Department of environmental affairs to conduct road shows on Waste Act

The Department of Environmental Affairs will embark on nine provincial road shows across the country to create awareness on the National Environmental Management: Waste Act of 2008 which came into effect on 1 July 2009.

The road shows kick off on Thursday, 28 October 2010 in Mangaung, Free State and will conclude in the Northern Cape on 9 December 2010.

The department intends to use this opportunity to take the stakeholders through the various provisions of the Waste Act and facilitate discussions in order to enhance levels of understanding for ease of implementing the act. Issues that will be emphasised include the waste information system, contaminated land provisions, waste licensing system, new waste classification system, integrated waste management planning as well as the waste stream regulations (tyres, plastic and asbestos).

The road shows will be held in conjunction with the Provincial Environment Department responsible for waste management. The provinces will lay a foundation on their role in the implementation of the Waste Act as well as highlight some of the provincial waste management programmes.

Over the past ten years, in terms of waste management South Africa has been moving towards promoting prevention, as well as minimisation of waste and disposal as a last resort. However efforts in South Africa need to be enhanced as a large amount of waste still ends up in landfill sites. South Africa is faced with a challenge in terms of sufficient landfill air space and the high costs of maintaining landfill sites. Waste minimisation and recycling therefore becomes the most important elements of the waste management hierarchy in reducing the amount of waste which ends at landfills for disposal.

The Waste Act promotes the concept of integrated pollution and waste management which is a shift from fragmented and uncoordinated waste management approaches towards a holistic approach to waste management.

Media is invited to the road shows.