source and waste minimisation? No legislation is in place for separation at source, however some municipalities do have by-laws in place to minimise disposal of waste to landfill. The current legislation is moving towards the polluter-pays principle whereby this type of movement will be introduced more and more, that is, it will become more expensive to dispose of waste therefore separation at source will become more appealing. RĂŠSource February 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 27

Landfills

PANEL DISCUSSION Piet Meyer, managing director: Aquatan With regard to landfill rehabilitation and extraction, what services are offered by Aquatan? PM Aquatan has, for the past 46 years, provided the on-site service of supply, installation and testing of a variety of geosynthetic materials to store liquid and prevent pollution/contamination of soil and sub-surface water resources. Aquatan works to a strict quality control programme to meet the design parameters of the engineer. Geosynthetics include: geomembranes such as HDPE, LLDPE and RFPP, amongst others; geotextiles which include woven and non-woven protection and filter material; geosynthetic clay liners; and geodrains such as cuspated sheets and geonets

and other geosynthetics not necessarily installed by Aquatan. The installations are done by professional teams of contract managers who look after the site installation teams most of whom have international certifications as welders. Liners are installed using the latest available installation equipment. The geomembranes are installed under strict quality control procedures which are continuously verified during construction by testing every seam non-destructively, and selected seams destructively during construction. Aquatan is equipped to also apply Electric Leak Detection and spark testing on completion of a project. The lining operation is recorded and controlled from

start to finish using the unique electronic Aquatan project manager system.

Can you cite two gas to energy projects OR landfill rehabilitation projects (or one of each) undertaken by Aquatan in the past three years and how these projects have benefited the relevant municipalities/cities? We install geosynthetic liner systems in many landfill sites, both for leachate collection in the base of the landfill and for leachate storage in the leachate collection ponds. We also do landfill covers of filled landfill sites. Sites include Holfontein, Bisasar Road Landfill, Shongweni, Vissershok in Cape Town and many more.

On the gas to energy side, we supplied and installed the liner and floating cover to a reservoir for a large farming group where manure is kept and methane gas collected. The gas is used to generate power and heat (heat exchangers) to provide heating to the pig sties.

With geosynthetics being an important factor in helping to minimise leachate contamination, what are the quality factors that Aquatan looks for when selecting geosynthetic layers? You will be aware that only 1%

28 – RéSource February 2012

Solutions for demanding needs slow speed shredders

– UNIQUE VERSATILITY • Appropriate for most waste fractions, i.e. municipal waste, plastics, railway sleepers, tyres, mattresses, bulky waste, cables • Easily adjustable for production of different particle sizes • Simple to operate and to monitor • Advanced control system with an optional remote access • Wide selection of models

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compactors

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Landfills

of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fresh water is suitable for human usage. The Business Day reported that amendments to environmental laws could see polluters facing fines and/or imprisonment. The Bill further states that â&#x20AC;&#x153;no person may unlawfully and intentionally or negligentlyâ&#x20AC;? pollute or degrade the environment through an act or omission. South Africa has a National Waste Management Strategy dated November 2011, in place, which outlines governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intentions. In view of the above, Aquatan considers its responsibility to implement the engineersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; designs in addition to applying our 46 years experience very seriously. Given our track record in the industry and coming from a manufacturing background, we are very conscious of the

manufacturing requirements to produce a functional geomembrane that will last the 100 years expected life under challenging conditions. This very much depends on the quality of the polymer used, the ingredients of the Masterbatch, which protects the polymer from the ultraviolet and heat of the sun, the manufacturing method and the production machineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability (smooth, textured or embossed properties) to produce a decent product. The integrity of the substrate (earthworks or concrete) on which the liner is installed, design of penetrating pipes and structures to which the liner is to be sealed, the anchor mechanism and many other factors have a major influence on the long-term performance of the selected geomembrane.

The SABS, together with stakeholders (users, authorities, manufacturers and installation contractors) are continuously working on the improvement of existing geomembrane specifications and installation Code of Practice. When the structure details are acceptable to receive the liner, factors such as deployment method and direction of deployment, and seaming methods and control thereof, play a major part in the long-term survival of selected membranes.

Can you give me examples of the drainage techniques used by Aquatan to collect, store and clean run-off on landfills? The drainage of a landfill site is part of the design phase. From the linerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view,

it is critical that subsequent activities on top of the liner are executed such that the liner/ liner system is not damaged. In order to achieve this, synthetic drainage layers such as cuspated drains are often preferred to protect the geomembrane from subsequent, potentially harmful, activities. Leachate is collected and channelled to leachate collection ponds which often, due to the hazardous nature of the leachate, are lined with double composite liners including a leakage detection layer. The leakage detection layer is meant to intercept leakage that may develop in the relatively thin geomembrane to prevent the hazardous liquids from reaching the environment. Maximum leakage rates are prescribed in legislation, which if exceeded, require action to be taken. RĂŠSource February 2012 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 29

AQUATA LINING SYSTEMS

Hazardous and toxic waste, raw water, potable and turnkey solutions for liquid containment, based on state-of-the-art geomembrane lining technology. Single linings and multiple composite lining systems for hazardous liquid storage, solid sewage ponds, linings to tunnels and canals for infrastructural development, bund areas, raw and return water dams, tank linings for industry, dams for agriculture and aquaculture, ornamental lake and water features. Clean water dams, slimes dams and clear water dams.

AQUATAN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an SABS ISO 9001 company

For your geomembrane lining requirements please contact : TFM t FBY t &NBJM BRVB!BRVatan.com, Website: www.aquatan.com

G E O S Y N T H E T I C S & G E O M E M B R A N E S

GAST is the premier provider of geosynthetic products and installation services. We provide complete service and support for any geosynthetic requirement. GAST offers extensive experience and superior quality, innovative products. Detail drawings, as well as extensive technical and estimating support can be provided to assist with designs for the most economical and constructible configuration which meets the project requirements.

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Landfills

PANEL DISCUSSION K Gast, MD (Division 7): The Gast Group With regard to the installation of linings, what lining sites has Gast worked on locally? KG GAST has been involved with numerous projects locally and abroad, with some of our flagship projects including a 2 000 000 m² geosynthetic lining for the Medupi Power Station, 800 000 m² for Ghana Goldfields, and more recently, 4 000 000 m² for the Kusile Power Station.

Why are HDPE liners popular for use on landfill sites? High density polyethylene liners or geomembranes are a crucial component for environmental safety including that of waste encapsulation. Unprotected and protected landfill sites pose an environmental threat. This threat risk is mitigated by the use of environmental liners and more so by HDPE. These membranes have the capability to ensure that the majority of contaminants are largely kept safe and under control. This is achieved via the highly sought after properties of HDPE namely lifespan, cr ystallinity, goodchemical resistance and exceptional UV resistance.

How many layers of linings is a landfill site composed of and what are the important quality factors that Gast looks for when selecting landfill linings for installation? Landfill site designs are determined by the type of content to be discharged in the landfill as well as the geotechnical and morphological (soil) conditions of the chosen site. These include sanitar y waste, municipal solid waste, construction waste and industrial waste. Each type of landfill site therefore requires different needs and systems; however

the most standard systems are either HDPE or geosynthetic clay liners, in some cases both systems are used in conjunction with one another. The most important objectives of any landfill site are the control of pollutants into ground water and the release of gasses into the atmosphere.

Is there anything that Gast does differently with regard to linings installation? Since GAST’s inception in 1961, we have been firm believers of a single point responsibility philosophy.This means that our clients have a single port of call and we assume and accept responsibility for our clients’ designs objectives. We achieve this through our award winning quality assurance and quality control plans. Our quality control systems and materials are backed by a 10 year warranty. A further cornerstone of our success has been attributed to a transparent procurement, quality and installation system that is communicated almost daily to our clients regarding their projects.

the fact that the installation process demands improvement through modernisation with more effective systems being developed regularly. If a linings contractor has a rigorous quality control system in place with highly skilled personnel the achieved result should meet the designed expectations. Failing to achieve this will result in leachate permeating ground water or aquifers. Proper closure of landfill sites (capping) obviously reduces the risk of air pollution but has a potential spin-off of capturing methane if so designed.

We achieve this through our award winning quality control plans

What is the difference between geomembrane linings and geosynthetic clay linings, and is there a difference in the installation process?

polymer called polyethylene and can var y from 0.5 mm to 5 mm in thickness. The geomembrane itself imper vious normally acts as a seal and protection layer. The installation of both these products var y dramatically whereas a GCL is installed using more conventional methods, the installation of HDPE is far more technically challenging. Geomembranes installations utilise a state of the art plastic welding machine that thermally fuses the geomembrane sheets together.

Any additional comments you would like to make in relation to Gast and the work the company does on landfills?

A geosynthetic clay lining (GCL) is a woven fabric-like material

Over the last 50 years GAST has been at the forefront of technological advances in the

which incorporates a sodium bentonite basis or other forms of clay, which have low hydraulic conductivity. The lower the hydraulic conductivity the more effective the GCL will be at retaining seepage inside of the landfill thus lowering the rate of seepage out of the landfill. Geomembranes are normally manufactured from a ‘plastic’

environmental and water related industries with over 10 000 projects completed successfully in 24 countries. Our business model has been refined to provide our customers with a hassle free ser vice and exceptional quality standards. Hence our motto has always been simplicity equals per fection.

