CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.2 Results relating to research objective 1: Actual incorporation of waste
4.2.2 Measures for waste prevention
Table 4-3: Waste type focused on in South African waste management regulations, policies and plans.
White Paper on IP&WM Polokwane Declaration NEM: WA IWMP of CoJ Model By-Laws MWSP NPSWM IWMP CCT Exclusion regulations EPR regulations NWMS
Food waste ✓ ✓
Textile waste Construction and
demolition waste ✓ ✓ ✓
WEEE ✓ ✓ ✓
Household waste ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Hazardous waste ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Non-specified ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Table 4-4: Character of objectives of South African waste management regulations, policies and plans.
White Paper on IP&WM Polokwane Declaration NEM: WA IWMP of CoJ Model By-Laws MWSP NPSWM IWMP CCT Exclusion regulations EPR regulations NWMS
Qualitative targets ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Quantitative specified
targets ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Quantitative non-
specified targets ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
There are very few targets for the annual reduction of waste in South African waste management regulations, policies and plans (Table 4-5). The DEFF published the EPR regulations with actual reachable targets set to be achieved within five years. However, these regulations only focus on specific waste streams, including the WEEE, the lighting sector, paper, packaging and some single-use products. The Polokwane Declaration also contain reachable targets for 2012 and 2022. However, the 2012 targets have not been reached to date, and the chances are very slim that the 2022 targets will be met (Section 3.2.4.2). The CoJ IWMP contain reachable targets for 2011-2016. However, the document has not been reviewed yet since a new version thereof is not available on the internet or from the municipality. It is thus unclear if the targets have been met.
It has been said by Johansson & Corvellec (2018:326) that objectives are more precise as one moves from the national to local government levels. It is thus understandable that there are so few quantitative targets set in the regulations, policies and plans. However, one would have expected to see quantitative specific targets set in the IWMPs’ of the CoJ and CCT. The targets that have been set in these IWMPs focus more on the handling of waste than preventing waste from being generated.
Table 4-5: Reduction per year mentioned in South African waste management regulations, policies and plans.
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Quantitative change (expressed in percentage)
✓ ✓ ✓
Time range (years) ✓ ✓ ✓
Non-specified ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
The targets above must be implemented, enforced and complied with by certain actors (such as the different spheres of government, the industries, consumers, etc.). Most of the responsibility of enforcement and compliance is placed on industries, municipalities (green rows) and the national government (yellow row) (Table 4-6). This is not very effective for implementation purposes as consumers and the voluntary sector play an important role in implementing the regulations, policies and plans associated with the waste generated by these actors. The South African State of Waste Report (DEA, 2018b:v) indicated that 100% of the municipal waste generated in 2017 went to landfill sites, whereas consumers and the voluntary sector could have played a significant role in reducing this waste. Consumers can be more cautious about the waste they are generating, while the voluntary sector can keep everyone accountable for their actions through awareness making campaigns.
Table 4-6: Type of actor mentioned in South African waste management regulations, policies and plans.
White Paper on IP&WM Polokwane Declaration NEM: WA IWMP of CoJ Model By-Laws MWSP NPSWM IWMP CCT Exclusion regulations EPR regulations NWMS
National government ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Provincial government ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Local government
(Municipalities) ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Industries ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Consumers ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Voluntary sector ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
The targets above have an underlying purpose through which the type of measure can be identified. The type of measure was adapted from EEA (2015:37-42) and Johansson & Corvellec (2018:325) (Chapter 2). The type of measures is described as follows (EEA, 2015: 37-42; Vedung 1998):
• Economy measures include tax incentives, green public procurement and direct subventions to promote the efficient use of resources;
• Information measures, including labels, awareness-raising campaigns and pilot projects on waste prevention techniques;
• Regulations measures are those that set binding norms and standards;
• Voluntary agreements that stipulate clear and measurable targets;
• Investigations and/or research and development were made possible by these targets;
• Infrastructure development or improvement thereof were made possible by these targets;
These types of measures form the basis of Table 4-7. Most of the South African waste management regulations, policies and plans use measures for investigations, promotion, information sharing, cooperation and regulations concerning waste prevention. This trend keeps on prevailing in all spheres of the South African government, as noted in the European countries too (Johansson, & Corvellec: 2018:327), where measures for waste prevention typically involve informing, investigating better alternatives, participating in cooperation, and promoting waste prevention alternatives. In the South African context, an emphasis is placed on creating a circular economy in the 3rd NWMS and the IWMP of the CCT through creating the opportunity for investigation and information sharing. The previously mentioned measures all fall within the ambit of soft measures. Thus, they are not legally binding, requiring little to no governmental implementation. The rarest measure found in the regulations, policies and plans were voluntary agreements, infrastructure development, economy and regulations.
Table 4-7: Type of measure mentioned in South African waste management regulations, policies and plans.
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Economy ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Information sharing ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Regulations ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Voluntary agreement
Investigation ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Infrastructure
development ✓
Co-operation ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Promotion ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Most South African waste management regulations, policies, and plans contain measures aimed at the promotion/implementation of recycling and re-use and optimising waste management (green rows) by focusing on waste minimisation. The closest these targets come to incorporating waste prevention efforts is through increasing knowledge and optimising production processes (yellow rows) (Error! Reference source not found.). This indicates that most of the measures focus on the minimisation of already generated waste instead of the prevention of waste, such as through optimising the use of products (orange rows), promoting sustainable consumption and reducing consumption (red rows).
Table 4-8: Character of measure mentioned in South African waste management regulations, policies and plans.
White Paper on IP&WM Polokwane Declaration NEM: WA IWMP of CoJ Model By-Laws MWSP NPSWM IWMP CCT Exclusion regulations EPR regulations NWMS
Optimise production ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Optimise use ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Promote recycling ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Optimise waste
management ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Promote re-use ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Promote repair ✓
Promote sustainable
consumption ✓ ✓
Reduce consumption ✓ ✓ ✓
Increase knowledge ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Induce regulatory
✓ ✓ ✓ ✓