LANDFILL
GREAT LEGISLATION terrible landfills
Landfills nationwide are filling up at an alarming rate. South Africa is running out of landfill airspace, and industry experts have warned that the country is on the verge of a waste crisis.
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ccording to the latest statistics, South Africa generates roughly 122 million tonnes of waste per year. Of this waste, a maximum of only 10% is recycled or recovered for other uses, while at least 90% is still landfilled or dumped illegally. The South African waste management industry plays a vital role in keeping our environment clean and, according to experts, South Africa has some of the best waste management legislation in the world. However, as Leon Grobbelaar, director at Raalebborg Environmental and former president of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), states, South Africa has some of the worst landfills. He warns that if we continue at this pace, there will be no unpolluted resources left for the next generation to utilise. “Our people on the ground experience and witness this every day, we see the mess and the bigger picture with regard to what is really happening. And however grim the truth may seem, we must face the fact that we are running out of landfill airspace – and quickly.
1 0 FEBRUARY 2023
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“South African landfills are in a terrible state; the worst they have been in decades,” emphasises Grobbelaar. “According to my knowledge and my views, Gauteng has never been so dirty. There is an increase in illegal dumping because people just don’t know what to do with their waste, which is not being collected by the municipalities, and our landfill sites have become hiding places for criminals. It has become dangerous for the public to visit landfills for disposal.” Grobbelaar has 34 years of experience working within the waste management industry, with a special focus on landfill management, construction and rehabilitation. The Directors of Raalebborg do have four decades of experience of experience within the waste management industry and is dedicated to delivering innovative waste solutions that are environmentally responsible, effective and economically viable.
State of SA landfills Landfills nationwide are filling up at an alarming rate, especially in Gauteng, says Grobbelaar.
Leon Grobbelaar, director at Raalebborg Environmental and former president of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa
He states that the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has a maximum of three years left until its landfills reach capacity – with the City of Tshwane (CoT) and the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) not far behind. Grobbelaar asserts the problem mainly lies in Gauteng because the City of Cape Town was able to recognise 15 years ago that it has an airspace crisis as well as the need for alternative materials recovery sites and progressive legislature. It then went on a drive to promote the recycling and reuse of materials. All this resulted in waste being diverted away from landfills. “The Western Cape is 5-10 years ahead of us here in Gauteng. Upon realisation that they are running out of airspace, the Western Cape Government started raising their disposal