Know where your waste goes
Each piece of waste has the potential
to pollute the environment, which is
also why there is no single suitable
waste management approach.
By Kim Kemp
The plastic bag is one of the biggest environmental burdens posed on coastal and ocean environments.
J
an Palm, president of the Institute
of Waste Management of
Southern Africa (IWMSA), says
the application of the waste hierarchy
most often starts in households with
consumers.
Palm adds, “It is important that
the cycle of waste, from consumer
to final disposal, is governed by
the internationally accepted waste
hierarchy that, through its successful
application, can have several
benefits, such as pollution reduction,
resource conservation, and job
creation.”
Household waste can be separated
into three parts: solid waste that can
be recycled, organic waste (food and
garden), and non-recyclables; each
type requiring different recovery,
treatment and/or disposal methods.
Recyclables are repurposed for
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commercial use, while organic waste
should not be landfilled, but rather
used to make compost or biogas.
Non-recyclable waste is either
landfilled or sent to a Waste-to-
Energy (WtE) facility to be thermally
treated to produce electricity.
“One of the primary waste
management challenges today is
ensuring that the different types of
waste are adequately sorted so that
it can be subjected to the correct
recovery, treatment, or disposal
processes,” says Palm. “By being
mindful at home and separating
waste into its correct category,
you are helping to prevent waste
from ending up where it does not
belong; contaminating the natural
environment,” adds Palm.
Have you ever wondered how
good South Africa is at sorting and
recycling their waste? Look