resource february 2015
DESCRIPTION
The February 2015 edition of ReSource.TRANSCRIPT
IN THE Hot Seat
is printed on 100% recycled paper
Wasteman’s CEO, Jan Labuschagne, on acquiring the Gauteng-based, waste management solutions company Waste Giant P10
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MERCEDES-BENZ
Promoting integrated resources management
The offi cial journal of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa
Institute ofWaste Managementof Southern Africa
What waste managers wantShowcasing chassis cabs
Fleet Management
Mobile air quality solution
RecyclingPlastics industry plans for growth
LandfillsReducing
closure costs
Cleaner Production
Government grants enhance manufacturing
Funded by:
RECYCLING OIL SAVES THE ENVIRONMENT
When you dump used motor oil into drains, or disposeof it unsafely, you’re not only threatening the environment, you’re threatening your well-being too. Used oil is a hazardous waste that can contaminate drinking water. Always use ROSE approved collectors and recyclers to dispose of your used oil.
For more information call the ROSE Foundation on 021 448 7492.Email: [email protected] or visit: www.rosefoundation.org.za
KIN
GJA
MES
241
16
RegularsPresident’s Comment 4
Editor’s Comment 5
IWMSA News WasteCon2014 review 15
Air QualityTshwane sets the air
quality benchmark 8
contentswww.3smedia.co.za ISSN 1680-4902, Volume 17, No.1, Feb 2015
The RéSource team stands firmly behind environmental preservation. As such, RéSource is printed on 100% recycled paper and uses no dyes or varnishes. The magazine is saddle stitched to ensure that no glues are required in the binding process.
in association with }
infrastructure news infrastructure4 www.infrastructurene.ws
RéSource offers advertisers an ideal platform to ensure maximum exposure of their brand. Companies are afforded the opportunity of publishing a cover story and a cover picture to promote their products and services to an appropriate audience. Please call Tazz Porter on +27 (0)11 465 5452 or +27 (0)82 318 9308 to secure your booking. The articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa, or those of the publisher.
Solid WasteThrowing out health
waste hang-ups 1260 000 new bins 14
RecyclingPlastic industry plans for growth 20Recyclability by design 23Tyres are more than‘pieces of
old takkie’ 24Turning waste into worth 20
LandfillsImproving landfill
management 27
Cleaner ProductionGovernment grants enhance
manufacturing 30
Green BuildingsSmart is the new green 32
RéSource February 2015 – 1
Cover storyMercedes-Benz South Africa’s Christo Kleynhans tells RéSource why waste managers need to select specific chassis cabs fit for purpose to lower total cost of ownership. 6
Hot Seat Wasteman’s CEO, Jan Labuschagne, on acquiring the Gauteng-based waste
management solutions company Waste Giant 10
12 Solid Waste
15 WasteCon 2014
24 Recycling
08 Air Quality
20720
Up to 15 years imprisonment.
Dispose of your used oil here...
...and you could end up here.
So for peace of mind, contact a NORA-SA approved collector or recycler to safely dispose of your used oil. Call 0860 NORA-SA (6672 72) for a collector in your area.
President’s Comment
management events on a monthly basis
• Landfill 2015, organised by the Landfill
Interest Group, will be held in Cape Town
during October 2015
• ISWA 2015 World Conference is
being held from 7 to 9 September in
Antwerp, Belgium
• Sardinia 2015, the International waste
management and landfill symposium, will
be held in Forte Village, Italy, from 5 to 9
October this year
I trust that 2015 will be a fruitful year for
all and that our combined efforts will result
in improved waste management with more
– but cleaner – recyclables reintroduced in
a circular economy.
FROM THE Institute of Waste Manage-
ment of Southern Africa’s (IWMSA)
side, there are changes to be expect-
ed during the course of the year:
• we are planning a membership drive
focusing on the youth
• membership applications will be stream-
lined to achieve a fair evaluation pro-
cess and a shorter turnaround time
• our constitution will be revisited and
updated to ensure alignment with the
new SARS and other legal requirements;
this will address ambiguities, for exam-
ple, around nominations of office bear-
ers and make provision for special/inter-
im elections to deal with resignations
and replacement of elected members,
among other matters
• our non-accredited training material
has been updated and expanded and
will be will be rolled out shortly, while
we also continue to offer accredited
training courses.
Changes to the constitution will be sent to
our members for approval before they can
be effected.
I therefore urge all members to please,
respond to such a request when the
time arrives.
Government also has some changes in
the pipeline for the waste sector:
• we can look forward to more uniform-
ity in the implementation of the Waste
Act, thanks to the initiative by the
Depar tment of Environmental Affairs
(DEA) to develop and finalise a Waste Act
implementation guideline
• government is planning to amend the
Waste Act and some regulations in the
course of the year; detail on the planned
amendments to the Act and regulations
will be shared at the Industry Waste
Management Forum meeting scheduled
for 13 February at the offices of the DEA
in Pretoria.
The DEA is also planning a Waste
Management Summit to be held in March
2015; details on the summit will also be
shared at the same forum meeting.
There are also interesting and exciting
networking events coming up in 2015:
• the IWMSA branches are planning waste
Patron members of the IWMSA
I trust that 2015 will be a fruitful year for all
and that our combined efforts will result in improved waste management with more
– but cleaner – recyclables reintroduced in a
circular economy.” Suzan Oelofse, president, IWMSA
The year will be already more than a month old when you read this message. I therefore trust that you still have some – perhaps distant – memories of a nice break spent with family and friends over the festive season. With energy levels recharged (luckily humans don’t require electricity to recharge), 2015 promises some interesting developments on the waste front.
What to expectTHE WASTE FRONT IN 2015
RéSource February 2015 – 3
JOIN THE JOURNEY | www.redisa.org.za | /wasteintoworth | @wasteintoworth
REDISA turns waste into worth through a circular economy that connects all stakeholders to empower communities and solve environmental problems.
T NNES 81542OF TYRES COLLECTED
162 BUSINESSES
SMAL
L
CREATED
34DEPOTS
JOBSCREATED
Our target is to create a total of 10 000 jobs by the end of 2017.
OUR RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
We’re on track to meet all our objectives set out in our 5-year roll-out plan. We are also proud of the impact the plan has made on the many people and communities both employed and supported by REDISA. Join the journey and see how we plan on continuing our road to success.
Note: All the above stats are as at December 2014.
RéSource February 2015 – 5
Editor‘s CommentPublisher: Elizabeth ShortenEditor: Frances RingwoodTel: +27 (0)11 233 2600Head of design: Hayley MendelowSenior designer: Frédérick DantonDesigner: Kirsty GallowayChief sub-editor: Tristan SnijdersSub-editor: Beatrix KnopjesContributors: Suzan Oelofse, Seakle Godschalk, Maryna Möhr-Swart, Jonathan Shamrock, Deepak John and Mari Blumenthal, Stacey DavidsonClient services & Production manager: Antois-Leigh BotmaProduction coordinator: Jacqueline ModiseFinancial manager: Andrew LobbanMarketing specialist: Philip RosenbergDigital marketing manager: Esther Le RouxDistribution manager: Nomsa MasinaDistribution coordinator: Asha PursothamAdministrator: Tonya HebentonPrinters: United Litho JohannesburgTel: +27 (0)11 402 0571 Advertising sales: Tazz PorterTel: +27 (0)11 465 5452Cell: +27 (0)82 318 [email protected]
Publisher: No.4, 5th Avenue Rivonia, 2191PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117Tel: +27 (0)11 233 2600Share Call: 086 003 3300 Fax: +27 (0)11 234 7274/5www.3smedia.co.za
Annual subscription: [email protected] (incl VAT) South Africa
ISSN 1680-4902The Institute of Waste Management of Southern AfricaTel: +27 (0)11 675 3462Email: [email protected]
All material herein is copyright-protected and may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, edi-tor or The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa, but those of the author or other contributors under whose name con-tributions may appear, unless a contributor expresses a viewpoint or opinion in his or her capacity as an elected office bearer of a company, group or association.© Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.
Resilience under pressureWASTE MANAGEMENT professionals in Southern Africa face numer-
ous pressures ranging from the constant requirement to monetise
and fund daily activities, to legislation and selecting trustworthy
service providers who won’t let them down. The February issue of RéSource
touches on all these areas: from compliance, to acquisitions and implementing
necessary innovation.
For example, on page 12, the story ‘Throwing out health waste hang ups’
continues the argument Delanie Bezuidenhout, CEO of the Southern African
Vinyls Association, made at the latest WasteCon conference, about the need
to think up new ways to recycle more PVC products in hospitals. Her call to
innovate provides a cost-benefit analysis and includes a discussion of some
of the legislation challenges the plan is likely to encounter.
Also covering legislation and regulation, the story on recycling guidelines
for PET bottles on page 20 goes over just a few of the many ways plastic-
bottle designers can approach liquids packaging to make their products more
easily recyclable. The list presented in the ar ticle is not exhaustive and is
meant as an awareness tool to prompt fur ther interaction between clients
and industry.
Regarding service providers, there has been a great deal happening in the
private sector in the last few months. National all-round waste management
company Wasteman has acquired Gauteng-based Waste Giant, in a move that
will see Wasteman’s por tfolio expand in exciting new ways. To find out more,
read what Wasteman CEO Jan Labuschagne says about these changes in the
Hot Seat on page 10.
Something that’s not changing, however, is trucking giant Mercedes-Benz
South Africa’s (MBSA) commitment to service. For a unique perspective on
what services and options clients can benefit from, see the Cover Story on
page 6, where MBSA’s Christo Kleynhans gives RéSource an exclusive break-
down on ways to reduce total cost of ownership.
Creating a list of good reads in a magazine such as this, which reflects a
dynamic, mature and adaptable industry, is difficult and I would say every
ar ticle in these pages demands attention. But one piece
which stands out as par ticularly insightful comes from
interacting with industry association Plastics | SA. On
page 22, the South African plastics fraternity lays
out its extremely carefully thought-through plan to
increase recycling of its products for 2015.
Last off, look out for the WasteCon review on page
14, a-not-to-be missed recap of the industry’s
biggest event.
On that note, I must say, I hope you enjoy this
issue of the magazine as much as I enjoyed put-
ting it together.
ficult and I would say every
on
es
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an
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y’
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RéSource is endorsed by:
Frances Ringwood
VEHICLES ACCOUNT for some of the largest business
investments made in many sectors. This is particularly
true in waste management, where planning for lowest
total cost of ownership (TCO) can be the single biggest factor
determining a private company or municipality’s financial and
operational success.
