The Importance of Integrated Waste Management and Environmental  Management Solutions Implementation

The Waste Act will affect your business and the focus has shifted for waste management in South Africa in accordance with the objectives of the National Environmental Waste Management Act.

The objects of the National Environmental Management Waste Act 59 of 2008:

To protect health, well-being and the environment by providing reasonable measures for minimizing the consumption of natural resources

Avoiding and minimizing the generation of waste

Reducing, re-using, recycling and recovering waste

Treating and safely disposing of waste as a last resort

Preventing pollution and ecological degradation

Securing ecological sustainable development while promoting justifiable economic and social development

Promoting and ensuring the effective delivery of waste services

Remediating land where contamination presents, or may present a significant risk of harm to health or the environment

Achieving integrated waste management reporting and planning

To ensure that people are aware of the impact of waste on their health, well-being and the environment

Generally, to effect section 24 of the Constitution in order to secure an environment that is not harmful to health and well-being.

The National Waste Information Regulation 2012 in Gazette No. 35583 became effective on 1 January 2013.

The new act states that all companies must apply to the Department of Environmental Affairs to be registered on the South African Waste Information System. (SAWIS) A registered person will be required to report waste management information to the SAWIS on a quarterly basis, and must keep record of all waste management information submitted to the SAWIS or the Department for a period of at least 5 years. The waste management information must include, amongst others, information on the category and source of the waste as well as the quantities of the waste in tonnes. All information submitted to SAWIS will, when necessary be subjected to verification.