Q.How does the efficient installation of linings aid in the overall lifespan of a landfill site? A.The procurement of high quality materials is of paramount importance as certain materials only have a 10 year lifespan whereas the higher quality products can last anywhere from 20 – 50 years. The installation of HDPE is a technologically orientated market with ver y few true specialists still in existence today, not to mention

RéSource February 2012 – 31

Waste to energy

ECODAN H HEAT PUMP

Renewable heating technology Domestic space and water heating contributes to a significant amount of an average home’s CO2 emissions. In order to reduce these CO2 emissions, we need to find new, more effective means of heating homes. Domestic application

he drive to reduce energy consumption and the impact it has on the environment is crucial and should be increasingly important to us all. Energy efficiency has long driven Mitsubishi Electric to spend millions of rands and huge amounts of resource on researching and developing solutions for the future. The company claims that, by simply using the Ecodan air source heat pump to provide domestic space heating and hot water, it is possible to greatly reduce Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and ultimately your home’s running costs. Using proven heat pump technology used in the heating and cooling industry, the system upgrades naturally-occurring energy from the air and uses it to provide domestic space heating and hot water. TABLE 1 Electricity cost comparison

Heat pump technology has been used around the world for decades and Mitsubishi Electric has developed this technology for domestic application to produce Ecodan. Air source heat pumps are easy to install and suitable for a wide variety of properties, from apartments to houses. The air source heat pump system consists of an external box which is fitted to an outside wall – harvesting renewable, low grade energy from the outdoor air and upgrading it into useful heat to supply a home with hot water and heating. For every 1 kW of electricity fed into an Ecodan heat pump unit, that is, the outdoor part of the heating system, you can get at least 3 kW of heating energy. The overall system efficiency and energy savings will depend on the comparison with a home’s current heating system, satisfactory system design and installation, and operational settings, i.e. how the heating system is used. The heat pump unit (the outdoor part of the heating system) can work all year round, even if the

outdoor temperature drops as low as -15°C. Benefits of the system include a 30% reduction in CO2 emissions, saving up to 60% on the electricity cost of heating water, and the fact that it is a self-contained, easy to install unit which only requires water and electrical connections. The system also utilises a closed loop circuit, which means less risk of contamination between water and refrigerant, as well as a prolonged equipment life expectancy.

Electricity rate: R0.89

Number of people: 4

Litres/person/ day: 90

Water temperature in: 15°C

Water temperature out: 55°C

Input power (KW)

Output power (KW)

Standing loss/24hr (KW)

kW/hour per month

Running cost (R)

Saving/month R/%

ELECTRICAL GEYSER

1.96

569.1

506.46

ECODAN HEAT PUMP

1.95 kW*

5 kW**

1.96 kW

221.9

197.52

308.94/61

5 BEDROOM REFURBISHMENT The Ecodan system installed in a large five bedroom house near Newcastle delivered an average winter COP of 3.25, with an average ambient outdoor temperature of 4°C. The 14 kW Ecodan system has been retrofitted to the property and supplies both combined space heating and all hot water requirements for the detached house, which houses a family of four, including two young children. Over the winter period, the owners reported savings in running costs of between half to two thirds when compared to the previous LPG boiler.

• Number of bedrooms: Five • Age of property: 1999 • Previous heating system: 22 kW-rated LPG boiler • Replaced with Ecodan: 14 kW unit • Average: COP 3.25 • Average outdoor temperature: 4°C • Running cost reduction: 50 – 66% • CO2 reduction: 50%

3 BEDROOM NEW BUILD 5 kW Ecodan system installed in this new three bedroom end-of-terraced property in Langford, Hertfordshire, achieved an average COP 3.25 over the winter against an average ambient temperature of 7°C. The family of three has a new baby and the home is heated by traditional radiators, with the smallest of the Ecodan range (5 kW) providing all heating and hot water requirements.

• Number of bedrooms: Three • Age of property: 2008 • Previous heating system: None • Replaced with Ecodan: 5 kW unit • Radiator upgrade: Uncharged • Average: COP 3.25 • Average outdoor temperature: 7°C

RéSource February 2012 – 33

COP 17 feature

COP 17 AND THE KYOTO PROTOCOL

The expectations, outcomes, and effect on business The recent Conference of Parties (COP17) meeting in Durban was its usual rollercoaster ride, ending with a surprise commitment by most of the 200 countries which took part to continue the Kyoto Protocol, along with a raft of other climate change agreements. While the outcome has signalled a breakthrough for a political consensus on climate change, the outcome for business is only just becoming clear. by Yvo de Boer*

t one point, the COP17 meeting in Durban looked as if it was heading for disaster. Now that it is over, it is clear that the world is still heading in the right direction in terms of its approach to dealing with climate change and is more firmly committed to a low carbon path than it was before the meeting. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process, although slow and beset with challenges, is moving for ward. Expectations for Durban were ver y low, but in spite of this, the conference led to a significant breakthrough that will have important consequences for businesses around the world (see Table 1).

34 – RéSource February 2012

Slowly but surely, like it or not, the world impact many of the largest business operais moving for ward on climate change, with tors around the world and many smaller business now able to seriously calculate businesses further down the supply chain. the implications of a low carbon economy. There will be a second commitment period The Kyoto Protocol has been given a to start from 2013, meaning that all of the second lease of life and will now operate treaty’s rules, mechanisms and markets within the context of will remain in force. a broader approach Business can be confito tackling climate dent that market-based is the change that will, mechanisms such as amount by which the for the first the Clean Development planet will be allowed to time, include Mechanism (CDM) will warm. Leaders of the world's eight richest all the major continue. But more economies have agreed emitters. This importantly, there is a to the historic deal is a crucial commitment to a new setting this maximum limit point which will legal, global instrument on global temperature rise

2°c

COP 17 feature

to be approved by 2015 and planned to take effect by 2020. As a result, an international agreement for global action on climate change is within our reach and should therefore be considered within ever y for ward looking business strategy.

2015 and beyond With a pinch of luck, by 2015 the current economic crisis will be behind us, creating a more benign climate for governments to make commitments the world needs in order to tackle climate change effectively and make business sur vive and prosper. In addition, the 2015 deal will take place against the background of a new assessment by the scientific community to be published in 2014, which is likely to deliver a wake-up call for us all. While the rhetoric has been ver y impressive, our concrete actions have not taken us anywhere near where we need to be to keep temperature rises to below 2ºC. The Durban conference means that the deadlines for approval and implementation of the agreement have been settled, but its exact nature remains open to interpretation. The new working group created to formulate the agreement therefore has a crucial role to play in building on the solid advances that emerged from the conference. We need urgent clarity on the legal nature of the outcome and the targets that will be involved for the various parties. Important progress was also made on the establishment of the Green Climate Fund which aims to mobilise US$100 billion annually to help developing nations reduce emissions and adapt to the effects of a warming climate. Prior to the conference it was unclear what role business would play in the fund- the worr y was that the private sector would be sidelined. Thankfully, Durban saw confirmation that the Fund will have a facility to support private sector initiatives. It will seek actively to promote business involvement and catalyse further public and private money. This approach could see public-private partnerships in developing nations acting as vehicles for sustainable growth. Such initiatives would have the potential to build green industries, create jobs, alleviate poverty and improve infrastructure as well as tackle climate change. A less publicly noted success to come out of the COP 17 at Durban was the commitment to develop a common system

for measuring, reporting and verifying emissions reduction. This is a key foundation for progress especially because lending from the Green Climate Fund may be results-based. If the private sector is to invest at scale, then there must be a robust and internationally accepted framework for evaluating achievement.

The impact of Kyoto’s extension The Kyoto Protocol was widely expected to wither away at the end of its first commitment period in December 2012. But agreements on a new deal that will, for the first time, commit the United States, China and India to cut emissions facilitated the extension of the Kyoto Protocol. A second commitment period will run from 2013, for either five or eight years, with the final duration to be decided at the end of 2012.

The third phase of the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme runs from 2013 to 2020, which may influence how long the period lasts, not least since the commitment of Russia, Japan and Canada before the meeting not to sign up to a second commitment period remains in force. The main impact of the extension will be on the EU, which makes up the bulk of the Annex 1 countries that have committed to reduce their emissions – and on carbon markets because the Kyoto Protocol’s accounting rules, mechanisms and markets all remain in action as effective tools to leverage global climate action and models to inform future agreements. A new legal instrument will be developed for ratification by 2015 and implementation by 2020, with a “raised level of ambition”. The instrument will be applicable to all

KYOTO PROTOCOL AND COP17 – THE OUTCOME • The world’s climate change community travelled to Durban for the COP17 climate conference with expectations set very low. The prospects for the Kyoto Protocol looked bleak, and as a result there was great uncertainty over the future of the CDM and Joint Implementation carbon markets. • Key players seemed set on apparently irreconcilable positions, with many developing countries insisting that Kyoto must continue at all costs, while countries such as Russia, Japan and Canada were equally adamant that they would not get involved in a second commitment period. • The two largest emitters, China and the United States, seemed as far apart as ever, while the key cheerleader for the process, the European Union, appeared absorbed by its internal financial problems and was still smarting from the disappointments of Copenhagen. • The whole UNFCCC process was in danger of becoming an irrelevant sideshow. Yet as Durban headed into the final weekend, rumours started to circulate that a deal would happen – and a significant one at that. And finally, some 36 hours after the conference was due to end, and after a few heads had been metaphorically knocked together, an agreement was reached. • The Kyoto Protocol has been given a second lease on life and it will now operate within the context of a broader approach to tackling climate change that will, for the first time, include all the major emitters. There will be a second commitment period, to start from 2013, meaning that all of the treaty’s rules, mechanisms and markets will remain in force. • Business can have confidence that market-based mechanisms such as the CDM will continue.

