Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa Real Estate Investor Magazine - July 2017 | Page 46

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
Waste
Management
Why does it matter?
BY ANN BAKER-KEULEMANS
F
or anyone in the FM or property management
professions, waste management is a big deal.
From generation to disposal, waste management
entails the collection, transport and treatment of solid
and wet waste. In the past, once trash hit the bin, it
was out of sight, out of mind. Recycling slowly gained
traction, with most offices having a paper recycling
bin sat handily next to the office printer, and possibly
even a glass bin in the canteen if your company was
really forward-thinking.
But with climate change a reality and the current
focus on green buildings, eco-friendly practices and
sustainable solutions, that just doesn’t cut it anymore.
In the article How much rubbish we dump in South
Africa each day on the Business Tech website, it was
stated that: “A report by the World Bank details which
countries produce the most garbage every day – and
where South Africa fits into the picture. According
to the report, South Africa produces 54,425 tonnes of
trash every day – the 15th highest rate in the world.”
Add to that the fact that many of South Africa’s
landfill sites are nearing or have already reached
capacity, and you start to realise why sustainable
waste management is an absolute necessity.
Sustainable Waste Management
In his presentation, Sustainability for Facilities
and Waste Management, Aurecon’s Nick Mannie
stated that sustainable waste management could
be defined as significantly cutting down on the
amount of waste produced and then dealing with it
in a way that contributes to sustainable development.
Mannie went on to define an Integrated Solid Waste
Management (ISWM) solution as “a comprehensive
waste prevention, recycling, composting, and disposal
programme. An effective ISWM system considers
how to prevent, recycle, and manage solid waste in
ways that most effectively protect human health and
the environment.” Your waste management choices
need to take the environment, both socio-economic
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JULY 2017 SA Real Estate Investor
and physical, into account, with the ultimate aim of
reducing, rethinking, recycling and reusing.
“We are limited to relying on waste generators,
and their mindset is to throw away, not immediately
recycle,” says Mannie. “We need to segregate and
recycle properly, and this cannot be placed solely in
the hands of the generators, we can only facilitate a
point for waste to be thrown away in in the public
realm.
“Once that waste is in the bin, the opportunity
to customise your handling of waste is great. But
creating a culture of recycling is important,” he adds.
Getting paid for your waste probably won’t offset your
FM-spend dramatically, but it certainly doesn’t hurt
the bottom line either. Recycling companies can and
do pay for materials, but remember that compression
ensures the highest rebate for recyclable material.
This means you’ll need an on-site waste management
solution to see any real return on your recyclables.
There are many waste management companies
operating in South Africa. Finding one that offers a
tailored, sustainable solution that suits your property
or business requirements will require some research,
but will be worthwhile in terms of cost savings, waste
reduction, and reducing your carbon footprint.
Waste water management
Grey water recycling is already being incorporated
in both new and existing buildings as an important
component of Green Building certification. By
harvesting rain water and using grey water for
irrigation, heating and cooling, and even flushing
toilets, water conservation and waste management are
being addressed at a business level, but the call is for
more businesses and even government to step up.
Food waste in South Africa
According to CSIR studies, 13 million people
go hungry every day, 20% of households are food
insecure, South Africans throw away almost 10
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