The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa yesterday, 13 August 2012 published under section 69(1)(y), (aa) and (ee) of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008) (Waste Act) the National Waste Information Regulations, 2012 in Gazette No. 35583 for implementation on 1 January 2013.
The Waste Act was implemented on 1 July 2009, and section 60(1) of the Waste Act requires the Minister to establish a national waste information system for the recording, collection, management and analysis of data and information on waste management. As such, the South African Waste Information System (SAWIS) was developed to support the reporting framework for the generators, recyclers, exporters and disposers of waste.
Through its implementation, the SAWIS has proved to be a useful tool in informing waste management decisions. The SAWIS is a web-based system which enables waste managers to register new waste activities and submit quarterly information on the following web-link www.sawic.org.za.
Waste management facilities across the country continue to register and report waste management information to the SAWIS, but one of the main challenges for the full implementation of the SAWIS was the lack of waste information regulations to enforce the SAWIS. Consequently, in July 2010 draft national waste management regulations were published for public comment. The comments received were reviewed and the draft regulations were revised and published today.
The purpose of the national waste information regulations, 2012 is to regulate the collection of data and information to fulfil the objectives of the SAWIS as set out in section 61 of the Waste Act. The national waste information regulations, 2012 apply to persons engaged in the recovery and recycling of waste, the treatment of waste, disposal of waste, exportation of hazardous waste as well as the generators of hazardous waste.
A person conducting any of these waste management activities in a province that has an established waste information system and collects the minimum information required by these regulations must submit such information to the provincial waste information system.
Based on the assessment of the status of provincial information systems, the regulations will only take effect on 1 January 2013 thus allowing provinces to align their information systems with the SAWIS.
Any person conducting the identified activities, with effect from 01 January 2013, must apply to the Department of Environmental Affairs to be registered on the SAWIS. A registered person will be required to report waste management information to the SAWIS on a quarterly basis, and must keep a record of all the waste management information submitted to the SAWIS or the department for a period of at least 5 years.
The waste management information must include, amongst others, information on the category and source of the waste as well as the quantities of the waste in tonnes. All information submitted to the SAWIS will, when necessary be subjected to verification.
A person failing to comply with the national waste information regulations is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 15 years, an appropriate fine or both a fine and imprisonment. To access the gazette notice, click on the link below or go to www.sawic.org.za
Enquiries:
Roopa Singh
Cell: 082 225 3076
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871
Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa publishes the National Waste Information Regulations