Key to finding the right vehicle for a particular job is part-
nering with a solutions provider prepared to get to know the
terrain in which vehicles operate, as well as providing support
services that exceed clients’ expectations. Such is the case
with Mercedes-Benz Trucks, which boasts an exceptional
commitment to the waste management market.
Wide selectionGetting the right vehicle for a particular job is the most
important consideration for lowering TCO and entails the
6 – RéSource February 2015
Cover Story
Mercedes-Benz Trucks product manager Christo Kleynhans
talks to FRANCES RINGWOOD
about what it takes to be a leader in the supply of waste
management vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz chassis cabs can be configured to suit just about any waste application
What waste managers
want
need for a wide selection of custom-made
vehicles.“We have about 40 models that
buyers can order right off our price cards, of
which we will always have some stock avail-
able in the pipeline. In addition, as a major
market player in the waste management
sector, we have the capacity to custom-
make vehicles and we serve various clients
with this requirement,” says Kleynhans.
AtegoWith some of its ‘off-the-shelf’ options,
Mercedes-Benz Trucks offers three ranges
– the Atego, Axor and Actros. “The Atego is
a more lightweight chassis cab, going up to
15 t gross vehicle mass (GVM), with a 180
hp to 280 hp engine. Ategos are ideal for
use as small compactors and water tankers
in rural areas and smaller municipalities,
explains Kleynhans.
AxorThe Axor range is the most popular in the
waste sector and it’s available in differ-
ent GVM categories. “For example, the
1823/39 chassis cab is designed and
configured specifically for the attachment of
a small rear-end compactor. This is because
of its short rear overhang, which allows
the compactor body to fit close to the back
axle. The driveline and transmission have
also been designed very specifically for the
stop-start application of a municipal com-
pactor. This product operates optimally in
environments where streets are typically nar-
rower and the turning circle is quite small,”
says Kleynhans.
In the Axor range, Mercedes-Benz Trucks
offers a wide variety of different models,
including the 2628/45 three-axle model.
This, again, features the specifically con-
figured driveline, where the gearbox is ide-
ally suited for stop-start applications. “This
model presents a lightweight option in the
three-axle range where the truck’s duty cycle
isn’t overly demanding,” says Kleynhans.
Next up in the range is the 33 t, 350 hp
Axor – a more rugged vehicle, built for han-
dling multiple shifts. “Often, private waste
management companies will operate around
the clock, and so the driveline of this vehicle
is suited for this type of higher duty cycle,”
he adds.
ActrosLast but not least, there’s Mercedes-Benz
Trucks’ Actros range: a flagship product that
comes with all the bells and whistles. “This
is a 33 t vehicle with a 320 hp engine. It
features an electronic braking system, as
well as a retarder for hilly terrain. “The life
expectancy of the Actros is much longer, and
it comes standard with all the features for
which the brand is known, including driver
comfort. This type of chassis cab is sold
to the bigger metropolitan municipalities,
which would typically have higher activity
cycles, as well as some of the bigger fleet
management companies that require greater
flexibility,” says Kleynhans.
Low environmental impactThe waste management industry is particu-
larly conscientious about its environmental
impact, so having fleet vehicles that are
compliant with global emissions best prac-
tice – while still being cost-effective – is
crucial.
“The entire waste management range
complies with Euro III engine emissions
standards and, additionally, we have the
capability to supply engines compliant with
Euro V standards on customer request,”
says Kleynahns.
Superior serviceWhen it comes to lowering TCO, selecting the
right truck for a specific purpose is only the
first part of the equation; having axles, trans-
missions and drivelines featuring the latest
technology, for improved efficiency, also con-
tributes. However, most business owners in
trucking agree that driver training also plays
an essential role in minimising costs.
“For this reason, MBSA provides an in-
house driver and vehicle management sys-
tem called FleetBoard. This is unlike any-
thing else on the market, because it’s
integral to the vehicle and has the capability
to rate a particular driver’s performance on
a particular route.
RéSource February 2015 – 7
Cover Story
“Another FleetBoard advantage is that
it increases uptime, which is the amount
of time that a vehicle spends on the road.
The system’s on-board technology is able
to diagnose faults before they happen,
thereby lowering clients’ downtime liability,”
explains Kleyhans.
FootprintWith 35 selling dealers in South Africa,
Botswana, and Namibia, Mercedes-Benz
Trucks has a considerable presence in
Southern Africa. In addition, there are 50
service outlets dotted across the map but
these numbers don’t reflect the brand’s full
service capability. “We also have on-site ser-
vice workshops that are set up on clients’
premises to improve vehicle availability,”
says Kleynhans.
Future visionMercedes-Benz Trucks’ vision for 2015 is
much the same as it has been year after
year: to continue bringing the latest tech-
nology to market and push for the lowest
possible TCO. Another factor staying con-
stant is the emphasis on client service.
“For Mercedes-Benz Trucks, it’s all about
people and relationships. We want to offer
innovations and services that excite our
clients at every touchpoint; from the day of
purchase to when the time eventually comes
to resell,” concludes Kleynhans.
*Christo Kleynhans, truck product manager, (MBSA)
www.mercedes-benzsa.co.za
The Axor range is designed specifically for compaction
8 – RéSource February 2015
Air Quality
Tshwane sets the air The City of Tshwane currently maintains seven permanent air-monitoring stations: Bodibeng, Rosslyn, Booysens, Pretoria West, Olievenhoutbosch, Mamelodi and Ekandustria. All permanent stations are fully functional and report to the South African Air Quality Information System hosted by the South African Weather Services.
TSHWANE HAS recently procured
one air-quality mobile station. The
main purpose of the mobile sta-
tion will be to determine the highest con-
centrations occurring in the area covered
by the network and to help officials to
scientifically analyse the source of pol-
lution. The station will be placed at dif-
ferent sites within the city, depending on
changing needs and priorities.
The new air quality mobile stationAmbient air quality mobile station
replaces the street boxes that have
been discontinued due to a lack of data
integrity, as a result of faulty instru-
ments caused by electrical spikes.
The mobile station will be instrumental
in the generation of baseline data of
each jurisdiction or specific site. It will
also provide site-specific estimates of
trends and tendencies of air quality/
pollution.
The results of the data from the
mobile station will provide a frame-
work for future work and planning,
and should assist the development
of comprehensive national and local
air-quality management strategies and
policy responses.
The mobile station will also provide
a database for research evaluation
of numerous effects including: urban,
land use, transpor tation planning,
development and evaluation of abate-
ment strategies, and development and
validation of diffusion models.
Parameters to be measuredIn the mobile station, two analysers
will measure and display the amount
of par ticulate matter (PM10 & PM2.5),
benzene, toulene and xylene levels.
It will also measure meteorological
Tshwane's mobile ambient monitoring
stations. This will monitor results which
are to be sent to a laboratory
Air Quality
quality benchmarkAmbient air quality mobile stations replace the street boxes that have been discontinued due to a lack of data integrity, as a result of faulty
instruments caused by electrical spikes
parameters like
wind speed, wind
direction, tem-
perature, relative
humidity, precipi-
tation and solar
radiation. The first
location of the mobile sation will be at
the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market to
measure/monitor specifically dust, PM10
& PM2.5 and also other air-quality param-
eters as a result of several complaints on
their products.
This will be the first pilot siting of the
station in response to complaints, and the
collected data from the station will be sent
to a laboratory to determine the source
of pollution.
RéSource February 2015 – 9
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10 – RéSource February 2015
Hot Seat
What changes can the market expect to take place at
Wasteman as a result of the acquisition? JL The acquisition
of Waste Giant will broaden our
service offering, further secure
business sustainability and add
substantially to Wasteman’s
national footprint, especially
with regards to our activities
in Gauteng. We now have
one of the largest Gauteng-
based waste management
companies with a modern fleet
of specialised vehicles, access
to the Genesis landfill site
with an extended lifespan of
more than 10 years; but more
importantly, the development
of the Vlakfontein landfill site
will expand our activities into
Acquisition changes waste
hazardous waste streams in
the industrial heartland of
South Africa. We believe the
market will see a focused
and deliberate drive towards
service excellence and growth
(specifically in the Gauteng
region), reflecting the dynamics
of the Wasteman group.
By the same token, what kind of services, values and long-term company commitments will be staying the same? The
company’s well-established
market position and track
record have enabled it to
develop significant expertise
and core competencies in
a comprehensive range of
service offerings in the waste
management industry. We
remain committed to providing
a fully compliant, customer-
centric offering in all spheres
of waste management, backed
by a dedicated team of waste
management specialists.
On what date did the acquisition occur? The
acquisition was finalised on
1 December 2014 after the
Competition Commission
approval was received on 25
November 2014.
Can you provide more detail on the company’s application to the Competition Commission?We applied for approval on
the basis that Wasteman is
active in the collection and
disposal of general waste in all
provinces except for Gauteng,
which is the province where
the majority of Waste Giant’s
activities occur. The transaction
was assessed in terms of
competitive conditions and
public interest. No negative
effect on employment stability
will result, and it is envisaged
that through the expansion
associated with the acquisition,
more employment opportunities
will be created.
Moreover, the commission
stated explicitly: “The proposed
transaction is unlikely to sub-
stantially prevent or lessen com-
petition in the market for the
collection and disposal of highly
hazardous waste. The proposed
transaction does not raise any
public interest concerns.”
Wasteman runs a total of 12 facilities, which cover all nine provinces. One of the biggest advantages of the acquisition is that Wasteman has the use of the Genesis landfill in
Gauteng. Where exactly is the Genesis site located and what are Wasteman’s future plans for the site? The Genesis
landfill site is located in
Turffontein close to the heart
of Johannesburg’s commercial
and industrial areas. Just
off the M2 Freeway in
Johannesburg, it is situated at
2 Fennell Street in Village Main.
The site is available to the
public and industry with compet-
itive rates and a well-managed
weighbridge and invoicing sys-
tem to ensure accurate billing to
our customers. We plan to build
ABOVE Construction work underway at Vlakfontein hazardous landfill site near Vereeniging, due to open later this year
BELOW Henry Smal, CEO, Waste Giant
Jan Labuschagne
Wasteman, one of South Africa’s largest and most well-established waste management brands (with more than 30 years in the industry) has acquired the Gauteng-based, waste management solutions company – Waste Giant. FRANCES RINGWOOD speaks to Wasteman's CEO, Jan Labuschagne.