RéSource February 2012 – 35

da y 8h

ou rs /

d4h Use

2 hou rs/day

ified Cert

u ho

/day

ours

20 h

100

nta

500

rs/

Cat

200

Used

300

6h ou rs

ours

/da

/day

Required on Site (days/year)

1000

1500

Utilisation: (hours/year)

2000

COP 17 feature

apply to all parties.

Conclusion Politically, it was interesting to see in Durban the emergence of a strong coalition between the EU and a large number of developing countries, combining for a strong outcome in the shape of a new and all-encompassing legally binding instrument. Another significant advance was the indication that major developing countries including China (so important to a United States agreement) will consider signing up

The ‘devil’s in the detail’ and business will soon be calling for clarity

parties – not just the developed nations that signed up to Kyoto. It means that for the first time, the United States, China and India have committed to a legally-binding global agreement to reduce their emissions, albeit not for almost a decade. In addition, the ‘devil is in the detail’ and not only is there a lot of detail but working it out has been postponed to future years. However, COP17 could have resulted in the international climate change process falling in a heap and the major emitters walking away and going it alone. So there is cause for cautious optimism and a clear signal that no government wants to be seen as the wrecker of the climate change process. It is also significant that the process has

moved into the 21st centur y and climate change is no longer being seen as an issue that is up to the developed world to fix alone. The new legal instrument will

to a legally-binding obligation in the context of a post-2020 framework. Business can see from Durban a clear signal that the international community is committed to taking the climate change agenda for ward, that market-based mechanisms will continue and that there will be clear reporting guidelines. The climate agenda may have taken a large step forward but the ‘devil’s in the detail’ and business will soon be calling for clarity.

* ABOUT THE AUTHOR Yvo de Boer is responsible for thought leadership on strategy development, driving the development of KPMG’s KPMG s Sustainability S Service as a global ambassador for the company. Prior to joining KPMG, KP De Boer was executive secretary of the UNFCCC. He hhas been involved in climate change policies since 1994- he helped to pre prepare the position of the EU in the lead-up to the negotiations on the Kyo Kyoto Protocol; assisted in the design of the internal burden sharing of th the EU and has since led delegations to the UNFCCC negotiations. De Boer launched an international dialogue on the clean development mechanism and has partnered international discussions with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, aimed at increasing private sector involvement

RéSource February 2012 – 37

Mills & Otten cc Johannesburg Tel: (011) 486 0062 Fax: (086) 554 6573 Contact: Charles Mills / Kirstin Otten

Environmental Consultants 1998/46338/23 info@millsandotten.co.za www.millsandotten.co.za

Cape Town Tel: (021) 671 7107 Fax: (021) 671 7107 Contact: Stephanie de Beer

Independent Environmental Consultants specialising in: Environmental Impact Assessments Environmental Management Systems Environmental Audits

*KPMG’s Special Global Advisor, Climate Change and Sustainability

Contaminated Land Assessment Environmental Management Plans Waste License Applications

COP 17 feature

Highlights from COP 17 which was held in Durban in December 2011

t the very heart of the response to climate change, however, lies the need to reduce emissions. In 2010, governments agreed that emissions need to be reduced so that global temperature increases are limited to below 2°C. The negotiating process on climate change revolves around the sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which meets every year to review the implementation of the Convention, with the 17th COP held in Durban in December 2011. Successive decisions taken by the COP make up a detailed set of rules for practical and effective implementation of the

LEFT and ABOVE Climate change activists held a mass protest action march in the streets of Durban on 3 December 2011

38 – RéSource February 2012

COP 17 feature

Convention. The COP serves as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), which also adopts decisions and resolutions on the implementation of its provision. Thousands of participants including government representatives and observer organisations have attended previous climate change conferences. In 1992, countries joined an international treaty, the UNFCCC, to cooperatively consider what they could do to limit average global temperature increases and the resulting climate change, and to cope with whatever impacts were, by then, inevitable. By 1995, countries realised that emission reductions provisions in the Convention were inadequate. They launched negotiations to strengthen the global response to climate change, and, two years later, adopted the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol legally binds developed countries to emission reduction targets. The Protocol’s first commitment period started in 2008 and ends in 2012. At the start of the conference, South African President Jacob Zuma pointed to the climate impacts in Africa as a reason for all governments to take action. “We have

experienced unusual and severe flooding in coastal areas in recent times, impacting on people directly as they lose their homes, jobs and livelihoods. Given the urgency, governments need to strive to find solutions here in Durban. Change and solutions are always possible, and Durban must take us many steps forward towards a solution that saves tomorrow today,” he said.

TOP LEFT United Nations Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon, with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and COP 17 president, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane TOP RIGHT On 7 December, members of the global TckTckTck campaign joined 2 000 Durban students in creating the world’s largest human lion on South Beach. Their goal was to urge leaders at COP 17 to have the courage to create a breakthrough agreement that will ensure a safe future for young Africans and people all over the world. The stars of the event were more than 2 000 students from the following Durban primary schools: Addington, Hartley, Wembley, Vumukhule, Embonini, Tholisu and Sawela. TckTckTck board chairman and Greenpeace chief, Kumi Naidoo, attended the gathering and made a short speech, while international aerial artist John Quigley photographed the lion from a helicopter above Addington Beach. ABOVE Protestors tried to push their way through the COP 17 negotiations. Both local and international law enforcement were deployed during the event LEFT COP 17 was held at the Durban International Convention Centre from 28 November to 9 December 2011

RéSource February 2012 – 39

Air pollution/CDM

BUILDING GREEN

Building smart to reduce greenhouse emissions A considerable amount of interest has been generated by the recently published amendment to the National Building Regulations, which introduces a new Part X dealing with energy usage in buildings. By Michael Hands*

art X was promulgated on 9 November 2011, from which date building plans for all new buildings, as well as plans for extensions of or additions to existing buildings, must comply. The stated purpose of Part X is to ensure that contributions are made towards the reduction of greenhouse gases. Since buildings do not themselves emit greenhouse gases, the reference is obviously to the gases which the occupants may cause to be emitted by the operation of facilities located within the buildings. The regulations apply only to those buildings which fall within one of the specified categories of building or building occupancy.

use, their geographic location and their internal environment. Of importance is the fact that the plant and equipment which are necessary for the proper functioning of a building have been excluded from the operation of Part X. By this, it is presumably meant that the core functionality of a building should not be restricted in any way by the imposition of the new requirements, so that it is only the building itself and the incidental processes which are affected. A ‘building envelope’ is defined as “the elements of a building that separate a habitable room from the exterior of a building, or garage or storage area”. It is submitted that

SANS 10400 Part XA. This section of SANS 10400 is fairly lengthy and detailed, and space does not permit a detailed analysis of its requirements. A brief summary of its more important aspects is, however, possible. For further information, the inquisitive reader is referred to SANS10400 on the website. Various forms of apparatus are recommended for installation or use, including guarded-hot-plate apparatus for steady state heat flux requirements, heat flow meter apparatus for steady-state thermal transmission properties and hot-box apparatus as a standard test method for thermal performance of building materials and envelope assemblies. The mechanical performance criteria of fenestration products, domestic solar water heaters, calculation methods for thermal resistance and thermal transmittance of building components and elements and water supply installations for buildings are canvassed. So too is the installation of fixed electric storage water heating systems and various existing regulations dealing with general principles, walls, lighting and ventilation.

