A call to action for sustainable waste management

AS THE world celebrated International Day of Zero Waste this week, it’s crucial to recognise that effective and sustainable waste management requires the collective efforts of consumers, municipalities, and critically, all role players in the waste management sector.

- PATRICIA PILLAY

Jointly facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat, the day calls for urgent action to strengthen and improve waste management sector globally. The global waste management sector is now shifting towards sustainable, responsible consumption and production and transitioning towards a circular waste economy.

This year’s theme, Towards Zero Waste: Achieving Sustainable and Just Waste Systems, shines a spotlight on the growing environmental footprint of an industry that not only contributes significantly to global waste volumes, but also relies heavily on plastic-based materials and packaging.

According to Plastics SA, while South Africa contributes less than 0.4% to global plastics production, it has the largest plastics sector in sub-Saharan Africa – one that accounted for 1.8% of national GDP and means 16% of manufacturing GDP in 2023.

Still, across South Africa, reliable waste management remains inconsistent, as municipalities grapple with increasing amounts of waste – especially plastic.

To address this concern, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations in 2021, which hold producers of packaging responsible for ensuring their packaging remains in the recycling loop for as long as possible.

The producers as per the EPR definitions are also required to pay EPR fees for every product they introduce into the South African market. These fees are reinvested in recycling and collection initiatives and innovative facilities and achieve a circular economy.