A showcase of best practice and sustainable waste management solutions

#WasteCon2022 brought together leaders within the waste management industry to find solutions to existing challenges and discover new opportunities among historic waste issues.

We cannot be blind to the state of waste in South Africa and beyond. We all know that we have a massive environmental crisis on our hands and, in 2022, our communities should not be under constant threat of air and water pollution.

Those were the sentiments of most experts attending the 25th WasteCon Conference and Exhibition, which took place at Emperors Place, Ekurhuleni, from 18 to 20 October 2022. The biennial conference and exhibition, organised by the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), was themed ‘Back on Track? Perspectives on Waste and Circularity’.

After having faced the disappointment of having to cancel in 2020, WasteCon 2022 came back stronger to showcase best practices and sustainable waste and resource management solutions.

Emerging from a period in which virtually all aspects of our lives were dominated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the theme essentially encompassed a reality check on where we are now in respect of the state of waste management and circular economy. It looked at what the waste industry had done well or poorly in the past, what the sector should continue doing and, most importantly, what should be done better or differently in the future.

The latest technologies, services and products were presented at 73 indoor and 15 outdoor exhibitions. This was made possible by the financial support of 14 WasteCon sponsors and 17 Golf Day sponsors. There was a total attendance of 1 298 during the three days of the conference and the organisers held 54 technical and 11 interactive sessions.

Meaningful connections

In her inaugural speech as the newly appointed and incoming IWMSA President, Mpendulo Ginindza noted that the IWMSA community is passionate, proud and intensely focused on achieving its mission. She also gave a nod of appreciation to government, which has requested the Institute’s participation in creating and implementing regulatory frameworks.

“We look forward to forming relationships with many different disciplines and I am thankful for all the connections made at the conference and for the wealth of knowledge gained in such a short period of time. I hope that the work invested in all these engagements (and others) will bear fruits as we move into 2023.”

Brendon Jewaskiewitz, immediate Past President of the IWMSA, officially handed over the reins to Ginindza on the first day of the conference – stating that he looks forward to the contribution she will make to the Institute and the industry as a whole.

“The IWMSA is dedicated to inclusivity, sustainability and growth. And with the Institute’s powerful voice, we can reach and bridge the gap between public, private and government. The IWMSA is a powerful vehicle for advocacy and change. Become involved, get

your hands dirty, and help us make the change,” said Jewaskiewitz in his welcome address.

Robust debate

Day 1 started off strong, with a jam-packed programme of insightful plenary, panel and workshop sessions. In the three days, the industry debated South Africa’s energy roadmap, the role of sustainable landfilling, and the future of waste management, among other things.

The key message and a recurring theme through all the presentations was that proper waste management remains an under-prioritised service, and most metros are not structured to divert waste – they are only structured to collect and dispose of waste. Experts implored the government, public and private sector to invest in sustainable waste management by developing end-oflife recycling solutions for products, finding alternative solutions for waste materials like building rubble, and re-evaluating the country’s recycling systems.

“The window of opportunity is closing, and we are reaching a point of no return with global warming. We need to promote and implement sustainable waste management practices and circular economy if we want to win the war against global warming. The waste industry needs to be at the heart, as it holds the knowledge on how to mitigate and manage waste materials,” said Carlos Silva Filho, president of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) as he unpacked the future of the waste management sector.

The IWMSA is a national member of ISWA, which is a non-governmental, independent and non-profit association by statutes and follows the mission statement to promote and develop professional waste management worldwide as a contribution to sustainable development.

The President’s Award

The President’s Award is made at Council level and recognises any person or organisation that has contributed substantially towards the promotion of the science and practice of waste management in Southern Africa.

For their exceptional performance and contribution, these individuals were recognised and presented with the President’s Award, during the WasteCon 2022 opening ceremony:

1. Peter Davies – independent geosynthetics professional specialising in reviews of designs incorporating geosynthetics.

2. Professor Suzan Oelofse – principal researcher: Sustainability, Economics and Waste at the CSIR.

3. Eddie Hanekom – waste management specialist.

The Conscientious Spirit Awards

The Conscientious Spirit Awards recognise excellence beyond the norm of the industry in fulfilment of the IWMSA’s goals and objectives. The award is considered for any person or persons in any walk of life, not restricted to a particular profession or physical development, where the nominee has demonstrated conscientiousness in a project/task/service beyond normal ethical behaviour in pursuit of excellence in meeting the range of goals of the Institute.

The 2022 award was bestowed upon Polyco for the Packa-Ching project. Packa-Ching is an owner-operated, mobile, separation-at-source recycling service that purchases recyclable, used packaging material from the public in low-income and informal areas.

Since its founding, Packa-Ching has diverted more than 7 250 tonnes of waste from landfill and its communities have earned over R6.4 million in exchange for their recyclables.

The Packa-Ching business currently operates in Cape Town, Western Cape; Thabazimbi, Limpopo; Buffalo City, Eastern Cape; and Katlehong, Gauteng.

In conclusion

In his keynote address, Howard Robinson, technical director at UK-based Phoenix Engineering, perfectly summarised the message of the conference, stating that the waste industry is not the problem but rather the solution.

“The public is poorly informed about environmental issues and waste. Waste is just a resource at the wrong place.”