Construction standards

The basic criteria to be adhered to are that: (a) The buildings must be capable of using energy efficiently while still fulfilling user needs in regard to vertical transport (lifts) thermal comfort (primarily air-conditioning) lighting and hot water. (b) The buildings must each have a “building envelope’ and services which facilitate the efficient use of energy compatibly with their intended function and

40 – RéSource February 2012

With sustainability being the current buzzword, more and more businesses and individuals are converting buildings to be more energy efficient

this definition seems to frown upon the use of light and heat reflecting exterior surfaces and encourages the use of heat absorption and retention, thus reducing reliance on artificial heating for thermal comfort. The regulation also states that its requirements may be satisfied by adherence to

Although most construction industry professionals will be aware of, and in all probability observe, best practice in relation to building orientation, in future this will assume increased importance and be used as a tool to determine whether a building complies with Part XA. SANS 204 is invoked in this regard. Such varied aspects as roof assembly construction, under-floor heating and external walls are also discussed. Building orientation science in the southern hemisphere encourages the presentation of the major façade behind which the primary areas of occupancy occur to the north in order to take advantage of heat absorption and retention for those areas

Air pollution/CDM

in winter months. By the same token, less frequently occupied areas, such as kitchens and bathrooms, should be located on the southern side of the building. An important requirement of the regulation is that at least 50% (by volume) of the annual average hot water heating requirement has to be provided by means other than electrical resistance heating, which includes, but is not limited to, solar heating, heat pumps, heat recovery from other systems and the use of renewable combustible fuel. A ‘competent person’ (by definition one who by education, training and experience is able to make a determination regarding the performance of a building) must certify the building’s compliance with the regulations. Table 2 to SANS 10400-XA:2011 categorises buildings according to ‘climatic zone’ and specifies a maximum energy demand

for each type, where sufficient collected data on building energy performance are available. There are seven such categories, excluding purely residential buildings, and they range from places of entertainment and public assembly to hotels. Approved thermal calculation software is required to be used to calculate the energy efficiency of buildings, although what constitutes such software is not immediately apparent. No doubt the SABS or CSIR will have more information on this subject. What the regulations do not appear to adequately address is the way in which they will be applied to extensions and additions to existing buildings. A prime example is the difficulty in applying the requirement for 50% hot water heating requirements

The intention behind the regulation is laudable and should be supported

through alternative energy sources. If a 60 room hotel is to be extended by the addition of 20 new rooms, will this mean that 20 of the ‘old’ rooms will have to be linked to a solar heating system, or possibly even more if they are to compensate for the lack of alternative energy sources for use in the kitchen and the laundry? The intention behind the regulation is laudable and should be supported, but there will undoubtedly be interpretation difficulties as the regulation is tested against real world experience and issues. We should not be surprised if the regulation undergoes some fairly extensive surgery over the next few years.

* ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Hands

is senior attorney and a consultant to Garlicke & Bousfield (Umhlanga, Durban), where he is head of the Planning and Environmental Unit.

THE

RéSource February 2012 – 41

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The ReSource weekly newsletter provides an instant summary of the latest news, events and developments in the resources and waste management industry. It is delivered directly to your inbox. TO SUBSCRIBE glen@3smedia.co.za TO ADVERTISE christine.pretorius@lantic.co.za FOR EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES candice@3smedia.co.za

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Air pollution/CDM

SASOL’S SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

‘Green washing’ or a step in the right direction? A petrochemicals group involved in affordable housing made from mining and manufacturing by-products, as well as an Eco Industrial Park in the hub of the Free State? Could the world’s largest maker of motor fuels from coal and one of South Africa’s largest polluters be on the right path to sustainability? Compiled by Candice Landie

ccording to the country’s 2009 Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) report, petrochemicals group Sasol topped the list of South Africa’s largest polluters (along with Eskom). The group is the world’s largest maker of motor fuels from coal and spewed some 70.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the South African atmosphere in 2010 alone. Energy and material sectors remain South Africa’s largest emitting industries, collectively contributing more than 90% of the country’s emissions as they are affected by our country’s heavy reliance on coalfired power plants. Moves to diversify the country’s energy mix away from coal have been slow, especially as Eskom struggles to meet the fast-rising demand in Africa’s biggest economy, but that is a topic on its own. Launched in 2000, the Carbon Disclosure Project has, on behalf of institutional investors, challenged the world’s largest companies to measure and report their carbon emissions. The green issue is at the forefront of both the corporate and public mind, with big business having recognised the importance and commercial expediency of sustainable business practices. But sustainability

means more than corporate responsibility – it is now a bottom line issue that big business needs to integrate into its strategy. Media statements issued in mid-2011 stated that Sasol is to build South Africa’s largest gas power plant in Sasolburg in the Free State. It is reported that the R1.8 billion facility, which will produce electricity from natural gas, will have a capacity of 140MW and will supply energy to Sasol’s operations. One of the main reasons that Sasol currently holds the title of being one of the country’s largest emitters is its dependence on power derived from the burning of coal and, according to the group, electricity produced from natural gas rather than coal will result in fewer emissions. In an article on mediaclubsouthafrica.com, Henri Loubser, MD of Sasol’s New Energy department, was quoted as saying: “This project will produce 50% less greenhouse gases compared to a conventional coal-fired power station of equivalent capacity.” He says the Gas Engine Power Plant project should facilitate a reduction of close to one million tonnes per annum of CO2 once the complete project is rolled out. The project also falls in line with Sasol’s aim to increase the energy efficiency

The project also falls in line with Sasol’s aim to increase energy efficiency of its utilities by 15% per unit of production

As the largest maker of motor fuels from coal, Sasol topped the list of South Africa’s largest polluters along with Eskom. Pictured is the refinery in Secunda

42 – RéSource February 2012

of its South African utilities by 15% per unit of production by 2015. Construction of the plant was due to start in July 2011 and it is expected to start producing electricity by the end of 2012.

Green houses The petrochemicals group is not just investing in the new gas plant- smaller sustainable projects are also on the cards. For instance, First National Bank and Sasol have joined forces to develop new, affordable housing made from mining and manufacturing byproducts. Designed and built using technology developed by Tower Technologies, the walls and roof of an 85 m² house takes just five days to assemble, thereby bringing about significant savings in both construction costs and energy use. According to Marius Marais, CEO of FNB Housing Finance, conventional building methods are becoming increasingly expensive and impact directly on the ability of banks and developers to meet the need for affordable housing. “Because of this, and continued increases in labour costs, we have been compelled to consider alternative technologies that will enable us to deliver affordable quality houses to the emerging middle class,” he adds. The first three housing units have been built in Cosmo City, where market acceptance has been very high, and are made with pre-built panels derived from waste

Air pollution/CDM

streams – fly ash and gypsum. Fly ash is a by-product of Sasol’s power production and gypsum a by-product of industries such as paper making, fertiliser production, desalination of acid mine water, etc. Mike Symons, CEO of Tower Technologies, commented that the Tower Technologies Building System has the look and feel of traditional brick and mortar, with many superior attributes in that the walls are guaranteed straight, solid and incombustible. The panels are factory manufactured to ensure consistent quality and render an 80% weight saving to conventional building methods, which makes it logistically efficient. The panels are manufactured from waste streams and therefore ensure a low carbon footprint and have been fully SABS tested and Agrément certified. In addition, this building system ensures a cost saving of between 10% and 30% to conventional building systems, depending on locality, and is in the process of being licensed to prospective manufacturers, countrywide.

Economic and commercial viability When asked what the actual cost savings are in rand terms when comparing the construction of traditional brick and mortar houses to fly-ash and gypsum houses, the answer was very straight-forward: the bondable houses are 10 to 20% cheaper than conventional housing, yet still deliver on quality and meet all building accreditation criteria (SABS, Agrément and NHBRC). Detailed costings are compiled in accordance with each interested investor’s requirements and are dependent on site location for panel factory manufacturing, as well as the application of these panels according to architectural design. Dependent on these known inputs, a panel costing is given. The typical Cosmo saving for the end consumer was 20%, considering that DIAGRAM 1 Technology and production. Sasol’s processes in South Africa

the land at Cosmo was pricey. Similar building technologies have been around for many years in the alternative market but a large number of these are either too expensive or not socially accepted by the South African market. To have success on both these fronts, with a national bank providing 100% bonds for an alternative technology, is a great achievement for the project. With the development of the green economy and a rise in consciousness in terms of reducing carbon footprints, there is definitely a trend toward alternative (and green) building technologies.

Greener businesses Sasol’s enterprise development vehicle, Sasol ChemCity, together with the executive mayor of the Metsimaholo Municipality

Ash houses: Sasol and FNB’s latest affordable housing development affordable using materials from mining and manufacturing by-products in the construction

a long-term strategy to implement carbon reduction projects. Mechanisms are in place for entrepreneurs to utilise alternate building technologies, solar geysers, solar panels and other eco-friendly tools. By bringing revolutionary thinking to the conventional buzz around industrial parks, the project hopes to promote a green building philosophy in other regions in time to come. Even with these and other green projects underway, South Africa’s Carbon Chasm report, compiled by KPMG, illustrates that there is a gap between business carbon emissions and South Africa’s commitment to 34% below the business as usual scenario by 2020. However, many companies in the

WASTE ASH is used in a revolutionary process to create a mixture that is foamed and held together by polymeric binder. The entire foamed mixture is encased in a steel frame structure and this comprises a panel that can be used for purpose building applications. and other key role-players, launched Phase I of their Eco Industrial Park in Sasolburg in October 2011. Situated in the industrial hub of the Free State, the site will provide a reliable supply of utilities, support services and infrastructure, in order to ensure an environment that is conducive to successful production, logistics and marketing. One of the primary attributes is the park’s ability to minimise its carbon footprint with

South African market have stepped up to the challenge of voluntarily reducing greenhouse gas emissions by putting forward substantive commitments that contribute to meeting the country’s overall commitment. Although it is encouraging to see the articulated voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction emissions targets in the private sector, it is only through a collective effort that climate change can be seriously addressed.

