Bloemfontein: The government has called on Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) and their members to significantly increase the rate of waste diversion, with a particular focus on plastics and composite packaging. Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, highlighted the crucial role PROs can play in this initiative by achieving recycling targets, closing material loops, and designing products with their end-of-life in mind.
According to South African Government News Agency, South African cities are currently facing a severe landfill capacity challenge. Some cities are projected to exhaust landfill space within the next six years unless drastic measures are taken to reduce waste generation and enhance recycling efforts. Swarts emphasized that over 60% of waste in the country is still sent to landfills, a statistic that hampers the nation's climate and development goals.
During the Waste Khoro Conference in Bloemfontein, Free State, Swarts outlined the government's commitment to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework as a means to boost waste diversion rates. She called for bold actions from PROs, urging them to support Buy-Back Centres, increase materials recovery facilities across provinces, invest in post-consumer recycling technologies, develop markets for secondary materials, and integrate informal and formal waste sectors.
Furthermore, Swarts stressed the importance of integrating waste pickers into the value chains of PROs and industries. She advocated for fair compensation, formalized working conditions, access to equipment, protective gear, and training opportunities for waste pickers, emphasizing that inclusive EPR is crucial for justice, efficiency, and sustainability.
Swarts also underscored the essential role of waste pickers, who have contributed to waste diversion without formal recognition or support. She called on producers and PROs to act responsibly and urgently in meeting their obligations, with waste picker integration being a key aspect. Additionally, she highlighted the need for educational programs to help consumers understand waste separation, responsible disposal, and the value of recyclable materials, advocating for localized, multilingual awareness campaigns.
The government remains committed to fostering conditions that promote innovation, transparency, and inclusive growth in the waste sector. Recognizing waste as a resource, the government aims to support job creation by viewing waste as an input material for manufacturing other products.
The annual Waste Khoro Conference is orchestrated by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and attended by waste management officers from various government levels, along with private sector representatives. The three-day event focuses on addressing key waste management issues, including the urgent landfill space crisis in South Africa.