RéSource February 2015 – 11
Hot Seat
landscape forevernew cells with a liner construc-
tion that conforms to a Class B
landfill site classification, ena-
bling us to accept additional
waste streams.
Has Wasteman always placed a significant emphasis on recycling or is this a relatively new development? We have
for many years operated one of
the largest commercially viable
materials recycling facilities
(MRF) at our Western Cape
operations and more recently
expanded at our Durban,
Witbank and Johannesburg
operations to accommodate
both hazardous waste transfer
stations and new MRFs.
Can you reveal what type of recycling technology you will be making available at Genesis? We are at present
evaluating different technology
solutions to be made available
at Genesis and will announce
these innovations when the
final decision has been made.
Why is sorting and recycling so important for good waste management? Sorting and
recycling is not just a method of
handling waste in terms of the
waste hierarchy pyramid, but is
a way of exploiting renewable
resources. With virgin
resources such as wood fibre
and plastic polymers becoming
scarcer and more expensive,
it is essential that we recycle
as much as possible to ensure
sustainability. The same
principle goes for the saving
of valuable landfill airspace,
which is also becoming a
scarce commodity.
The South African waste man-
agement industry is still in its
infancy when the sorting and
recycling of waste stream statis-
tics are compared to developed
countries in North America and
Europe. We need to move up
the waste hierarchy by diverting
waste from landfill and recov-
ering resources through recy-
cling. In a recent article pub-
lished in Engineering News, it
was estimated that more than
R36 billion per annum can be
recovered by additional recycling
and recovery.
In addition, Wasteman is developing a new high-hazardous landfill facility, Vlakfontein, near Vereeniging due to open in 2015. Can you provide us with a little more detail about the engineering involved behind the landfill? The landfill site is located some
12 km north of Vereeniging and
has a total area of 212 ha,
which was licensed as an H:H
facility by the Department
of Environmental Affairs in
June 2012.
The permitted landfill footprint
consists of seven cells and has
a total design capacity of just
over 6.5 million m3 of airspace.
The landfill lining system that
was approved for the site is
the new Class A barrier (liner)
system as per Diagram 1. The
liner consists of several layers
of compacted clay and two high-
density polyethylene geomem-
brane liners with built-in leakage
detection and drainage layers.
(See Diagram 1)
The excavation method used
to shape the cell is different
from the traditional excavator
and articulated tippers nor-
mally used. We used equip-
ment normally associated with
dam construction to shape the
cell and to carry out the bulk
earth work.
What type of waste streams will the facility be equipped to handle? Due to the fact
that the site is licensed as an
H:H facility and has a Class
A liner system, the site will
be allowed to accept Type 1,
2, 3 and 4 wastes as per the
national norms and standards
for disposal of waste to landfill
gazetted by the Department
of Environmental Affairs on
23 August 2013.
Are there any other special initiatives being developed at the site? The site is part
of a larger registered nature
conservancy area, namely the
Mount Ridge Conservancy.
As the site is part of
this conservancy, several
environmental programmes are
being developed to re-establish
natural vegetation and to
introduce wildlife to the area.
This will be a first for any
hazardous waste facility in
South Africa.
How will the acquisition with Waste Giant boost Wasteman’s hazardous waste management capacity? Waste
Giant has previously focused
on the general waste market,
although they have an excellent
track record of managing
smaller hazardous waste
producers’ waste. Combining
the knowledge and skills base
for the collection, disposal and
treatment of hazardous waste
resident within the Wasteman
group with the logistics and
sales expertise of Waste Giant,
provides additional synergies
to exploit the hazardous waste
market and, together with the
development of Vlakfontein,
will position the group for
exponential growth.
Vlakfontein will be only the
second commercially available
high-hazardous waste landfill
in the Gauteng region and is
centrally located relative to
the substantial industrial and
mining operations in Gauteng,
Mpumalanga, North West and
the Free State.
It is also particularly well-
positioned to attract hazardous
volumes from waste produc-
ers in the Vaal area, and the
Sasolburg, Vanderbijlpark pre-
cinct in particular.
t +27 (0)86 117 4448
www.wasteman.co.za
DIAGRAM 1 The new Class A barrier (liner) system
Solid Waste
THE PVC industry has paved the way
for transformation in the petroleum-
based products sector by taking
the lead when it comes to environ-
mental stewardship. In spite of that, legacy
challenges encompassing the myth that PVC
cannot be recycled remain.
“PVC is a versatile polymer; it can be
used for anything from a rigid applica-
tion, such as piping, to soft applica-
tions such as IV bags, tubing and oxygen
masks in hospitals. Inflatable splints,
blister packs for medicines, right up to
car seats and flooring are PVC products.
Sava does research around the use of
PVC in health care; and it is not only ver-
satile, it’s also highly recyclable on top of
being a safe, high-per formance product,”
says Bezuidenhout.
Many of these products used in health
care never even make contact with patients
but, because of over-cautious laws promul-
gated in the 1980s, they are thrown away
indiscriminately. The reason for this is
laws were made at a time when HIV/Aids
were peaking in the public awareness but
little was understood at the time about the
spread of the disease.
However, rising costs of health-care waste
management, not just in South Africa but
the world over, have forced facilities to stop
and rethink the way in which they deal with
their health-care waste. “Now hospitals and
clinics are faced with looking into new ways
of diverting a significant amount of that
waste so that it is separated from health-
care risk waste,” says Bezuidenhout.
Fact and figures“The ageing population is expected to drive
the use of medical polymers from 4 901
kilotonnes (kt) in 2013 to 7 149 kt in 2020.
That equates to a compound annual growth
of 5.6%. It is also expected that convention-
al materials such as glass and metal will be
further replaced by high-performance poly-
mers, increasing the use of PVC and poly-
propylene in hospitals,” says Bezuidenhout.
Four years ago, when Bezuidenhout first
presented this idea at WasteCon 2010,
it was not well received. But, as time
has passed, attitudes have changed and
Throwing out health hang-upsIt’s long been believed that polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) in hospital waste streams is unrecyclable,
but Vinyls Association South Africa (Sava) CEO
Delanie Bezuidenhout makes the case for an
updated paradigm. BY FRANCES RINGWOOD
PVC drip bags are just one example of a PVC product used in
hospitals with immense recycling potential
12 – RéSource February 2015
RéSource February 2015 – 13
waste hang-upshang-upsSolid Waste
many waste management professionals
are coming around to the benefits of sepa-
rating uncontaminated PVC products from
both the hazardous and non-hazardous
waste streams.
“We have started to change the way
that health-care risk waste is managed
already. Hospital staff have been thinking
about increasing separation and diversion
to reduce both costs and the impact on
the environment. There are also a lot of
case studies and pilot projects from over-
seas demonstrating proof of concept,”
says Bezuidenhout.
Legislation challengeAccording to Liesl Myburgh from the
Mediclinic Hospital Group, hospitals in
Gauteng have already started recycling PVC
at some facilities, but there are legislation
challenges. “Western Cape health-care is
subject to different legislation. For exam-
ple, drip bags which have never held any
fluid other than water are classified as risk
waste,” she says.
Cost-benefits analysisIt’s a fact that hazardous medical waste
is extremely costly to dispose of. However,
implementing a countrywide initiative to
divert reusable PVC materials from hospi-
tals would also cost money. Both forms of
waste management are subject to addition-
al handling fees which also drive up costs.
“By looking at international case studies,
it’s possible to extrapolate that the move
towards greater PVC recycling can be cost-
neutral for hospitals,” says Bezuidenhout.
Nonetheless, there are advantages for
hospitals wanting to pursue this course
of action. According to Bezuidenhout,
these are:
• contributing towards the overall environ-
mental compliance for the facility
• enhancing community relationships
• there are specific economic benefits
• avoiding long-term liability
• providing facilities with some feel-good
internal public relations material
• increasing morale of staff when they know
they are perceived to be do the right thing.
There are also challenges associated with
the idea. “There is a problem with infec-
tion control; staff members in facilities
can be resistant to change; also there is
a risk of contamination if separation is
not done properly; storage space could
also be a problem
if yet another bin
for another type
of waste stream
was added to hos-
pitals’ existing
bin sets and also
achieving econo-
mies of scale
when it comes to
the logistics of col-
lecting and remov-
ing the products.”
One way to
address some of those challenges is,
according to Bezuidenhout, to remember
the phrase ’If in doubt, leave it out.’ Other
ways to mitigate changeover challenges
include proper ongoing education of hospi-
tal staff on correct separating procedures
– something which is done already – and
to have a specific champion of the idea at
healthcare facilities.
VICTORIA PILOT STUDY A pilot study was undertaken by Sava’s Australian equivalent in Victoria at the Victoria Hospital in 2009. The aim of the study was to determine the feasibility of separating and diverting reusable PVC waste from hazardous waste streams. The study yielded some surprising results.It was found that a third of hospital waste was general plastic and of that third about 25% was PVC.Victoria Hospital used 50 million IV fluid bags per annum. That’s 250 tonnes of material which can be diverted from landfill since starting the project. There are now six hospitals and a dialysis centre that divert PVC from their waste streams.
The aging population
is expected to drive the
use of medical polymers
from 4 901 kilotonnes (kt)
in 2013 to 7 149 kt
in 2020. That equates
to a compound annual
growth of 5.6%.” Delanie Bezuidenhout, CEO, SAVA
A variety of hospital staples are made of PVC, and many are needlessly
thrown away even though they are not 'hazardous'
AFTER BEING awarded a tender to de-
liver 60 000 polyethylene ultraviolet
stabilised plastic bins, each with a
240 ℓ capacity, to the Emfuleni Local Mu-
nicipality, including Vereeniging and Vander-
bijlpark, Boitumelong Holdings has solidified
its position as a market leader. It is also the
only wholly black-owned wheeled-bin manu-
facturer on the African continent.
“The Emfuleni order isn’t our largest
ever order but it’s cer tainly the biggest
we’ve had since
the company took
over Otto Industries
South Africa and
Otto Waste Systems
in 2013. It’s also
a national ‘first’
because Vaal-area
residents have never
had wheeled bins
before – they previously used the 85 l
plastic variety without wheels,” explains
Sithole.
The order for the new bins is already
being delivered and will be ready for
deployment around early March this year.