RéSource February 2012 – 43

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Air pollution/CDM

LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN

Who will pay the price of carbon tax? Over and above assessing the direct carbon tax cost in South Africa once the verdict is published by National Treasury in February 2012, the country must count the indirect cost of the tax on the competitiveness of its logistics and supply chain sector and the impact that it will have on consumers and end-users.

outh Africa’s consistently high cost of logistics, which came in at 13.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009, according to the 7th Annual State of Logistics survey, will be negatively impacted due to the proposed taxation levels. The proposed carbon tax will, according to Marius Swanepoel, Imperial Logistics CEO, need to be “counteracted with greener, more efficient supply chains”. Dr Jan Havenga, Head: Centre for Supply Chain Management at Stellenbosch University, who projects the total cost of logistics to be approximately 15% of GDP for 2010, comments that in 2009 the transport and communication sector paid around R12 billion in company taxes. “A carbon tax could increase the effective tax rate of the industry by at least 14.5%,” Havenga says. “This would in all likelihood, make South African logistics costs much higher and would mean that the competitiveness of the country would be under further threat.” When assessed by the industry, calculations indicate that including the carbon tax, the total transport industry bill would increase by between R1.8 and R6.0 billion per year for the emission tax of transport only. In essence, an increase of between 1.16% and 3.86% on the transport bill is forecasted depending on the final tax implemented. Sharmini Naidoo, The Road Freight Association’s CEO, believes that this

increase is a cost the road freight industry can ill-afford. “Transport operators are already faced with numerous rising costs and the proposed carbon tax would have a serious impact on the cost of logistics, rendering road transport uneconomical,”

An increase of between 1.16% and 3.86% on the transport bill is forecasted

she says. Over 80% of freight is currently moved by road. “Ironically it is the SMMEs who would be most severely impacted by the tax – the very sector government aims to support. Not only this, but the tax will also impede economic growth and job creation.” Swanepoel adds, “The industry is moving forward in greening supply chains

through innovative thinking and investment. Examples include South Africa’s first Euro 5 specification fleets on our roads, cutting carbon emissions and increasing efficiencies through ‘extra distance’ studies and network redesign, as well as application of renewable energy sources.” Governments globally have tended to introduce carbon taxation first, followed by emissions trading as a secondary means to curb carbon emissions. He says many countries including Finland, the Netherlands and United Kingdom have tended to offset the increase in carbon taxes with decreases in other taxes or use of revenue for climate mitigation programmes. “In South Africa, there is currently no middle road planned. Some, such as climate change economist and World Bank advisor, Michael Toman, view the country’s serious examination of carbon tax to be “commendable, particularly given that the step is ‘unique’ among emerging-market economies.” Others view the anticipated tax as a further burden to be borne by business. Swanepoel concludes: “Even at the lower R72 per tonne rate, the estimated R100 billion likely to be generated from carbon tax equates to between 12% and 13% of Treasury’s total tax take. This revenue must be channeled into our country’s pursuit for finding sustainable, innovative solutions for cleaner energy that is accessible to all.”

RéSource February 2012 – 45

Hazardous waste

2011 RESPONSIBLE CARE PERFORMANCE REPORT

The good and the bad “Of great concern is the number of fatalities and the rising number of storage incidents. On the positive side, our members are maintaining levels of electricity consumption, using less water and demonstrating a steady decrease in chemical oxygen demand in effluent.” Joaquin Schoch, chairman of the CAIA

he 2011 Responsible Care Per formance Report, which was published toward the end of the year, is the fifth in a series issued by the Chemical and Allied Industries Association (CAIA). Ever y year, the report is timed to include the previous year’s per formance in terms of the implementation of Responsible Care by the chemical industr y and its associates. One of its main objectives is to increase transparency on the per formance of the South African chemical industr y. For 2011, the CAIA presented an extended report covering additional aspects of Responsible Care implementation. These included the three annual workshops held in Johannesburg and Durban (where most of its members are situated), the CAIA new brand promotion, the various working forums and some examples of member projects, achievements, activities and public signings of Responsible Care. GRAPH 1 Although the total waste has significantly decreased since 2009, it is important to maintain these levels into the future and continue focusing on reducing hazardous waste generated

46 – RéSource February 2012

Sub heading At the launch, emphasis was placed on the responsibility of the chemical industr y to ensure that chemicals are manufactured and used safely. Introduction of cleaner and more efficient technologies results in reductions in the quantities of emissions and waste generated, as well as the use of less water and energy. Progress in meeting this requirement is reported for these parameters in the report. According to Joaquin Schoch, chairman of the CAIA, the latest report reflects both pleasing and disappointing results. While transport incidents have declined, “of greatest concern is the number of fatalities and the rising number of storage incidents,” says Schoch. “On the positive side, our members are maintaining levels of electricity consumption, using less water and demonstrating a steady decrease in chemical oxygen demand in effluent. Air emissions and waste generated have now plateaued.” Karen Marx, 2010 chairperson of the

Voluntar y Advisor y Forum (VAF), says that continuous sustainable improvement, whilst having a positive effect on a company’s bottom line, is expected from all stakeholders. “Pollution prevention through cleaner production technology and evaluating and improving the sustainability of product supply chains and vendors plays an increasingly important role,” she continues. “Business in general and the basic chemical sector (accounting for about 31% of the chemicals produced in South Africa) have a significant role to play in addressing issues like climate change, job creation, the elimination of poverty and product innovation. Chemical companies are expected to set priorities for environmentally-sustainable production, ensure energy and water efficiency and improve production processes by considering the more efficient use of resources,” Marx reiterates. The VAF of the CAIA provides a forum that facilitates dialogue between various organisations and interest groups in the countr y and communicates public concerns on health, safety and environmental issues to the association.

Air emissions and waste generated have now plateaued

Product stewardship The Global Product Strategy (GPS) of GRAPH 2 The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of effluent provides an indication of organic load discharged in liquid effluent into municipal sewers, rivers, dams and oceans. The tonnes of COD per 1000 tonnes of production are shown in this graph

Hazardous waste

GRAPH 3 This graph depicts emissions of greenhouse gases per tonne of production from 2006

the International Council of Chemical Associations addresses the product stewardship components of Responsible Care. Product stewardship is the chemical industr y’s key mechanism for managing the health, safety and environmental aspects of chemical products throughout the value

chain and promotes the safe use of chemicals in their manufacturing, use, recycling and disposal. Product stewardship and its implementation through GPS are seen as a key pillar of the Responsible Care initiative. The key components of the GPS include: Guidelines for product stewardship,

GRAPH 4 Other air emissions arising from chemical production that don’t lead to global warming are depicted in this graph for sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx)

including ways to make relevant product stewardship information more accessible.

At the end of 2010, 100 hauliers had been SA SQAS audited, of which 89 attained preferred supplier status (meeting 90% of the criteria) and 11 attained provisional supplier status (meeting 60% of the criteria). Twenty eight hauliers were signatories to Responsible Care

RéSource February 2012 – 47

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Hazardous waste

A tiered process for completing risk characterisation and management actions for chemicals in commerce. Product stewardship performance by downstream customers of the chemical industry. The association has developed a GPS Implementation Plan, which includes a number of elements to support product stewardship activities and one of the initial responses is the development of two guidance documents to assist members in the implementation of the Responsible Care Management Practice Standards for Product Stewardship. The guideline documents aim to assist companies design and implement product stewardship programmes. In 2010, the CAIA moved to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

(IPPC) Guideline method of calculating the greenhouse gases resulting from specific plant processes. This has been undertaken to prepare companies for the mandator y reporting which is expected to be introduced by 2014. The association continues to recognise the achievement of excellence in Responsible Care with the annual Responsible Care Award. Sasol Solvents, Secunda, was the recipient of the 2011 Responsible Care Award. 2011 also saw the introduction of the Responsible Care Haulier Award, of which Manline Energy was the recipient. More than half of CAIA’s signatories report that they are now operating community advisor y committees. 94% have established a complaints procedure and 98% have emergency response plans in place. 75% of signatories have also now developed a waste management programme.

