5.6 Education, Advocacy and Awareness

There is a need for advocacy, education and awareness amongst all stakeholders including the public at large, the three spheres of government, and the private sector. Different role-players will fulfil different functions in respect to the respective target audience.

The effectiveness of many waste measures, particularly those aimed at waste reduction and recycling, depends to a significant extent on public and consumer awareness. Awareness of and responses to waste issues are very uneven across different South African communities, and a there is a clear need for high-profile state-led public awareness campaigns to support initiatives in relation to littering, as well as to promote a general awareness of waste issues. The content of such campaigns and their alignment with possible waste delivery measures such as separation at source needs careful consideration.

There is also a lack of awareness of the importance of waste management amongst elected representatives and government officials, particularly at local government level. This has negative consequences for planning, personnel and budget allocations. Amongst other measures, there is a need for training of councillors in waste management issues, and it is anticipated that SALGA will play an important role in implementing this.

The increased involvement of citizens in oversight of waste delivery services provides an important avenue for raising public awareness of waste management issues. Similarly, the “Cleanest town” competition has potentially an important role to play in advocacy and awareness. Consideration should be given to extending this programme and developing detailed criteria for awards, as has been done with the DWA’s “Blue Drop” campaign for water resource management by local water authorities.

Schools have a particularly important role to play in advocacy and awareness around waste issues. Existing recycling initiatives in schools need to be supported and extended, although the fund-raising potential of these initiatives needs be realistically framed. DEA needs to assist the Department of Basic Education in ensuring that waste management is integrated into school curricula and management. There are existing initiatives in this respect that have been implemented in the Western and Southern Cape that provide useful models.

Industry associations and business bodies will have an important role to play in raising the awareness of their members with respect to the provisions of the Act that impact on them, and in promoting the use of the voluntary instruments provided by the Act.

Money spent on effective awareness and education programmes is likely to lead to savings in terms of more effective collection and recycling of waste in the long run, and it is therefore important that such programmes are suitably funded and resourced.

The NWMS will outline the key messages that need to be developed as well as how best and by whom these will be taken forward. A comprehensive communication plan is envisaged in this regard.