Creating a company with the capacity
to provide wheeled bins at a municipal
scale did not come easily. The story of
Boitumelong’s rise is a long one that
reflects all the best aspects of South
Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Humble beginningsBoitumelong Holdings star ted in the politi-
cally tumultuous 1980s: a time when
founder John Sithole could only have
but dreamt that he would one day come
to promote local manufacturing, black
entrepreneurship and the creation of local
products and jobs.
“I star ted out
as someone who
came from the
computer indus-
try, but I was a
born entrepre-
neur. I’ve sold
vir tually ever y-
thing you can
think of during
my career; from peaches and facecloths
to dinner sets,” he says.
After earning his business and IT quali-
fications at some of the country’s top
universities, Sithole went on to work in
IT for Hewlett Packard, but even then he
dreamed of something bigger. “At the
time, I had an eye on the sorghum beer
market. There were breweries in Alexandra
with a turnover of over R1 million per
month and, during the early 1980s, that
was serious money. However, these brew-
eries were owned by government and there
was no hope for a black owner to come on
board. I remember going up to the adminis-
trator of one of these breweries and telling
him my plan. Afterwards he told me, “Ek
dink jy’s mal [I think you’re mad].” But I
went back every day after I got off work
and eventually he relented and offered me
a position in the business,” says Sithole.
From there, he went on to own one of the
biggest beer halls in Alexandra, selling up
to 100 000 l per month. “The brewery was
next to the local council building. So, one
day, I overheard a group of council clerks
talking about needing a company to go from
house to house removing refuse. When the
tender came out, I had positioned myself to
win it but, at the time, I didn’t have a truck
or the right people. So I rented an 8 tonne
truck for R12 000 per month from a friend
and hired 80 casual labourers to sweep the
streets. That’s how Boitumelong Holdings
was born,” says Sithole.
Rise and consolidationToday, Boitumelong Holdings owns an
entire fleet of compactor trucks and
also sells compactors through its logis-
tics company. It also owns OEM Otto
Industries South Africa and distributor
Otto Waste Systems, among other waste
management subsidiaries.
“At first I imported plastic bins from
Germany, but I saw the need to create
jobs for local people. So I built up the busi-
ness, and today we employ 70 staff and
our service footprint extends across the
whole of South Africa into the other SADC
countries,” Sithole concludes.
Boitumelong Holdings MD John Sithole tells
FRANCES RINGWOOD about the company’s
unprecedented rise, culminating in one of the
biggest orders since its consolidation in 2013 – a
delivery of 60 000 bins to the Vaal area.
14 – RéSource February 2015
Solid Waste
60 000 bins find homes near the Vaal
It’s also a national ‘first’
because Vaal-area residents
have never had wheeled bins
before – they previously used
the 85 ℓ plastic variety
without wheels.”
AT THE beginning of October 2014,
the Institute of Waste Manage-
ment of Southern Africa (IWMSA)
had its 22nd biennial conference
at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West,
Western Cape. More than 450 conference
delegates from South Africa and around the
world attended the conference. Delegates
had the opportunity to visit 62 stands where
local and international waste management
companies showcased their products and
latest research in the sector.
In addition to the stands, there were
more than 90 high-level technical talks
and papers delivered on topics varying
from biogas management, to the cor-
rect disposal of polyvinyl products from
In retrospect
While the vast majority of Souther African countries’ waste continues to go
straight to landfill, waste-management stakeholders in the region have put
their heads together to create sustainable targets for a more environmentally
sensitive tomorrow. FRANCES RINGWOOD reports.
IWMSA News
WWhhiille tthhe vastt majjoriitty off SSoutthher AAffriican counttriies’’ wastte conttiinues tto go
WASTECON 2014
hospitals and much more. The biggest
waste management event on the African
continent, WasteCon 2014, cer tainly
offered something for everyone. The event
kicked off with an opening golf day at
Erinvale Golf Course followed by a three-
day conference themed ‘Wired for Waste:
Value | Grow | Sustain’.
The Resource Innovation Tours were
offered on the fifth day to round off
the conference. Delegates went to the
University of Stellenbosch’s Sustainability
Institute, the first ecologically designed,
socially mixed international community;
the Lynedoch EcoVillage, Africa’s green-
est hotel; Hotel Verde; and the Spier
wine estate.
Wired for WasteThe opening session was skilfully overseen
by IWMSA committee member Richard
Emery, who said it best when he remarked,
“Don’t expect to come away from this con-
ference an expert, there is just so much to
learn and it’s impossible to take it all in in
just a few short days.” Luckily, the organ-
isers put together a compact disc loaded
with all the speakers’ presentations for
delegates to return home with and pore
over at their leisure.
WasteCon 2014 chairman Margot
Ladouce gave the of ficial welcoming
address by highlighting a focus on treating
waste as a resource. IWMSA president Dr
Suzan Oelofse introduced the conference
RéSource February 2015 – 15
WasteCon 2014 kicked off at
the start of October, where over 60 stands were manned,
showing off the latest
innovations in waste
management
16 – RéSource February 2015
theme – ‘Wired for Waste’ – which is
sparked by two ideas. The first is that it
conjures up notions around electricity and
demonstrates how ideas are ‘sparked’ at
the conference. The second is the image
of weaver birds nesting on telephone
poles – something we can learn from.
These birds normally nest in trees, but
when they can’t find trees in their natural
habitat, they make use of what they have
– telephone wires. “The birds teach us a
valuable lesson: if we don’t have what we
normally would use, we must be innovative
and use what is available,” said Oelofse.
Oelofse compared South Africa’s waste
management to international averages.
“Internationally, about 70% of municipal
waste is still going to landfill; only 11% of
municipal waste is treated thermally or is
reused as waste to energy. The remaining
19% is recycled either mechanically, physi-
cally or biologically. By contrast, as much
as 90% of South African municipal waste
is destined for landfills.”
So how do we get ‘Wired for Waste’?
Oelofse offered some ideas: “Familiarise
yourselves with the legislation because
however we as waste management profes-
sionals proceed, it has to be legal in order
for it to be sustainable.” Her second idea
was to view challenges as opportunities
and another is to identify business risks
and manage these responsibly. “Learn
from one another – there’s no point in rein-
venting the wheel. Even though you may
think of someone in the same field as the
opposition, there is more benefit to be had
by learning from one another,” suggested
Oelofse who concluded that “the IWMSA
is there as a lifeline, a place where people
can share their experiences in order to
make their businesses more successful.”
South Africa and its Southern African
neighbours still have a long way to go to
catch up with more developed countries
in terms of better solid waste manage-
ment, diversion from landfill and sustain-
ability. However, presentations delivered
at WasteCon2014 indicate that the vari-
ous industry bodies representing different
waste streams have thoroughly worked
out realisable plans to make a difference
– and the IWMSA is always available to
lend a hand.
Government supportOne of the many highlights was the
Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA)
reporting session on the new National
Environmental Management Waste
Amendment Act, Act 26 of 2014 (NEMWAA
2014) published on 2 June 2014. Mark
Gordon, deputy director-general: Chemicals
and Waste Management at the DEA
opened this thought-provoking session
at the conference. The topic of a circular
economy, which focuses on extracting the
maximum value out of a resource, received
a lot of attention
during the sessions
and the DEA con-
firmed that govern-
ment is promoting a
restorative system
in waste management.
The DEA’s two-hour awareness-raising
and reporting session on the National
Environmental Management Waste
Amendment Act, Act 26 of 2014 (NEMWAA
2014) gave delegates the chance to famil-
iarise themselves with the new Act. Mark
Gordon kicked off the session by reiterat-
ing the DEA’s commitment to sustainable
development. Gordon emphasised that
industry and government need to work
together to help protect the environment
and encourage engagement to effectively
implement waste management best prac-
tice. He also stressed that there needs to
be incentives for industry when it comes to
waste management.
IWMSA News
“The situation in South Africa is that as much as 90% of municipal waste is
destined for landfills.”
Stands were beautifully decorated with recycled products, showing that reuse adds value to resources in everyday life
IWMSA’s WasteCon committee did an excellent job of ensuring
a seamless conferencing experience for attendees
“I think we are standing on the threshold
of a new waste revolution in South Africa,”
says Gordon. “There is a fantastic oppor-
tunity for the waste sector to chart its own
path and government is here to support
you [industry],” adds Gordon.
Gordon also indicated the transforma-
tion of the waste sector in primarily
three areas, namely regulatory reforms
(NEMWAA 2014, regulations and the
Industry Waste Management Plan), insti-
tutional reforms (Waste Bureau and the
Waste Management Council for South
Africa and Technical Advisory fora to
follow) and economic reforms (pricing
strategy, deposit systems, incentives
and infrastructure).
Gordon highlighted that the waste sec-
tor has many challenges, especially with
urbanisation and constant consumer and
lifestyle changes, but government and
industry should view waste as an oppor-
tunity and renewable resource.
Another development is the introduc-
tion of the Waste Bureau, a special-
ist implementation entity of the depart-
ment. Kgauta Mokoena, chief director:
Chemicals and Waste Policy, Monitoring
and Evaluation at the DEA, said that the
bureau will provide specialist services
on waste management and promote and
facilitate minimisation, re-use, recycling
and recovery of waste in South Africa. The
bureau has been established by NEMWAA
2014 and is being resourced like all gov-
ernment entities and through among other
means, the secondment of DEA staff until
the position of the CEO and other posts in
the Waste Bureau are filled.
Anben Pillay, director: Waste Policy
and Information Management at the
Department of Environmental Affairs, said
their objective is “less waste, better man-
aged”. He stated that waste is currently
being undervalued and the objective of
the new pricing strategy is to put a correct
price on waste in order to diver t it from
landfill sites.
The DEA encouraged industry to engage
and communicate the value of waste
and work together with government. Pillay
acknowledged that there are current sys-
tems in the industry that are working well
and that the pricing strategy should not
undo all the good work that has already
been done. The closing speech was deliv-
ered by Isaac Maredi, chief director of
Sector Innovation and the Green Economy
from the Depar tment of Science and
Technology (DST). Maredi shared govern-
ment’s commitment to bettering South
African waste management practices.
“We have listened with keen interest to
your presentations on new and ongoing ini-
tiatives in the South African waste sector
that will lead us away from our heavy reli-
ance on landfilling, towards alternatives
in waste prevention, reuse, recycling and
recovery,” said Maredi.
He also revealed impor tant recent
research statistics compiled by his depart-
ment on the money that is being wasted
through a general lack of understanding
about how diversion from landfill can
stimulate the economy and create jobs.
