4.6.1
The challenges with regard to waste disposal are multiple, and underline the need for an updated understanding of the state of waste disposal, the extent of unpermitted landfill sites, the lack of landfill space, and the need to update the classification of hazardous waste. There are various initiatives underway or in place to address these issues. In terms of the need to improve waste information and statistics, the Waste Information System has been designed and implemented although it is currently underutilized. There is a process underway to identify which landfill sites have not been permitted and to prioritise and fast-track their permitting. There is also a review of the classification of hazardous waste, which will culminate in a new classification system to replace DWAF’s minimum requirements for waste categorization (2nd version, 1988).