ReSource February 2015

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

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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


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.


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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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.


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


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.


FREE ENTRANCE FOR

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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.


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



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.


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


WasteCon 2014 kicked off at

the start of October, where over 60 stands were manned,

showing off the latest

innovations in waste

management


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


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


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.


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



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.


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


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)



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


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

[email protected]

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


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


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


INDEX TO ADVERTISERS


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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ReSource February 2015

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