“Recent research undertaken by the DST
indicates that at least R17 billion per year
One of the interactive displays at WasteCon 2014 was HotRot’s display of its award-winning natural organic waste treatment solution
in terms of resource value, or R36 billion
per year in terms of resource value plus
avoided costs, is lost to South Africa’s
economy through disposal to landfill. That
is before we even begin to measure
the losses to a downstream manufactur-
ing economy. This loss of resources,
through landfilling, has a direct adverse
impact on South Africa’s economy and its
environment.”
In response to this research, the DST
already has in place a Waste Research,
Development and Innovation (RDI)
Roadmap for South Africa. The main pur-
pose of this roadmap is to guide nation-
al strategic and directed research and
development and innovation in the waste
sector, as well public and private sector
investment in R&D and innovation.
The Waste RDI Roadmap is aimed at
maximising the diversion of waste from
landfill, towards value-adding opportuni-
ties. These include opportunities that will
IWMSA News
RéSource February 2015 – 17
IWMSA News
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lead to significant economic, social and
environmental benefits for South Africa
and the region, as well as those that will
support a sustainable regional secondary
resources economy. Acknowledging the
urgency of mobilising these opportunities,
Maredi indicated that the DST is develop-
ing the necessary skill sets for the change
to take place.
“It is for this reason that the DST initi-
ated, and provided, seed funding for the
development of two new postgraduate
degrees in waste management, an hon-
ours degree in environmental sciences
with specialisation in waste management
to be offered by North West University from
2015, and an MSc Engineering degree in
waste management to be offered by the
University of KwaZulu-Natal from 2016.”
Green eventEverything at WasteCon 2014 was planned
to support the drive to minimise waste to
landfill, with Ladouce informing attendees
that the event had adopted 13 sustain-
ability elements.
For example, the delegates’ conference
bags were made out of recycled con-
ference banners and the service pro-
vider chosen to make the bags was an
organisation focusing on commitment to
community development and empowering
the unemployed.
Returned bags were also earmarked
for donation to single mothers through
the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s
Hospital following the event.
In addition, reusable glass Consol bottles
were handed out to all who attended and
those could be filled
with water from
coolers posted at
the venue entranc-
es. Another sustain-
ability element was
implemented at the
evening function
at the end of the
first day hosted by
Cavalli Estate. At
the venue, decora-
tions were supplied
by an organisation called Too Good to
Waste, made from up-cycled materials
which were also available for sale.
These are just a few examples of the
many interventions selected by the confer-
ence organisers to make WasteCon 2014
a truly green conferencing experience.
Recent research undertaken by the DST indicates that at least R17 billion per year in terms of resource value, or R36 billion per year in terms of
resource value plus avoided costs, is lost to South Africa’s economy through
disposal to landfill
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PLASTICS | SA executive director An-
ton Hanekom tells RéSource that
the first initiative in this plan is the
aspirational vision of ‘Zero Plastics
to Landfill by 2030’, which was agreed to by
polymer associations, retailers and other in-
terested parties at the Plastics | SA strategic
session which took place early last year.
This initiative focuses on recycling and
sustainability projects in the plastics indus-
try, and aims to develop and implement
strategies, which will enable the plastics
industry to increase recycling rates. It also
looks at strategies to develop alternative
technologies for creating energy and fuel
from plastic waste. Hanekom notes that
these technologies will enable the plastics
industry to deal with waste that has not
been collected or used for recycling.
“The South African plastics industry con-
verts 1.4 million tonnes of virgin plastic
materials into plastic products every year,
with about 280 000 tonnes recycled mate-
rial into new products,” Hanekom says.
He highlights that Plastics | SA is also
looking at stimulating growth by increasing
Plastics industry plans Plastics|SA is in the process of developing implementation and operation
plans for four industry initiatives that are specifically aimed at stimulating
growth in the plastics industry.
Recycling
exports and replacing imported plastic prod-
ucts with locally manufactured products.
Buy local“South Africa has a relatively small plastics
market, far from larger markets, with no
strong ‘buy local’ drive from consumers.
Therefore, Plastics | SA is working on
increasing exports into Africa as part of
our regional integration strategy, which will
enable the plastics industry to take advan-
tage of markets in Africa,” he explains.
Hanekom points out that – over the past
15 years – plastic imports from Asia,
particularly China, India and South Korea,
have increased significantly, resulting in
local plastic manufacturing sectors, such
as medical syringe manufacturers, closing
down. “We have to look at ways of creating
new initiatives to replace the imports that
are coming in,” he stresses.
Hanekom suggests that imported plastic
products from Asia are significantly cheap-
er, but are not of the same quality and
standards as the plastic products produced
locally. “However, because consumers are
under financial pressure, they often select
the cheapest option. This has an impact
on the local industry, as the more import
products we buy in South Africa, the more
jobs we export.”
He notes that Chinese plastic manufac-
turers can produce more products, as they
can continuously manufacture a plastic
product using one machine without hav-
ing to change moulds. However, in South
Africa, moulds need to be changed daily to
produce different plastic products for the
volumes required by the market, adding
to a number of factors that make South
Africa uncompetitive.
Regulation chokeholdAnother challenge that the local plastics
industry faces is the costs involved in
complying with local legislation and regula-
tion. “Compliance costs could add from
about 5% to 15% to the baseline costs of
the product. Often, imported products do
not need to comply with the same regula-
tions, making the playing fields uneven,”
Hanekom explains.
Owing to the increase in
plastic imports, Plastics | SA
is also focusing on improving
innovation and skills develop-
ment in the industry. “We need
to be more creative regarding
the type of products we manu-
facture in South Africa,” he
says, adding that most plastic
products are commodities such
as bottles and bags, and that
there is a lot of local competi-
tion in these areas.
“We need to think about how
we can create niche products
that can be exported. It is all
about adding value to our prod-
ucts, which is linked to skills
development. We need more
skilled people in South Africa
who will be able to operate high
20 – RéSource February 2015
for growthlevel technology and equipment, which, in
turn, will enable the local plastics industry
to develop niche products.”
Hanekom notes that innovation, research
and development, and investment in new
technologies will fur ther improve the
growth of the plastics industry and our
competitiveness.
He points out that plastics manufactures
invested significantly in new technologies
in the early 2000s. “However, because of
the pressures plastics companies currently
face, there is less focus on innovation and
R&D, and more focus on survival.”
Plastics | SA will also consider the estab-
lishment of private-public par tnerships,
particularly with the South African govern-
ment. “Plastics impact on all industries
and we need to create clusters around
these industries and find ways of getting
involved in national projects such as the
Strategic Infrastructure Projects. Plastic is
used in construction, for example, and we
need to find ways to make plastic a part of
these programmes and part of the National
Infrastructure Plan,” he explains.
It is all about adding value to our products,
which is linked to skills development. We need more skilled people in
South Africa to operate high-level technology.”
Anton Hanekom, executive director, Plastics|SA
Hanekom concludes that securing govern-
ment tenders will further stimulate growth
in the plastics industry.
RéSource February 2015 – 21
Recycling
Association Focus
Top green accolades
BY COMPETING, industries are en-
abled in confronting environmen-
tal management challenges. This
year’s entrants demonstrated
new and excellent practices, which maxim-
ise environmental resources while improving
air quality, energy efficiency, water usage,
and reducing, reusing or transforming waste
into a resource.
DEDEAT executive council member
Sakhumzi Somyo explains, “The aim of
these awards is to promote and recog-
nise the achievements of organisations
that comply with legislation and govern
responsible environmental management
practices in the Eastern Cape. It also
fosters better relationships between
government, industr y, business and
other organisations.”
Award winnersVolkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA)
was the winner of the large organisation
with high environmental impact category.
Applauded for its approach to cleaner
production, judges were also impressed by
the degree to which VWSA’s environmental
targets permeate the entire business.
Coega Development Corporation (CDC)
and Transnet National Por ts Authority’s
Por t of Ngqura jointly won first place in
the medium-size organisation with high
environmental impact category. CDC was
recognised for ensuring tenants comply
Every two years, organisations
in the Eastern Cape are
encouraged to participate in
the Top Green Organisation
awards. The prestigious gala
banquet held towards the end
of last year was coordinated
and sponsored by the Eastern
Cape Department of Economic
Development, Environmental
Affairs and Tourism
(DEDEAT) and the Institute
of Waste Management of
Southern Africa.
with permit requirements. Por t of Ngqura
was commended for its commitment to
environmental management and being a
poison-free por t.
The Waste Trade Company, winner of
the medium-size organisation with medi-
um environmental impact category, was
acknowledged for its dedication to envi-
ronmental education and extensive com-
munity engagement.
Uitenhage Despatch Development
Initiative proved that dynamite comes
in small packages, winning first prize in
the small organisation with low environ-
mental impact category as a result of
its impressive Eco Hub model. The Eco
Hub model includes seedling incubation,
growing vegetables and medicinal plants,
waste recycling, compost making, and ar ts
and crafts.
ConclusionSomyo says that the Top Green Organisation
awards are essential in fostering and nur-
turing a progressive society that protects
the unique Eastern Cape environment.
“These awards are not solely about
enforcement but rather aim to develop
green economy capabilities and dem-
onstrate ecological leadership in the
Eastern Cape.”
Judging was conducted through
site visits and the appointment of an
independent auditor.
Four categories of the EASTERN CAPE TOP GREEN ORGANISATION AWARDS
Large Organisation High Environmental Impact
• Winner and Platinum award – Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA)
• Runner-up (2nd place) and Platinum award – Mercedez-Benz South Africa (MBSA)
• Runner-up (3rd place) and Platinum award – General Motors of South Africa (GMSA)
• Certificate of participation and Gold award – Goodyear South Africa
Medium Organisation High Environmental Impact
• Winner and Gold award – Coega Development Corporation
• Winner and Gold award – Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) Port of Ngqura
• Runner-up (2nd place) and Silver award – Langkloof Bricks
• Runner-up (3rd place) and Silver award – East London IDZ SOC
• Certificate of participation and Bronze award – Sunningdale Dairies
Medium Organisation Medium Environmental Impact
• Winner and Gold award – The Waste Trade Company
• Runner-up (2nd place) and Silver award – FloorworX Africa
• Runner-up (3rd place) and Silver award – CHEP South Africa (Port Elizabeth)
• Certificate of participation and Silver award – Ronnies Motors
Small Organisation Low Environmental Impact
• Winner and Bronze award – Uitenhage Despatch Development Initiative
• Runner-up (2nd place) and Bronze award – Kabega Primary School
• Runner-up (3rd place) and Bronze award – Stirling Primary School
• Certificate of participation and Bronze award – Urban Gardens
22 – RéSource February 2015
RéSource February 2015 – 23
IN SOUTH AFRICA, as with the rest of
the world, more and more people are
realising the benefits of sustainable
development, with government play-
ing a leading role in simulating awareness
and action.