More than half of CAIA’s signatories are now operating community advisory committees

Business in general, and the basic chemical sector, which accounts for about 31% of the chemicals produced in SA, has a significant role to play in addressing issues such as climate change

48 – RéSource February 2012

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Medical Air pollution waste

MEDICAL AND CHEMICAL CASE STUDY

Identifying opportunities for hazardous waste minimisation Waste minimisation is more important than recycling, in particular with regard to hazardous waste. The study below looks at a waste minimisation plan at the medical and chemical engineering schools at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. By N Matete* and R Mahomed

he purpose of this paper is to present results of a preliminary investigation into implementing a hazardous waste minimisation plan at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), using medical and chemical engineering schools as case studies. The status quo of the waste system at both schools was established by interviewing relevant university staff. A waste minimisation plan was then proposed based on the interview results, and waste minimisation plans in operation at local and international universities. A survey was then carried out to assess students’ current waste management behaviour and their willingness to participate in the implementation of the proposed plan. The results of the survey showed that at least 72% of the students understood that waste minimisation was more important than recycling. Also, more than 90% of the students were willing to participate in the implementation of the proposed waste minimisation plan if more information on waste minimisation was provided.

to inherent physical, chemical or toxicological characteristics of that waste, have a detrimental impact on health and the environment” (Republic of South Africa, 2008). Due to the nature of hazardous waste, it “cannot be released into the environment or be added to sewage or be stored in a situation which is either open to air or from which aqueous leachate could emanate” (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 2008). This preceding point underscores the need for reduction of the amount of hazardous waste that is generated at UKZN, hence the purpose of this preliminary investigation. Waste minimisation, on the other hand, is defined as “any activity that is undertaken by the generator of waste to prevent or reduce the volume and/or environmental impact of waste that is generated, treated, stored or disposed of” (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 2000). This definition has now been incorporated into the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act 59

UKZN does not have a waste minimisation plan for any of the three waste categories

Introduction At the moment, UKZN does not have a waste minimisation plan for any of the three main waste categories: hazardous, general and inert. Hazardous waste means “any waste that contains organic or inorganic elements or compounds that may, owing

of 2008) albeit in a slightly revised form (Republic of South Africa, 2008). In terms of the waste minimisation scheme, the main goal will be to reduce the volume of the waste generated and also reduce its environmental impact or toxicity. Due to the fact that hazardous waste has many streams, the waste minimisation scheme will focus on chemical and bio-hazardous waste. The scheme is based primarily on schemes that are in operation at international universities such as the University of Miami and the University of California – Santa Barbara, and locally, the University of Stellenbosch.

Methodology The objectives of the preliminary investigation were three-fold: to determine the status-quo for hazardous waste management at UKZN using case study schools; develop a plan and identify the opportunities for waste minimisation, and to assess the willingness of students to engage in hazardous waste minimisation. This section outlines the process that was followed in carrying out the investigation. In order to establish the status quo of hazardous waste management practice at the chemical engineering and medical schools,

RéSource February 2012 – 49

Medical waste

staff members responsible for hazardous waste management were interviewed. The main information requested was the types of waste generated, the volumes/amounts for each stream, and how each stream was being managed – classification and storage of the generated waste and ultimately, the disposal of the waste. A literature review was conducted on the waste minimisation schemes operational in other universities. The outcomes of the interviews were then compared with the outcome of the literature review, from which a waste minimisation plan for the case study schools was then proposed. Following the proposal of a waste minimisation plan, a survey was conducted at both schools to determine the basic understanding of students with regard to hazardous waste management and also to determine the willingness of the students to participate in and to promote the waste minimisation scheme. Since not all the students could be surveyed, a representative sample was determined for each school using statistical methods. The sample size for each school was determined using Equation 1 as a basis. However, the actual sample size was calculated using readily available sample size calculators on the internet (Survey Systems, 2009); which take into account the population size of each school. A selfadministered questionnaire was applied in

ISSUE What approach is the best way to reduce the amount of hazardous waste produced? Is it safe to discard chemicals down the drain? Were you taught about the impacts of waste in 1st year?

How often do you produce hazardous waste in lab sessions?

50 – RéSource February 2012

into chlorinated and both areas using con34 T63 #$34 non-chlorinated waste. venience sampling given Bio-hazardous waste the fact that this was a z 2 p (1  p ) n is separated into solid preliminary investigation. 2 e waste, sharps, human The results were then where: tissue and pharmaceutianalysed using Microsoft n = sample size cals. Both major streams Excel. The results from p = value used to represent the population proportion of waste are collected the staff interviews and e = desired margin of error as the need arises and the student survey were z = critical value from the disposed of by specialist then used to gauge standard normal table contractors using approwhether there was sufpriate disposal methods ficient scope and opporfor each waste stream. tunities for the implementation of separate The only problem with the present system hazardous waste minimisation schemes in is that the volumes or quantities of waste both schools. These results are presented generated are not measured and recorded, in the next section. or where the information is available, it is Results considered confidential. As a result, it is not Status quo clear how much waste is being generated In the medical school, the interviews yielded and how much is being disposed of. the following results: In the chemical engineering school, the Purchasing of chemicals is done by the LCA yielded the following results: user who has to follow a procedure set up Purchasing of chemicals is done by the by the Procurement Department: Users school and most of the chemicals are can only purchase the chemicals once brought from or through the same company. approval has been given by the Procurement A similar purchasing procedure to the one in Department. This process eliminates the medical school is followed. scenario of users just randomly purchasSimilar to medical school, separate storing chemicals, and allows the Procurement age facilities are provided, but this time for Department to keep track of the chemicals solvents and dry chemicals. Also, acids and purchased and to manage funds for this bases are stored in the same room as the process appropriately. solvents, but in a clearly segregated section Storage facilities for the waste are based of the store room. It is important to note on safety aspects that take into considerathat a completely separate storage room for tion the incompatibility of certain chemicals. acids and bases is being constructed at the For example, separate storage facilities are moment. provided for chlorinated and non-chlorinated The generated waste is separated into waste. The onus is on the waste producer chlorinated and non-chlorinated solvents to decant their waste into appropriate and various redundant chemicals. After drums. classification, the storage drums are clearly Hazardous waste is separated into marked, but the onus still remains on the chemical and bio-hazardous streams. waste generator to dispose of their waste The chemical waste is then separated in the appropriate drum. Collection and disposal of the waste is done by an appointed contractor, with collection taking place when RESPONSE (%) SCHOOL the need arises and disposal taking place RECYCLE RE-USE UNSURE at an appropriate disposal facility. Similar to Medical 22 2 76 medical school, there is no record keeping Chemical 26 2 72 for the volumes/quantities of waste produced and disposed of. Medical 1 99 Chemical

Waste minimisation plan

Medical

The waste minimisation plan is based on international best practices and involves three main steps: • the classification of the generated waste • the reduction of the volume of waste generated • the reduction in the toxicity of the

Chemical

DAILY

WEEKLY

MONTHLY

Medical

Chemical

Medical Air pollution waste

generated waste. Classification will be carried out using the present method of identifying characteristics as set out in SANS 10228. Source reduction will utilise an effective purchasing strategy, where chemicals are procured for specific purposes rather than buying in bulk for an extended period. When the chemicals are being used, good house keeping methods will be adopted to reduce the volume of waste generated. For example, hazardous and non-hazardous waste will be kept separate so that there is no contamination of non-hazardous waste, which would increase the volume of hazardous waste needing disposal. Recycling of the waste could take place through re-distillation of solvents, where possible, and chemical exchange programmes for generated waste. The latter is already happening in industry; hence it can be scaled down to fit a university setting. For reducing toxicity of the waste, chemical substitution should be utilised. Chemical substitution is a strategy where current chemicals used in projects and practicals are replaced with less toxic ones. For example, Acetamide can be substituted with Stearic acid for freezing point depression or Formaldehyde can be substituted with Ethanol for specimen storage (Florida Atlantic University, 2002). The success of such a plan depends on the corporation and participation of staff and students respectively. The next section will focus on the results of the survey to determine the basic understanding of students with regard to hazardous waste management and their willingness to participate in the proposed plan.

Student survey Using Equation 1 and population sizes of 1 500 for the medical school and 386 for chemical engineering, the sample sizes were calculated as 173 and 130 students respectively. For both schools, p = 0.5, which maximised the sample size and a 7% margin of error at 95% level of confidence were used. Due to the timing of the survey, final year students in both schools were not interviewed, so the results are representative of lower levels of the undergraduate programme students in both schools. The results for the survey in medical school and chemical engineering are shown in Tables 1 and 2. Table 1 shows the students’ current understanding of hazardous waste management, while Table 2 shows the willingness of students to participate in the implementation of the proposed waste

RESPONSE (%)

ISSUE

SCHOOL YES

UNSURE

Waste minimisation currently implemented at UKZN?

Medical

Chemical

Medical

Chemical

Medical

Chemical

Willing to participate in hazardous waste minimisation? Do you need more info about waste minimisation before participating?

minimisation plan. From Table 1, it can be seen that students in the medical and chemical engineering schools understand the basic application of the waste hierarchy albeit without understanding that reuse is higher priority waste minimisation goal compared with recycling. The students also have basic understanding that unsafe disposal of hazardous waste can have a negative impact on the environment as shown by their response to the issue of discarding waste down the drain. However, such understanding is probably intuitive rather than a result of the first year laboratory induction programmes as indicated by the marked difference in responses between the medical (86%) and chemical engineering schools (63%). Finally, it is clear that hazardous waste is being generated regularly in both schools, with at least 79% of the students indicating that they generate waste weekly. It can be seen from Table 2 that at least 69% of the students are not sure whether waste minimisation is being implemented at UKZN. Despite this uncertainty, most of the students in the medical school (91%) and the chemical engineering school (79%) are willing to participate in waste minimisation. The lower waste minimisation willingness rate for chemical engineering could be attributed to the fact that fewer students in the school, compared with medical school, were taught about the impacts of hazardous waste in their first year of study as shown in Table 1. This difference in knowledge may not be critical given the fact that more than

90% of students in both schools still require more information about waste minimisation before they can participate in it.

