Integrated waste management

The global realisation of the dire need to protect our natural resources and ecosystems has placed a strong focus on the importance of implementing sustainable and environmentally responsible waste management practices.

Effective waste management is critical to prevent negative environmental, social and economic impacts as well as to protect our ecosystems and natural resources to provide a healthy and safe environment in which all life forms can thrive.

Sustainability means that responsible businesses are morally and legally bound to manage their waste products in the most effective way possible to comply with more stringent regulations and demonstrate good corporate citizenship. By adopting the global hierarchy of waste management principles to minimise, reduce, recycle, recover, treat and dispose of waste safely and ethically, not only helps divert valuable materials from landfills but also supports the creation of jobs, innovative technologies, a healthier planet and an environmentally astute culture all round.

The purpose of a waste management plan is to ensure legal compliance, drive environmentally sound business practices and provide guidance on how to minimise, re-use, recycle, handle, contain and dispose of all waste generated. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to waste management, hence a waste management plan specific to each operation is needed to manage waste effectively and efficiently.

A standard waste management plan includes but is not limited to the following elements:

• Clear objectives and targets aligned to company and environmental strategy;
• Key performance indicators and measures to prevent pollution and environmental impact;
• The types and quantities of waste generated;
• Targets for waste minimisation through waste reduction, re-use, recycling and recovery;
• Programmes and projects to minimise the generation of waste and the disposal of waste to landfill;
• Actions on how to handle and manage each waste type;
• Reduction and phasing out of the use of certain materials and substances;
• Opportunities to reduce waste generation through changes to packaging, product design or production processes;
• Project plan / timelines for implementing changes in the plan;
• Reporting methods and methodologies;
• Continuous improvement plans.

Do’s of waste management

• Identify all the waste types you generate
• Make sure you understand and comply with the relevant waste regulations
• Manage your waste effectively
• Care about the environment
• Contact a waste professional for guidance
• Keep learning about waste and exploring ways to reduce, re-use and recycle your waste

Don’ts of waste management

• Ignore your waste
• Think it is someone else’s problem
• Treat it all the same
• Give up!

The cost of waste management in South Africa has generally been underpriced, which means that the costs of managing waste are not fully appreciated or understood by consumers and industry, and waste disposal to landfill is preferred over other options.

The implementation of ongoing new regulations governing waste, the ongoing bans of certain types of waste from landfill disposal, consumer pressure to buy from more environmentally conscious companies, zero waste to landfill strategies and rising statutory and operating costs are all contributing factors to compliant waste solutions.

It is also important to understand the true cost of waste management. Elements such as waste sampling, analysis and classification, labour, equipment, transport, handling, blending, preparation, treatment and/or disposal, compliance, monitoring and management should be factored into the total cost of waste management.

In order to manage waste and the costs associated thereto more comprehensibly, companies which implement waste management strategies and plans, tend to not only reduce their costs in the longer term but also achieve more sustainable environmental and social goals.