Kate Stubbs, Marketing Director at Interwaste
SUSTAINABILITY has become the watchword for South African corporates, as they grapple with both the public’s demand for environmentally friendly products and the demands of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting.
At the core of this change is the understanding that, to be fully immersed in real environmental change, we must work towards creating a circular economy and today, this is more real than ever before. In fact, what organisations are now learning is that much of the 90% of waste currently being disposed of to landfill, can be re-used as alternative resources, when managed effectively.
If we consider that only 10% of waste created is currently recycled in the country, then we need to find ways to uncover industry opportunities where products can be recycled but recycled into a circular framework to serve not only the purpose of ‘getting rid’ of the unwanted waste but, turning this waste into something useful – the true definition of Circular Economy thinking. For example, the End Producer Responsibility programme has seen Danone, who have through their Tubs2Classrooms project turned end of life yoghurt tubs, into eco bricks to be used for classroom builds.
The definition of the ‘Circular Economy’ model is where waste created in one industry is re-purposed for use in other areas of industry and the economy, and where disposal is the final option.
This type of thinking means that we can get much closer to the zero waste to landfill goal by 2030, using a ‘whole system’ through recycling, reuse, recovery, beneficiation technologies, and towards value-adding opportunities which have the potential to create numerous environmental, social, and economic opportunities for South Africa.
As a sector, waste has a fundamental role to play in meeting the country’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), tackling not one, but at least 6 of the 15 goals in total. Goals 6 (Safe water), 7 (Clean energy), 13 (Climate action) and 11 (Sustainable cities) being the most prominent in this regard.
What other sectors can we tackle from a circular economy model that will help drive environmental compliance and improvement?
The impact of wastewater management on driving sustainable water supply.
With 7 of the 13 major water systems in South Africa predicted to be in deficit by 2040 and the demand for water expected to exceed available supply by 2030, we need to find solutions. Wastewater management can result in the redistribution of water into the environment for irrigation and dust suppression, as well as to replenish rivers and catchments in our water infrastructure networks. Treated to the required standards, nearly all effluent can be recycled, creating a strong solution for water sustainability and access,
Energy
The Just Energy Transition’s (JET) provision focuses on achieving “Net Zero” carbon emissions by 2050, so exploring alternative sustainable options is key – the global waste-to-energy market is expected to grow from $28.4 billion 2017, to almost $43 billion in 2024, waste presents a large economic opportunity to establish new industries and/or revenue streams and meet SDG Goals. Converting waste to energy production occurs through three key processes – thermal, biological and physical. For each process, there are a variety of technologies available to convert different types of waste to energy such as electricity, steam or gas and so, there are multiple layers to meeting South Africa’s energy crisis – critical to government agendas currently.
Not all waste can be reused or recycled and where it can, sometimes cost can be prohibitive.
The need for waste management strategies that look at the full value chain of waste and ensure that the growing waste generated should be critical. Very few people want to believe it, but engineered landfills and associated waste management practices remain cost effective and are still an attractive and compliant option for managing a wide variety of waste types. However, with landfill airspace diminishing across the country, we must consider the vital importance of creating more space to deal with the waste generated by South Africans.