Discussion and conclusion In this section, the information presented in the results section will be evaluated with the aim of categorising it as an opportunity or challenge for implementing hazardous waste minimisation at the two schools. The evaluation will focus on the current hazardous waste management system in terms of the processes being used and the perceptions of the primary waste generators – the students. Conclusions will then be drawn on the research based on the evaluation process. The fact that protocols are followed in the purchasing of chemicals in both schools presents an opportunity for waste minimisation as the process allows tracking of the types of chemicals that have been purchased by the schools. This information is important in that chemical substitution can then be implemented where feasible and thus reduce the toxicity of the waste generated. However, chemical substitution can only take place when both the types of chemicals and their quantities are known. The latter presents a challenge given that

79% of students indicate that they generate waste weekly

RéSource February 2012 – 51

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MEDIA

Medical Air pollution waste

the purchasing department does not keep track of the quantities of chemicals purchased since order forms and disposal forms are not kept for long – there is no database or file where the forms are kept. This challenge will need to be overcome if implementation of the waste minimisation plan is to become a reality. A possible solution would be to set up a database, housing information on the amount of hazardous waste that is generated and then analysing the effectiveness of waste minimisation measures in reducing waste quantities needing disposal. Setting up the database is a challenge because of the inefficient way of keeping records that could be used for comparison. The separated storage of waste also presents an opportunity for waste minimisation since segregation of waste reduces the risk of hazardous waste contaminating general waste. Also, segregation of the hazardous waste itself is an opportunity for waste minimisation, given that the separated waste could be used in a chemical exchange

programme with other schools. The lack of waste data, however, is a challenge, since quantities of generated waste will need to be known in order to make the chemical exchange programme feasible. This point underscores the need for a waste database in both schools. Another opportunity for waste minimisation is presented by the willingness of the students to implement the waste minimisation plan. This result is very important given that the students are the primary generators of waste and are therefore responsible for disposing it in the correct receptacles. With the students practising source separation, the benefits mentioned previously will be realised. However, if the students were not willing to separate their waste at source, the benefits of reduced contamination and possibility of engaging in chemical exchange programmes would not take place. Thus it is imperative that the students are provided with the information that they require in order for them to participate in waste minimisation activities.

In conclusion, the research presented in this paper has shown that there are opportunities for implementing hazardous waste minimisation at the medical and chemical engineering schools at UKZN. The proposed waste minimisation plan is based on international best practice and incorporates waste reduction and recycling along with reduction in toxicity of the generated waste. It has been shown that present waste management methods employed in both schools could be transformed waste minimisation schemes. But more importantly, the primar y generators of waste, who are the students, are willing to participate in waste minimisation if they are provided with information that shows them how.

* ABOUT THE AUTHORS *University of KwaZulu-Natal, Civil Engineering Programme, School of Civil Engineering, Surveying and Construction, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

RéSource February 2012 – 53

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Wastewater management

CRYSTALLISATION TECHNOLOGY

Revolutionary chemical-free toxic water treatment system

The critical issue of how to deal effectively with the brine streams resulting from the use of reverse osmosis as the current methods are environmentally unacceptable.

the method of using refrigeration energy to freeze out the water in a solution with dissolved chemicals. In this way, the waste heat from the refrigeration process is used to recover the contaminants as solids. HybridICE is the first operational freeze crystallisation plant ever realised in which the water is completely separated from the toxic waste as solid ice. The first objective for the development team was to deal with polluted and toxic brine streams mainly produced by membrane technologies, typically from reverse osmosis and other industrial wastewaters, through freeze desalination. This technology enabled them to create water of the purest quality, equivalent to glacier water quality. But according to Oosthuizen, treating water is not an art; dealing with the pollution created as a result of water treatment is the real engineering challenge. This has not yet been achieved.

Background

ater scarcity (hydric stress) is an imminent global challenge. The demand for desalination technologies is increasing steadily. It is estimated that half of all installed desalination capacity worldwide is treated by reverse osmosis. The waste brine streams from the application of membrane technologies are classified as industrial wastewater. The hazardous streams, as a result of reverse osmosis, are environmental threats in the making as they are predominantly being fed into evaporation ponds. The current treatment processes are energy intensive and extremely costly to operate. Simply dumping or hiding theses brine streams is no solution. In a world first, a cost-effective, comprehensive solution for treating toxic wastewater regardless of its chemical composition, was launched at the Tshwane University for Technology’s (TUT) Soshanguve campus in November 2011. The HybridICE Freeze Crystallisation technology is a sustainable and cost effective method for treating hazardous brine streams resulting from the application of reverse osmosis. With the

54 – RéSource February 2012

HybridICE technology, the cost of treatment can be reduced by up to ten-fold of the cost of any other treatment method currently available. This chemical-free water treatment technology developed by Frederick Simon Oosthuizen, is the only known comprehensive solution for treating complex wastewaters regardless of their chemical composition, which may include harmful endocrine disruptors. “In developing the HybridICE, we have successfully pioneered a unique method to freeze out clean ice crystals. In return, the manipulation of the ice crystal enables us to recover pure water as a usable product from any toxic brine stream,” says Oosthuizen, who developed the technology in collaboration with Professor Jannie Maree, chairperson of the Rand Water Chair of Water Utilisation at TUT.

Oosthuizen met with Professor Maree towards the end of 2008. “His activities and engagement with the project contributed positively towards the building of the first commercialised 25 m³/day HybridICE Freeze Crystallisation plant, which was installed at TUT’s Soshanguve campus,” Oosthuizen continues. According to the developer, experts around the world have been working tirelessly for more than half a century to understand and realise such a technology, but without success. “Until very recently, this method was not even regarded as viable,” Oosthuizen adds. He explained why the technology is so unique and cost-effective: “In principle, this technology is a method of using refrigeration energy to freeze out the water in a solution containing dissolved chemicals. The water component is frozen out from a contaminated aqueous stream that contains dissolved chemicals and is recovered as pure ice. This treatment process requires no addition of

Manipulation of the ice enables us to recover pure water

The secret is in the freeze The development of this technology started in Germany in 2007 and is said to revolutionise the water treatment industry through

Wastewater management

chemicals.” When a water solution freezes, the ice crystals reject the solute. The dissolved substances increase in concentration, allowing an operating factor ranging from 1 to 40 in the remaining water.

Commercial viability According to Oosthuizen, the commercial applications of the HybridICE are unlimited and will create thousands of job opportunities in South Africa. “I am committed to making this an all-South African project in order to benefit as many people as possible in our communities. In 2012, we will start to build a novel water-treatment technology system for desalination and the treatment of acid mine drainage. We aim to treat any industrial wastewater at a cost of less than R7 per m³, Oosthuizen says. “We will then apply our already developed technology to deal with the brine stream that is produced, making this a truly comprehensive method for treating toxic waters.” Interestingly, the team has already achieved treatment cost of merely R15 per m³ for industrial wastewater and brine stream treatment, which is a factor 10 times cheaper than any other known method.

TUT’s role “Water scarcity is an imminent global challenge and TUT certainly has the expertise BELOW Professor Jannie Maree (right) during his demonstration of the HybridICE Technology system BELOW RIGHT Frederick Oosthuizen (right) checks the ice which is produced by the HybridICE Technology. In principle, it is the method of utilising refrigeration energy to freeze out the water in a solution with dissolved chemicals

to play a vital role in developing more costeffective, sustainable technical solutions to solve this problem in South Africa,” says Dr Prins Nevhutalu, TUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Innovation. Dr Nevhutalu says TUT is one of the pioneers in water treatment in the country, with a Water Care course that was introduced as far back as 1996, adding that the university is proud of its strengths and expertise in water technology. “Apart from the development of brine treatment through the HybridICE technology, TUT has also been involved in developing other innovative solutions and patents for water treatment. The limestone neutralisation of free acid, a CSIR patent, has already been fully implemented, while a TUT patent for the removal of iron (II) with limestone is expected to reduce alkali cost in Gauteng from R94 to R49 million per year,” Dr Nevhutalu adds. Professor Pieter Marais, Dean of the Faculty of Science, says this project

HybridICE: the revolutionary chemical-free toxic water treatment system

represents the pinnacle of what a university of technology should do. “We must find effective, sustainable solutions to realworld problems. With the steadily increasing demand for desalination technologies, it is estimated that half of all installed desalination capacity world-wide is treated by reverse osmosis. The waste brine streams from the application of membrane technologies are classified as industrial wastewater. A critical issue is how to deal effectively with the brine streams resulting from the use of reverse osmosis, as the current methods are environmentally unacceptable. These hazardous streams are environmental threats in the making as they are predominantly being fed into evaporation ponds. The current treatment processes are energyintensive and extremely costly to operate. Simply dumping or hiding the brine streams is no solution.”

