Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning:
Whether his Department considers e-waste to be hazardous waste, if not, why not; if so, what measures are (a) in place to ensure the controlled disposal of e-waste, (b) being taken to prevent uncontrolled e-waste recycling and encourage and regulate controlled e-waste recycling, (c) in place to prevent e-waste shipments from entering our ports?
E-waste is classified as hazardous waste in South Africa in terms of the Waste Classification Regulations, Government Notice R634 which was published on 23 August 2013.
[a] Due to e-waste being classified as hazardous it can only be disposed of at Class A waste disposal facilities. All the companies disposing of this waste type have to be registered and report on the Integrated Pollutant and Waste Information System (IPWIS) as well as the facility where the disposal will be done. The disposal facilities will not accept this waste type to be disposed of if the company is not registered on IPWIS.
[b] Recycling of e-waste is a listed waste activity in terms of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (Act 59 of 2008) and therefore requires a waste management licence. The national Department of Environmental Affairs is the competent authority to issue hazardous waste management licences. The Department works closely with the e-waste industry and industry associations which control e-waste in South Africa such as E-Waste Africa and Electronic Waste Association of South Africa. These organisations require companies in this industry to register with them and report role-players in the industry which is not registered or licensed to the Department.
[c] Since e-waste is classified as hazardous waste the international movement of such waste is controlled by the Basel Convention which is managed in South Africa by the national Departments of Trade and Industry as well as Environmental Affairs. The Department will be involved before a decision is taken to allow shipments of such into our province and I can assure you that the dumping of e-waste from the developed world will not be allowed in this province.
