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Explore themes: zero waste job creation, dangers of incineration, waste pickers integration, protection of communities, efficient regulations. Discover case studies, challenges, and solutions for sustainable waste management in South Africa.
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PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE NATIONAL WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, 20111 June 2012 Musa Chamane Waste Campaign Manager
Cover five broad thematic areas • Zero waste has the potential to create jobs • Incineration is a false solution and a threat to green jobs • Integrating waste pickers into formal/municipal waste management systems • Fence line communities are still not protected by environmental laws • Medical waste regs. must be rationalized
Mooi River & Msundisi case study • Zero waste has the potential to create jobs in South Africa • Benefits • Sustainable dignified employment • Challenges • Source segregation, local bylaws • Local infrastructure restructuring • Funding (Youth Green Economy fund) • Others
Waste Incineration • Waste hierarchy is clear – we must favour options higher up the hierarchy • Fly ash is concentrated toxic by-product of incineration – “there is no away” • Fly ash contains very high concentrations of dioxins and heavy metals making it some of the most toxic material on the planet • Incineration promotes resource intensive extraction = more energy use upstream, = more climate change, = more env. impact • Burning waste does not reduce GHG’s = fallacy
Cement GHG fallacy…. • Industry resp. for 3% of the world’s total GHG & 5% of CO2 emissions. • 1.4 Gt (1 Gt = 1 gigatonne = 109 metric tonnes = 100 000 000 tonnes). • Burning of fossil fuels in kilns (40%), transport of raw materials (5%), fossil fuels required for electricity (5%) and the conversion of limestone (CaCO3) to calcium oxide (CaO) (50%). • CO2 savings AFR minor impact on the total.
Waste Incineration • Tyre levy must be ring fenced to promote genuine recycling only (at least for a dedicated period to give the recycling sector a chance to establish itself) • Cement Industry must be specifically excluded from benefitting from tax payers money • We must protect ourselves from trans boundary imports of waste
HCRW Incineration • Our primary concern with the draft HCRW Regulations is draft regulation 4(1)(k) which provides that: • “no person may treat anatomical and isolation waste in a technology other than incineration”. • Incineration of HCRW is harmful to human health and to the environment. • groundWork is of the view that the DEA should not prescribe the technologies that must be used to treat HCRW – rather, the draft Regulations should only prescribe sterilisation or disinfection standards.
Integrating waste pickers to create jobs • SAWPA • Waste pickers statistics • WP perfectly placed to add value to waste and benefit from dignified jobs • Municipalities must be compelled to integrate WP’s in their waste management systems
Fence line communities still vulnerable • Communities affected by waste incineration are not protected • Thermopower • Cement communities • Political interference & intimidation
YOU NEED THREE THINGS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM TOXIC RELEASES/EMISSIONS. STRONG REGULATIONS
YOU NEED THREE THINGS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM TOXIC RELEASES/EMISSIONS. STRONG REGULATIONS ADEQUATE MONITORING
YOU NEED THREE THINGS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM TOXIC RELEASES/EMISSIONS. STRONG REGULATIONS ADEQUATE MONITORING TOUGH ENFORCEMENT
YOU NEED THREE THINGS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM TOXIC RELEASES/EMISSIONS. STRONG REGULATIONS ADEQUATE MONITORING TOUGH ENFORCEMENT IF ANY LINK IS WEAK THE PUBLIC IS NOT PROTECTED!
Thank you for your attention! Any questions? musa@groundwork.org.za +27 333 425662