Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
Whether his Department has any plans to create entirely separate landfill sites for the province to dispose of organic waste safely and effectively without the threat of environmental contamination; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
No, however my Department’s focus is on the diversion of organic waste from landfills, due to its significant negative environmental, social and economic impacts. It creates greenhouse gasses like methane that contributes towards climate change. The contamination of edible organics and the lack of access control at landfills creates potential health risks for many poor communities who may see this waste as a source of food. It also contaminates groundwater and hence expensive containment barriers must be used at our landfill sites as a preventative measure. This comes at a significant cost to municipalities.
Organic waste generally refers to garden waste, food waste (including animal carcasses from the abattoir industry), wood waste (including offcuts from sawmills), biomass from alien clearing programmes, kelp, and biodegradable waste from agriculture. Sludge from Waste Water Treatment Works is generally also included (although its high metal content is problematic for certain beneficiation methods such as composting). Paper pulp residue is another organic waste stream that can be included.
In the Western Cape at least 37% of the waste generated is organic waste. Furthermore, GreenCape, Western Cape Waste-to-Energy Position Paper (2014) indicates that there is potentially 2,992,641 tonnes of organic waste available per year in the Western Cape.
The provincial position is therefore to maximize the diversion of organic waste from landfills towards value adding opportunities. The Department has subsequently facilitated various engagements between the organic beneficiation technology owners and generators of problematic organic waste types like abattoir and green waste. These ongoing engagements are fruitful as they create awareness within the sector, improve compliance and create opportunities to divert organic waste from landfill. Status quo studies on organic waste were conducted and the Department produced guidelines for the management of abattoir and green waste. These documents contribute to the facilitation actions within this sector.
The Department has also engaged extensively with relevant local, provincial and national departments to ensure that any regulatory challenges that restrict the diversion of organic waste and curtail the growth of this sector are addressed. The Department is implementing the National Norms and Standards for Disposal of Waste to Landfill prohibitions promulgated 23 August 2013 to divert 50% of garden waste from landfill by 2022 and divert 100% of garden waste from landfill by 2027. The organic treatment/ beneficiation sector will expand considerably by 2027 and will be in a position to process all available organics. The landfill prohibition on organic waste will also ensure that national and provincial waste diversion targets are met.
Organic waste can produce a variety of value products ranging from organic compost, nutrient /chemical extracts to biogas. Organic waste enterprises are growing in the Western Cape and have the potential to contribute substantially to the growth of the waste economy in the Western Cape with the added benefit of job creation.