RéSource February 2012 – 55

Wastewater management

CHP PLANTS

WWTW upgrade to lower carbon emissions Two biogas scrubbing and cogeneration – combined heat and power (CHP) plants are scheduled for the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works (NWWTW) and the Driefontein Wastewater Treatment Works.

raditionally Anaerobic Digestion was included as part of the overall wastewater treatment process to reduce total the organic load on the WasteWater Treatment Plants (WWTP). Until now, the biogas produced by the WWTW plants has been used to fire boilers, which maintain the temperature in the digesters. But due to the escalation in the price of electricity, it

ABOVE The site as it currently stands BELOW Computer-generated image of the Northern WWTW gas conditioning plant BELOW RIGHT SFGLD 240 with heat recovery will be installed at both project sites

56 – RéSource February 2012

now makes financial sense for the WWTW to utilise the energy rich gas for onsite power generation with heat recovery. At an estimated cost of R76 787 001, the design work started in September 2011 with the civil work on the first phase of the project, NWWTW, scheduled to start in February 2012. The first phase of the NWWTW project is expected to be commissioned by July 2012 and work on Driefontein will commence. The project will generate power and recover the heat from the gas fired generators on site to run grid parallel and supply the thermal energy required to

the digesters in order to maintain temperatures. The plant will have the ability to supply power to portions of the WWTP when the utility supply falls away. The power plants will be built adjacent to the digesters in order to maximise thermal recovery, and will supply about 20% of the NWWTW’s power. As Johannesburg Water invests in additional digester capacity, the WWTP’s load on the grid will be reduced accordingly. The most environmental benefit of the project is the reduced electrical demand on Eskom thereby lowering carbon emissions. Thus far, no setbacks have been identified.

Plant & equipment

MERCEDES-BENZ

Raising the bar on waste collection The waste industry has been slow to react to market needs and hence new developments in technology to facilitate the efficient and economical removal of waste have been ignored in some quarters. Some companies however, have risen to the challenge and have gone the whole nine yards to ensure that they are equipped to meet needs of expanding urban development.

he principle of waste management is the collection, transporting and processing or disposal of waste material, a practice usually associated with human activity and undertaken to reduce effects on health in the environment in which we live. Waste collection methods vary greatly among different countries and regions. Domestic waste collection services are often provided by local government departments or by private companies in the industry. Blue Anvil Bulk Logistics, a Tshwane based company, has since 2003 developed its business around providing the most up to date service in waste removal. At the recent handover of the first two of a total of 14 Mercedes-Benz Axor 3535 waste compactors, company CEO Sandow Rossouw, said, “I have been associated with waste removal transport since 1992 and have built my business reputation on using the best combination of equipment for the job.” “The addition of these new Axor 3535 fitted with the McNeilus 26 cu m compactor body is a continuation of the tradition of using the Mercedes-Benz product since 1997 which started with the 2624 Powerliner,” added Rossouw.

Ideally suited

engine with an output of 260 Kw @ 1900 rpm and torque of 1850 Nm @ 1100 rpm, the Axor 3535 provides a powerful, durable and economical vehicle for the task. The 9-speed direct drive transmission enhances the value of the vehicle for this applica-

the rigours of the waste industry and thrive under the most gruelling conditions to which any vehicle can be subjected. The McNeilus Extra Heavy Duty 26 cu m compactor makes this combination the ‘Monster Crusher’ of the vehicle waste

tion as it allows effortless gear changes and, thanks to the deep crawler gear and reverse gear ratio, enables precise low-speed manoeuvring especially in the confined urban environment. The whole essence of the Axor design has been in weight reduction wherever possible to achieve a balance between robust design and high payload. This enables the vehicle to endure

Blue Anvil Bulk Logistics have developed their business around providing the most up to date service in waste removal and rely on Mercedes-Benz trucks to get the job done

The Axor 3535 8X4 is suited for this medium-distance haulage

The new Axor 3535 8X4 is ideally suited for this medium-distance haulage and heavy duty short distance distribution. Powered by the well proven OM457LA six cylinder diesel

industry due to its high compaction force. According to Rossouw, this higher than average compaction capabilities of the McNeilus enables the company to achieve a 50% increase in the volume of waste per trip of each vehicle. “This makes economic sense, especially if the landfill site is far away and we can reduce the number of trips per day, explained Rossouw.

RéSource February 2012 – 57

Plant & equipment

PILOT CRUSHTEC

The pilot of asphalt recycling More Asphalt has bought a Terex Finlay 683 mobile screen to extract even greater value from its tar recycling operation.

he Cape Town-based asphalt producer uses a Pilot Crushtec RubbleBuster SR500 impact crusher to recycle asphalt waste, as well as the waste product generated in its production process, into reusable raw material. “By introducing a screen into its process, the asphalt producer has gained increased efficiencies as it now has the ability to produce a 15 mm product, which is then blended back into the production cycle,” says Pilot Crushtec director of sales, Graham

Kleinhans, adding that the Terex Finlay’s secondary function is to screen sand out of the plant. According to plant manager, Franscois Ruiters, reject asphalt is produced when the plant starts up or is shut down, and the use of recycling techniques is generating significant savings, not only in terms of raw material costs, but in operational efficiencies. “Apart from the benefit of a greater utilisation of our raw materials, recycling means that we no longer have to carry the cost of transporting and disposing of waste,”

The RubbleBuster produces up to 60 tonnes of recycled product per hour

More Asphalt has introduced a Terex Finlay 683 mobile screen which adds value to its tar recycling operation

says Ruiters. “What we are doing here is normal practice in countries like Australia and America, where asphalt waste is often referred to as ‘black gold’.” He adds that globally there is growing pressure for the conservation of essential raw materials and that it is only a matter of time before local legislation to enforce a recycled content of waste into asphalt production comes into play. “Our RubbleBuster, which we have operated for over three years, and the new screen work well together and produce up to 60 tonnes of recycled product per hour. We are only able to re-introduce product at our main plant and the product is currently re-introduced (blended back into the product cycle) at 7% of our total output.”

RéSource February 2012 – 59

IWMSA news

URGENT CALL FOR PAPERS

Make your voice heard at WasteCon 2012

he Institute of Waste Management address the difficulties faced by the Eastern of Southern Africa (IWMSA) is urging Cape as one of the poorest regions in South all interested and suitably qualified Africa, both in resources and knowledge, parties not to delay in submitting papers and how municipalities and communities are for consideration in respect of original experimenting and succeeding in developcontent for this year’s WasteCon, scheding partnerships to create jobs and to use uled to take place in East London from waste as a resource: in other words to view 08 – 12 October 2012. waste other than as a problem, but rather as WasteCon, which is held bi-annually under a potential resource.” the auspices of the IWMSA, focuses on critiThe WasteCon 2012 organising comcal issues faced by those involved in waste mittee is hard at work to ensure that this management in South Africa. This year’s waste conference meets and exceeds all conference is titled expectations, ‘Wrestling with and whilst still Waste, Employment, in the early Environment and organisation Engineering’. Steve stages, the Kalule, WasteCon committee is 2012 Chairman now calling for says, “The word the submission Steve Kalule, Chairman, WasteCon 2012 ‘Wrestling’ was of abstracts for identified as original contriribing the feelbution to the conference. All a key factor in describing submis ing of difficulty and the challenges submissions will go through a peer-review peer-r experienced when managing waste process carried out by a local review panel, and related issues. This is ed in especially pronounced and each abstract will lities situations, municipalities appear in full form th and communities with in the abstract book w limited resources.” which will be handed The oout at the conference. Kalule continues, “The O conference aims to Oral papers or posters

“The committee is hard at work to ensure that the conference meets all expectations”

should be aligned to the theme ‘Wrestling with Waste’, and encompassing the three ‘E’s’, Employment, Environment and Engineering, which include, but is not exclusive to topics such as: waste to wages, job creation, societal benefits, recycling and reuse, the New Waste Act, licensing, groundwater monitoring, landfills, waste transfer stations and disposal. Abstracts must reach the conference secretariat by 01 February 2012 through the online abstract submission portal on the WasteCon 2012 website. Those wishing to submit abstracts can find full details regarding WasteCon 2012, submissions and themes at www.wastecon.co.za. The IWMSA focuses on providing education and training for its members, facilitating interest groups who network and exchange information with like-minded individuals, as well as offering a forum to assist in having voices heard in the formulation of legislation. The IWMSA is a non-profit organisation comprising a body of dedicated professionals in their respective fields, who give freely and voluntarily of their time and expertise in order to effectively educate, promote and further the science and practice of waste management. For more information, visit: www.iwmsa. co.za

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS African Utility Week Afrisam Amandus Kahl Aquatan Barloworld Equipment Duncanmec EnviroServ Waste Management Envitech Solutions Fleetcall Gast International

26 32 19 29 15, 36 20 IFC 25 48 30

Howden Jan Palm Consulting Engineers Kaytech Landfill Equipment Mills & Otten Mpact Plastic Containers MTM Bodies OMB Waste Logistics Otto Waste Systems Pikitup Johannesburg

53 21 22 28 37 2 OBC OFC 12 10

Pilot Crushtec Plastic Federation of SA Power Gen Africa Power and Electricity World Africa 2012 PTN Parts and Equipment Rose Foundation Sika The Waste Group Worley Parsons

 

60 – RéSource February 2012

58 24 44 13 4 47 OBC 27

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