It is therefore important for companies to
reduce the environmental impacts
of products and services through
their entire life cycle. Companies
failing to address environmental
performance in product design
and development will find it
increasingly difficult to
compete in the global
market.
Packaging should
be designed to
satisfy technical,
consumer and cus-
tomer needs in a
way that minimis-
es environmental
impact. This means
that – among other
things – packaging
should be designed
to use the minimum
amount of resources
for purpose and, once
it has completed its
job, the scope for recov-
ery maximised.
Choosing material typesUnderstanding the
extent to which differ-
ent polymers can be
recycled together can
improve design for
recycling outcomes.
The aim is to mini-
mise the number
of different plastics
used, and to specify
plastics that can be
recycled together or
Recyclability by designPETCO, a recycling company specialising in the recycling of PET bottles and
products, has recently released a helpful guide for all those involved in the
development, design, marketing and procurement of PET packaging, on design
for recycling. Here are some highlights.
Recycling
easily separated in the recycling process.
It is recognised however, that to pro-
vide the technical properties required
and satisfy user needs, sometimes a
combination of different types of material
is required. Under these circumstances,
materials of different densities should be
used to facilitate the separation
of incompatible materials during
mechanical shredding or crush-
ing, or during the subsequent
water-based washing process.
Fillers that change the
density of the plastic
should be avoided
and their use mini-
mised in general,
as they lower the
quality of the recy-
cled material.
IdentificationTo facilitate the
visual identifica-
tion of plastic
types during
manual separa-
tion, major plastic
components (con-
tainers, caps and
lids) should carry a
material identifier.
The symbol should
be shown clearly
and ideally moulded
into the container or
in the case of films,
lightly and repeat-
edly printed across
the material.
Composite materials and barrier layers Where a com-
posite mate-
rial is necessary,
consideration should be given to the use
of thin layers (for example, nylon or vapour
deposition). Lightweight plastic lami-
nates, especially those of thickness <100
microns, are not cost-effective to recycle.
Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) can be
acceptable. However, the specific require-
ments for acceptability are not gener-
ally achievable by recyclers and recovery
rates of the PET would be low.
Colourful plasticsColoured plastic material has a much
lower economic value than non-pigment-
ed plastic. Designers are encouraged to
consider alternatives such as sleeves,
if colour is necessary. Also, avoid direct
printing onto PET as it may inter fere with
automated sorting machinery that uses
NIR spectroscopy to identify the nature
of the plastic.
Additives and labellingAdhesive use and sur face coverage
should be minimised, and sleeves and
safety seals should be designed to com-
pletely detach from the container or else
they become contaminants.
These also need to be water soluble at
60°C to 80°C and hot-melt alkali-soluble
adhesives are those of choice. Paper
labels are not ideal and these labels on
plastic film represent a significant prob-
lem to conventional recycling.
Final wordDesigners should consider the possibil-
ity of including recycled plastics in their
packaging for both environmental and
commercial reasons. The specification
of recycled materials in the design
of new products supports the recov-
ery of plastics by providing a market
for reprocessed material. Other advan-
tages include a potential cost saving,
marketing benefits and reduced environ-
mental impact.
SUMMARY• Design PET
containers with the recycling process in mind
• Sustainable recycling starts with a recyclable bottle
• Include PET in your packaging
• Stimulate transparency for a recyclable bottle.
The above considerations are not exhaustive and have been extracted from a longer, more detailed document. To obtain the document, contact PETCO directly.
24 – RéSource February 2015
GIVEN THE bulkiness of tyres, the
environmental problems they cause,
combined with meaningful recycling
potential, tyres may be one of the world’s
most challenging waste streams, but they
can also be one of the most beneficial.
Waste tyres comprise about 70% air,
meaning that they monopolise valuable
space when land for disposal is at a
premium. Not only that, when tyres are
simply sent straight to landfill, a number of
problems can occur, including the trapping
of methane, which causes tyres to rise to
the sur face. This action can potentially
damage geosynthetic lining layers used
to protect ground and sur face water. For
these and other reasons, recycling is by far
the better option.
PyrolysisBurning tyres is conducted via specialised
machinery and generates energy from tyres
by reducing rubber components back to
hydrocarbons and other basic components.
Carbon black, steel and syngas are other
by-products besides fuel, which is either
available as an oily liquid or gas.
When carried out using technologically
advanced machinery, high-quality by-prod-
ucts from this process will create greater
value and reuse potential. Modern methods
also create vir tually no waste.
Grinding and cuttingIn order to recycle tyre materials, tyres must
be crushed and then separated completely
into their original components. Shredders
or rotor cutters are used to process these
components into crumb and powder for
reuse. This process is achievable using
warm grinding and flat-die granulation mills.
Warm grinding Warm grinding takes place at room
Tyres are more than
temperature. For this reason, it is also
called ambient grinding. For this process,
tyre chips are crushed in fast-running gran-
ulators or mills without being made brittle.
By means of granulators connected in
series, the product is reduced gradually to
the requisite size.
Flat-die granulation mills The flat-die pellet mill works according to
the pan grinder roller principle. In this pro-
cess, tyres are cut and ground into smaller
and smaller chips. Forces of up to 120 bar
are then applied to these tyre parts as they
are crushed, which shears the rubber, steel
and textile components apart.
Weighing the benefitsIt’s difficult to say which of these methods
for recycling is better, as each has its
own unique advantages and disadvantages.
Pyrolysis technologies are constantly being
Waste tyres can be a hazard in landfills, but a resource and a business
opportunity in the right hands. FRANCES RINGWOOD looks at some of the benefits
of tyre recycling.
Recycling
‘pieces of old takkie’
refined so that value recovered from sec-
ondary by-products is increased.
The rubber pellet attained by warm grind-
ing has a much larger sur face area on a
micro-scale than the cold ground crumb,
making it more suitable to interact with
various binding agents so polymers can be
added. These crumbs are used as filler in
the caoutchouc industry – producing prod-
ucts such as latex gloves, condoms and
balloons – for example.
The main disadvantage lies in the high
energy demand resulting from the tech-
nique’s multiple crushing phases and wear
on parts.
The benefit of flat-die granulation is the
tyre material is not reduced to small pieces
Recycling
by geometrically shaped cutting edges,
but only by the shearing forces produced
between the grinding tools and in the
product. As a result, wearing of grinding
tools does not have any influence on the
granulation result.
In addition, flat-die granulation capacity
can go up to two-and-a-half tonnes of tyres
being recycled per hour at the average plant
per granulation press in a multi-shift opera-
tion. By mounting several units in parallel,
plant capacities can be increased.
Average yields for pyrolysis are compa-
rable but these figures rely heavily on the
quality of the machinery selected.
Application for productsHigh-quality steels can be reused in blast
furnaces for steel production or as addition-
al concrete reinforcement for construction.
When it comes to crumb and meal,
the addition of polyurethane (PU) binders
makes the material appropriate for artifi-
cial tur f. Another possibility is the addition
of these substances to topsoil, which
improves its compaction and drainage.
By combining tyre crumb with certain
other types of crumb, such as recycled
thermoplastics instead of PU binders, elas-
tomer compounds can be produced in a
special extrusion processes. By means
of extrusion or injection moulding, a large
number of products can be produced from
these materials.
Civil engineering is another application.
When added to asphalt, the asphalt’s prop-
erties for road construction are improved,
as the rubber asphalt reduces noise emis-
sions by up to nine decibels. Also, the
temperature stability of the road surface
increases, so that the formation of lane
grooves in summer is reduced.
The application possibilities for recycled
tyres are almost endless.
ABOVE LEFT Some ecowarriors are so committed to waste-tyre recycling that they build whole houses, called Earthships, out of the material
ABOVE Waste-tyre recycling plant
RéSource February 2015 – 25
IN SOUTH AFRICA, we have millions of
waste tyres lying in dumps and stock-
piles or scattered across the country in
residential, industrial and rural areas.
Tyres are designed to be tough and near-
ly indestructible, which is good when they
are in use, but a problem when they reach
the end of their working life. While some
waste tyres make their way to recycling
facilities via formal and informal networks
of collectors, many of them are burned for
their scrap metal content, releasing toxic
fumes and liquids in the process.
Redisa, as gazetted by the Department
of Environmental Affairs, has devel-
oped an environment in which a new
tyre recycling industr y can func-
tion, and succeed – resulting in an
increase of job creation opportuni-
ties countrywide. Redisa’s core role
is to create job opportunities and sup-
por t small, medium and micro enterprises
(SMMEs), and it does so by creating a
circular economy within the tyre industry.
MilestonesOur business is to turn waste into worth,
and specifically the millions of tyres that
are scrapped as waste in South Africa
every year. The waste-into-worth concept
has been successfully implemented and
we have achieved a number of noteworthy
milestones. From 1 December 2013 to the
end of December last year, Redisa estab-
lished 34 depots operational across the
country. In addition, Redisa is currently
collecting tyres from 1 476 dealers, and
as the Redisa Plan continues in its five-
year roll-out, more dealers and collection
points will be collected from nationwide.
Our strategy for the future is to continue
to meet the requirements as outlined in
the Redisa Plan, par ticularly in line with
supporting the development of SMMEs
and recyclers, which will fur ther drive the
development of the tyre recycling industry
in South Africa. This development will be
achieved predominantly through invest-
ment in infrastructure, business support,
and research into new applications for
waste. The plan was developed to address
the waste-tyre problem, in a manner that
stimulates job creation and entrepreneuri-
al development.
As Redisa gains momentum, used tyres
will grow in value. No longer seen as
waste, they will vanish from our landfills
and instead re-enter the economy as
recovered raw materials, fuel, waste bins,
paving, ar tworks, corporate gifts and even
fashion accessories.
Turning waste into worth
me
ing
rks
for
oxic
ent
-
ses
g a
ry.
r th,
hat
rica
ept
and
thy
Recycling
Looking at waste differently The key to turning waste into worth is to
start looking at waste differently. The grad-
ual increase of waste generated in South
Africa is leading to an increasingly polluted
environment in which South Africans, par-
ticularly those in the informal sector, are
forced to live.
