1.1 Introduction

1.1(1)
Every archaeologist knows that one of the best ways to study historical societies is to examine the layers of accumulated debris in middens, the equivalent of today’s landfills. Accumulated waste deposits tell a fascinating story about what societies consume, their levels of affluence and production technology, and very importantly, how they manage their waste. Indeed, through the history of human civilisation, some societies at the peak of their development have collapsed due to inadequate management of their accumulating waste burden, and the resultant proliferation of disease, environmental degradation and ultimate impact on their ability to produce and reproduce effectively.

1.1(2)
This is an apt reminder of the challenges we face today, with a rapidly growing, urbanising and consumerist population in a world in which the ability of the environment to absorb solid and liquid waste and emissions is finite. The waste that we end up disposing represents a liability that we pass on to future generations, and the manner in which we manage and dispose of our waste tells a crucial story about our level of response to these constraints, and will be a key determinant of the nature of our future society.

1.1(3)
Through our commitment to sustainable development, South Africa aims to balance the broader economic and social challenges of a developing but still unequal society with protection of our environmental resources. For this reason we subscribe to the vision of a prosperous and equitable society living in harmony with our natural resources, which means eliminating the unnecessary use of raw materials, and ensuring sustainable product design, resource efficiency and waste prevention. It means re-using products where possible; and recovering value from products when they reach the end of their lives through recycling, composting or energy recovery. While the elimination of waste in its entirety may not be feasible, through the systematic application of the waste hierarchy it is possible to reach a point within the next few decades where recovery, reuse and recycling and alternative disposal technologies overtake landfills are preferred means of disposal.

1.1(4)
The challenge of waste management affects every person and institution in society. The measures set out in this strategy cannot be undertaken without a collective approach to waste challenges, and the involvement of a broad range of stakeholders in their implementation. This National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) seeks to establish a common platform for action between stakeholders in order to systematically improve waste management in South Africa.

1.1(5)
The NWMS is a legislative requirement of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008), here after referred to as the “Waste Act”. The Act requires that it is reviewed at least every five years, and the focus of this strategy is therefore on the strategy’s waste management measures and actions that need to be taken within the next five years.

1.1(6)
The NWMS is composed of five main sections, each containing a number of chapters:

• Section One describes the methodology followed in developing the NWMS, and establishes the socio-economic and legislative context within which the NWMS must be located.
• Section Two sets out the overall goals and approach to implementing the waste hierarchy, and the strategies to be followed in addressing each stage of the waste hierarchy.
• Section Three describes each of the regulatory, economic and fiscal instruments that will be used to give effect to the strategy set out in Section Two.
• Section Four responds to the challenges we face in relation to specific categories of waste, and describes how the different instruments described in Section Three in relation to each waste category will be applied.
• Section Five deals with the various mechanisms for implementing the NWMS, and sets out the roles, responsibilities, coordination and review mechanisms.

1.1(7)
An action plan, which sets out the different interventions by the three spheres of government in order to give effect to the NWMS, is contained in Appendix Two.