This challenge has left the country with
no other option but to seek measures to
divert waste away from landfills to other
waste management options such as the
reuse, recycling and recovery of products,
as well as energy generation.
At this stage, the tyre industry
is the only one in South Africa
whose waste is being dealt with
in an integrated, coordinated
way. What’s more, Redisa’s
system is the only one in the
world that has 100% industry
compliance with one waste man-
agement plan (100% of tyre manu-
facturers and importers are registered
with Redisa and pay R2.30 per kilogram to
outsource their tyre recovery and recycling
liability to us).
Job creation and small business develop-
ment are a major part of our business plan,
and our five-year target is to create 10 000
jobs and 200 business entities that collect,
store and recycle waste tyres. Already,
1 617 jobs have been created and 162
small businesses established.
The value of small businesses can not
be underestimated, as many are seen as
the lifeblood of the economy and gener-
ate millions in revenue for South Africans
annually. It is our
firm belief that by
promoting a new
recycling indus-
try and develop-
ing sustainable
SMMEs, we will
have a direct
impact on the
economy through
job creation.
A t this stage, the tyre industry is the only one in South Africa whose waste is being dealt with in an integrated, coordinated way
STACEY DAVIDSON
details how the
company is creating
jobs and sustaining
local livelihoods.
Stacey Davidson, director of the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (Redisa)
26 – RéSource February 2015
RéSource February 2015 – 27
Improving landfill
management
WASTE MANAGEMENT is one of
the typical functions of local au-
thorities in South Africa. A final
step in the waste management process is
disposal to landfills. All local municipalities,
therefore, are responsible for managing one
or more municipal landfills.
Landfills are waste disposal facilities
specially designed to receive and hold
such waste indefinitely. Landfills have
engineered designs and a predetermined
lifespan (which may run into decades),
after which they have to be rehabilitated
and closed. A landfill can have negative
impacts on the environment – especially
water resources – during its operation
as well as after closure. Therefore, strict
specifications have been laid down for
the rehabilitation and closure of land-
fills. In South Africa, this has been codi-
fied in the Minimum Requirements for
Waste Disposal by Landfill (2nd edition,
Department of Water Affairs & Forestry
1998), according to the most recently
amended regulations.
Financial provisionWhen considering the cost of managing
landfills, the costs of rehabilitating and
closing the landfill after it has reached
the end of its operational lifespan is often
downplayed. There are two main reasons
for this. First, the timing of this cost is
often not within the short and medium
planning timeframes of officials, due to
the long lifespan of a landfill. Secondly, it
is not so easy to determine landfill closure
costs, especially because of the long time
Municipalities need to make fi nancial provision for the
eventual rehabilitation and closure of landfi lls.
BY EAKLE GODSCHALK*, MARYNA MÖHR-SWART* AND
JONATHAN SHAMROCK**
scales involved and the technical nature of
landfill capping requirements.
Making financial provision for final clo-
sure and rehabilitation of landfills is a
requirement of GRAP accounting stand-
ards. This provision is a financial liability
that grows over time until the closure of
the landfill. In 2010, the Auditor General
star ted issuing audit qualifications to
municipalities for not disclosing a provi-
sion for landfill closure in their annual
financial statements. This prompted many
municipalities to star t looking at this
issue but no standardised methodology
was available.
Calculating closure costsOne of the factors limiting municipali-
ties’ ability to calculate the provision to
be disclosed was the lack of a standard
methodology for determining the scope
and quantity of the provision for landfill
closure. To fill this gap, environmental con-
sultancies Environmental & Sustainability
Solutions, in collaboration with Jones &
Wagener Engineering and Environmental
Consultants developed the Municipal
Landfill Closure Costing Model (MLCCM).
The model provides a standardised frame-
work for determining the financial provi-
sion to be disclosed in the annual financial
statements of municipalities.
A comprehensive approach regarding
the scope of closure costs is adhered to,
as it provides the best possible informa-
tion for accounting, planning and manage-
ment purposes. In this comprehensive
approach, landfill closure costs are made
Landfills
28 – RéSource February 2015
Mills & Otten ccEnvironmental Consultants
1998/46338/23Johannesburg Cape TownTel: (011) 486 0062 Tel: (021) 671 7107Fax: (086) 554 6573 Fax: (021) 671 7107Contact: Charles Mills / Kirstin Otten Contact: Stephanie de Beer
Independent Environmental Consultants specialising in:Environmental Management PlansAudits – Environmental and Green BuildingEnvironmental Authorisations (NEMA,NEMWA,NEMAQA,NWA)
Contaminated Land ManagementTraining
up of three main components:
• pre-closure planning costs
• actual rehabilitation and closure costs
• post-closure monitoring and mainte-
nance costs.
The model includes 21 cost elements
associated with any of the three
main components.
Pre-closure planning costs Planning costs for landfill closure are
directly associated with the activity and
timing of closure, and should therefore
be regarded as an integral par t of the
closure costs itself. These costs usually
include the costs of applying for a landfill
closure licence, the basic assessment
with accompanying public par ticipation
process, and finalising end-use plans and
closure designs. This may be an expen-
sive process, especially if little technical
information on the landfill and potential
environmental impacts
is available.
Rehabilitation and closure costs Final rehabilitation
and closure costs are
expended in the year of
closure, and a number
of subsequent years,
to ensure ef fective
closure. The landfill
needs to undergo final
shaping and compact-
ing in order to prevent
rainwater from forming
pools, which can lead
to seepage through the
landfill into the ground-
water. The landfill is
then capped with selected capping mate-
rial (either a suitable type of clay or a
geosynthetic liner) to reduce rainwater
infiltration. Topsoil is added on top of the
capping layer and is vegetated to prevent
erosion of the landfill capping layers.
To fur ther prevent erosion of the landfill,
a stormwater control system needs to be
installed (if not yet in place). In areas with
high rainfall, leachate seepage control
systems need to be added. In the case of
large landfills where the risk of gas forma-
tion is higher, a gas control system may
also have to be added. It also includes
costs associated with the erection of a
proper fence (if not yet in place), decom-
missioning of any infrastructure and erec-
tion of end-use-related infrastructure.
Post-closure monitoringThis component includes costs associated
with post-closure environmental monitor-
ing, as well as ongoing maintenance and
management. When the landfill subsides
over time, it needs to be rectified to prevent
water ponding on the surface. Drainage
systems must be maintained, vegetation
managed and fires controlled to ensure
continued stability and prevent erosion.
Leachate and gas that may emanate from
the landfill also need to be managed, and
lastly, water and gas monitoring (if applica-
ble) needs to take place. This phase usu-
ally lasts for 30 years after closure.
Cost variables The various components of landfill closure
costs are affected by a number of vari-
ables. The MLCCM includes 19 such vari-
ables. These include, for example, obvious
aspects such as size of the area already
used for disposing waste, the expected
remaining lifespan of the landfill, the cur-
rent condition of the fence, and whether
the landfill is situated in a water-deficit
or -surplus area. The quality of available
information, the quality of operational
management of the landfill and availability
of closure material also impact on several
cost elements.
Municipalities’ influence over costSome variables that affect closure costs
are outside the control of municipali-
ties, such as whether the landfill is situ-
ated in a water-surplus or -deficit area.
However, most variables can be influenced
by municipalities, which, therefore, have
an opportunity to manage future closure
costs. The impact of improving landfill
management practices on the financial
provision is quantified by means of sce-
narios. This enables municipalities to pri-
oritise improvement measures to max-
imise the potential reduction in landfill
closure costs. Other considerations such
as regulatory compliance are also taken
into account when developing an action
TABLE 1 Impact of variables on landfill closure costs
Landfills
Variable % of total closure costs
affected by variable
Size of landfill already used 90.8
Environmental impacts 31.3
Availability of capping material 19.2
Availability and management of topsoil 12.5
Availability of technical data 7.9
Existence of monitoring committee 7.9
Compacting and trimming practices 5.6
Licensed or not licensed 5.4
THE AUTHORS (From left) *Seakle Godschalk, Maryna Möhr-Swart of Environmental & Sustainability Solutions and **Jonathan Shamrock of Jones & Wagener Engineering and Environmental Consultants
RéSource February 2015 – 29
plan for improving the management of
the landfill.
Main cost driversAlthough circumstances between landfills
differ, an analysis of the results of 58 valu-
ations of 35 landfills since 2011 reveals
generic trends that can be used in devel-
oping strategies to improve landfill man-
agement practices and, at the same time,
minimise future landfill closure costs. It
was found that eight variables affect cost
elements that account for 5% or more of
total closure costs (Table 1). Several vari-
ables affect more than one cost element.
The relative importance of
variables at different landfills
differs vastly.
Size of landfill already usedThe size of the area of the
landfill that has already been
used for waste disposal is by
far the most important driver of landfill clo-
sure costs, and should receive top priority
in any landfill management action plan.
Reduction of the volume of waste entering
the landfill also increases the lifespan of
the landfill. This increases the discounting
period and reduces the discounted provi-
sion disclosed in the financial statements.
The most effective way of reducing the
size of the landfill is reducing the vol-
ume of waste deposited on the landfill.
Awareness programmes for the reduction
of waste generation, separation of waste
at source and accompanying recycling
programmes are the most effective strate-
gies to reduce the waste streams to the
landfill. In addition, such programmes can
create entrepreneurial opportunities and
employment, and it is also beneficial to
the environment.
The size of the por tion of the landfill
used for disposal can be reduced by dump-
ing waste in a concentrated area rather
than spreading it all over the landfill, and
by using the current disposal area or cell
to its maximum height before opening a
new area or cell.
Environmental impactsEnvironmental impacts associated with
landfills also have a major impact on
closure costs. This relates in par ticular
to the impact on groundwater and sur-
face water sources, leachate emanating
from the landfill, and gas problems. The
installation of liners and the prevention
of water pools in the landfill will reduce
impacts on groundwater. Monitoring of the
formation of gas and installing gas control
systems, where appropriate, will also mini-
mise negative impacts. Proper compacting
and covering practices will help prevent
negative environmental impacts.
A major contributing factor to increased
closure costs is the absence of proper
groundwater monitoring at many land-
fills. In the absence of proof to the
contrary, based on water monitoring, it
must be assumed that negative impacts
on groundwater sources may occur. This
automatically increases closure costs. By
investing in effective water monitoring,
municipalities can often reduce the calcu-
lated provision.
Availability of capping material for closureThe presence or absence of suitable
capping material on-site or in the vicin-
ity of the landfill has a major impact on
capping costs. In none of the municipali-
ties investigated was information on the
availability of capping material available.
By assessing the availability of capping
material and securing future access to
such material, for example, by establishing
a capping material stockpile area on-site
where selected soil can be placed over the
life of the facility, capping costs can be
reduced significantly.
Availability and management of topsoil for closureThe availability of suitable topsoil for clo-
sure is equally important. Assessing the
availability and securing future access to
such material will reduce future closure
costs. If suitable topsoil
for closure is available on-
site, it should be managed
properly in order to ensure
that it retains its useful
characteristics for future
use during closure.
Other variablesTechnical data similar
to that which was generated during the
licence application process are needed for
the development of the closure plan; for
example, a geotechnical investigation. If
such information is lost, expensive tech-
nical investigations may need to be con-
ducted again when planning for closure.
Also, the existence of a landfill moni-
toring committee, including all relevant
stakeholders during the operational phase
of the landfill, would make the process of
consultation with interested and affected
par ties in the closure planning process
more effective. This does have a positive
impact on pre-closure planning costs.
Fur thermore, current
compacting and trim-
ming practices directly
affect compacting and
shaping costs during
closure of the landfill.
It also reduces post-
closure maintenance
costs. As the purchase and maintenance
of compacting equipment is expensive,
this aspect of landfill management is
often neglected.
Finally, the licensing of a landfill also
affects future pre-closure planning costs.
In the absence of an operating licence for
the landfill, a separate licence for closure
of the landfill will have to be obtained at
significant additional cost.
ConclusionThe annual valuation of the closure costs
of a landfill can be used for much more
than only to calculate the financial provi-
sion for the final closure and rehabilitation
of the landfill. By quantifying the financial
impacts of various variables on closure
costs, the main drivers of closure costs
at a specific landfill can be identified.
This enables the municipality to develop
landfill management improvement plans to
reduce future closure costs and simultane-
ously to improve current landfill manage-
ment practices and enhance compliance
with regulations.
Landfills
By quantifying the financial impacts of various variables on closure costs, the
main drivers of closure costs at a specific landfill can be identified
30 – RéSource February 2015
Specialist Waste Management Consultants
Tel: +27 21 982 6570 / www.jpce.co.za
Jan Palm Consulting Engineers
JPCE
Government grants enhance manufacturingDEEPAK JOHN provides evidence for there being good uptake of government grants
for the manufacturing sector, though he points out that the lion’s share is skewed
to larger companies.
IN JUST LESS than two years, the govern-
ment has awarded over R4 billion in grants
to 524 applications under the Manufactur-
ing Competiveness Enhancement Programme
(MCEP) through the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) and the Industrial Development
Corporation (IDC). From an aggregate level,
this is proving to be an extremely success-
ful initiative and has helped preserve over
100 000 jobs.
Most of this grant funding has been skewed
towards the largest companies (with histori-
cal assets of greater than R200 million). The
Cleaner Production
manufacturing sector invest in technolo-
gies that would otherwise be unfeasible. A
specific category under MCEP caters directly
for green technology and resource efficiency
improvement. This has helped many com-
panies undertake projects that have led to
cleaner production and resource efficiency –
an important investment to ensure long-term
financial and environmental sustainability,
which ultimately leads to greater competi-
tiveness in the local and global economy.
Electricity tariffs are increasing faster
than inflation and the recent announcement
smallest businesses (with historical assets
of less than R5 million) have received
roughly 4% of this grant funding.
In June this year, the DTI tightened certain
of the grant conditions to ensure that as
many companies are supported as possible,
which was the initial intention of the MCEP
programme when introduced in June 2012.
The remaining available MCEP grant funding
of R1.8 billion will hopefully be spread more
equitably among all companies in South
Africa. This grant is extremely attractive
and has helped many organisations in the
<= R 5m4%
> R5m, <=R30m10%10%
0m, > R300m<=R2
5%25
> R2000m61%%
FIGURE 1 MCEP-awarded grants in rands,
split by company size (historical assets)
by the National Energy Regulator allow-
ing Eskom to increase 2015/16 tariffs
by more than 12% will further exacerbate
this situation. Businesses can no longer
afford to continue running inefficient equip-
ment and processes, as energy costs are
fast becoming a significant portion of total
operating expenses.
The initial capital investment required for
green technologies can be exorbitant, with
long payback periods (depending on the
type and complexity of the installation). The
MCEP grant has drastically improved the
attractiveness of such initiatives, and busi-
nesses that have taken advantage of this
grant to reduce their energy costs will be
much better positioned to withstand future
electricity increases.
Financial benefits The financial benefits of using the MCEP
grant is best illustrated using an example.
A manufacturing client in Johannesburg is
considering installing a 200 kWp PV solar
system on their building to supplement elec-
tricity usage from Eskom.
Cleaner Production
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Some initial conditions:
• cost of electric-
ity is roughly 88 c/kWh
(excl. VAT)
• the capital investment for this 200 kWp
PV solar system is roughly R 3.5 million
(excl. VAT)
• installed system has expected lifespan
of more than 20 years if well maintained
• the system will produce roughly 350 000
kWh per annum
• all the power produced will be consumed
directly by the site (i.e. no power will be
fed back to grid)
• an accelerated depreciation benefit is
available from SARS, which allows full dep-
recation for green technologies in three
years (50% in the first year, 30% in the
second and 20% in the third).
The financial feasibility of this PV solar
system is considerably more attractive with
the MCEP grant and makes the decision to
install this renewable energy solution quite
compelling. In addition, the MCEP grant is
well known throughout the manufacturing
sector and many businesses have managed
to use this grant to ensure the continued
sustainability of their operations.
With almost 70% of the total grant already
awarded, there is not much left and we
can only hope that
government are able
to implement a new
grant programme
when MCEP is
fully subscribed.
Deepak John, director of New Southern Energy
RéSource February 2015 – 31
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
32 – RéSource February 2015
Green Buildings
RESEARCH HAS recently revealed that,
by 2020, 56% of the world’s popula-
tion will live in urban areas and more
than 35 cities globally will grow to become
megacities by 2025. The research, conducted
by Frost & Sullivan, in partnership with Hi-
tachi, examined the trends that are putting
increasing pressure on existing infrastructure,
recognising the importance of social innova-
tion in developing a new generation of smart
technology so societies can function sustain-
ably and with increased efficiency.
There has been a business and industry
realisation that innovation is not just a sim-
ple strategic option for financial gain but an
opportunity to address human challenges.
Social innovation has a tremendous impact
in terms of bringing a better quality of life to
the end user, not to mention the wider impli-
cations for the environment – particularly
in a world that is fast becoming urbanised.
Internet of ThingsA large part of this transformation is the inte-
gration of smart products and Internet tech-
nologies which allow systems to react and
communicate to changing environments. The
research showed that green products and
services will be enhanced or even replaced
by smart products and services. Smart prod-
ucts can drive efficiency and reduce waste
through intelligent sensing technology, which,
when connected to other smart devices,
forms the Internet of Things. We are seeing
the development of a world where everyday
objects are linked to the Internet, creating
increasingly connected societies.
The objects can be controlled remotely,
driving productivity and contributing to waste
reduction through their ability to capture,
store and broadcast vast amounts of data.
According to Frost & Sullivan: “Enabled by
the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine
communication and over 80 billion connect-
ed devices globally, digital intelligence will
be the key driver of efficiency and sustain-
ability across a vast array of applications.”
The convergence of green and smart tech-
nology has the potential to turn smart build-
ings and homes into a mainstream reality
in two to three years. The creation of such
smart buildings with energy management
systems has also paved the way to innova-
tive approaches to saving energy, such as
systems that supply electricity from a car bat-
tery to a building for back-up or peak power.
Rise of the machines?The opportunities do not stop there: this
technology can go far beyond devices in our
homes and can ultimately help to create
smart cities with integrated and intelligent
infrastructure connecting the healthcare,
energy, construction, transportation, and
governance sectors. The report predicts
that the market for smart cities will reach a
phenomenal value of $1.57 trillion by 2020,
when 15 smart global cities will exist. “We
will also see smart concepts leading to the
growth in the development of smart and
sustainable cities with some cities even built
from scratch, using the latest intelligent and
green initiatives to reduce energy consump-
tion and improve efficiencies in all facets of
human life,” according to the report.
Key to creating a successful smart city is
the convergence and coordination of infra-
structure. Technology giant Hitachi has been
conducting research in South Africa and
Africa recently on how best to marry techno-
logical innovation with social infrastructure.
Klaus Dieter Rennert, CEO, Hitachi Europe,
says: “This is what will really tip the scales in
favour of social innovation – when innovation
truly answers individual citizens’ problems.”
BenefitsSmart cities are not the silver bullet to solv-
ing the challenges developing from urbanisa-
tion, but the emergence of this phenomenon
can act as an important platform in deliver-
ing solutions that create social sustainabil-
ity. Smart cities maximise benefits to resi-
dents while minimising adverse effects on
the environment and the economy. Simply
put, smart cities support changing lifestyles
that are urban and enjoyable, as well as
being environmentally friendly.
Cities will be the epicentre of people, ideas,
challenges and opportunities in the future,
so it is crucial that governments, businesses
and individuals work together to make these
cities as smart as possible. Social innova-
tion has real potential to bring about positive
change to the lives of individuals and socie-
ties and as Rennert says: “If people truly see
the improvements to their lives, environment
and society, they will see the value of invest-
ing in it.” Now it is a matter businesses and
stakeholders starting to unify to make this
vision a reality in our global megacities.
African Utility Week 19Amandus Kahl 18Barloworld Equipment 31Duncanmec OBCEnvitech Solutions 27
Jan Palm Consulting Engineers 30Mercedes-Benz SA OFCMills & Otten 28MMI South Africa 9Otto Waste IBC
Plastics | SA 21Redisa 4Rose Foundation NORA-SA 2Rose Foundation IFCWasteman Holdings 10
MARI BLUMENTHAL writes on the rise of megacities
and a case for smart integration.
ABOVE LEFT Durban has won grant funding in the past for being Africa’s smartest city
ABOVE Konza City in Kenya has already started construction and is planned to be Africa’s own ‘silicon valley’ – a smart city from the start
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