1.5 Socio-economic and demographic context

1.5(1)
Socio-economic and demographic factors such as urbanization, unemployment and population growth impact on future waste trends and service provision. South Africa has a growing population characterized by both urbanization and the rapid development of the African middle class as historical injustices are redressed. Increasing affluence not only leads to an increase in the quantities of waste generated, but also leads to more complex waste flows. This trend towards more complex waste flows is reinforced by the continued industrialisation of the South African economy.

1.5(2)
In South Africa, growth in waste volumes is projected to rise to nearly 67⁶ million cubic metres by the year 2010 and rapid urban growth throughout the country is seriously outstripping the capacity of most cities to provide adequate waste services for their citizens.

1.5(3)
Over the next 50 years, South Africa’s population growth will be almost entirely concentrated in urban areas. If adequate waste management policies and practices are not implemented, cities will be overwhelmed by their own waste, seriously affecting the quality of life of all citizens. Household waste generation varies considerably by settlement type and income, with wealthier consumers in urban areas generating much higher volumes of waste. Urban residents typically also generate more non-organic waste, which is less conducive to on-site disposal. While 65% of South African households had access to domestic waste collection services in 2007, access to waste services remains highly skewed in favour of more affluent and urban communities⁷ .

1.5(4)
The persistent impact of social inequality informs the approach adopted by the NWMS, and which is echoed in the preamble of NEMA:

“the State must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the social, economic and environmental rights of everyone and strive to meet the basic needs of previously disadvantaged communities; inequality in the distribution of wealth and resources, and the resultant poverty, are among the important causes as well as the results of environmentally harmful practices”

1.5(5)
The implementation of effective waste management strategies will serve to develop the economic potential of the waste management sector, which has an estimated total expenditure of approximately R10 billion per annum⁸.  Both waste collection and the recycling industry make meaningful contributions to job creation and GDP, and there is the potential to expand these further.

1.5(6)
Well-considered, effective solid waste management systems can make critical contributions to public health, environmental sustainability, economic development and poverty alleviation by:

1. Improving public health outcomes (through removal of hazardous substances from the environment and reduced vectors for transmission of disease)
2. Enhancing environmental quality (through protecting watercourses and preventing degradation of public open spaces)
3. Reducing waste quantity that can clog up public storm water and sanitation networks (thereby reducing flooding, service failures and the need for maintenance)
4. Supporting higher levels of economic activity (through stimulating growth in waste sector, at the same time as avoiding over-regulation of the sector)
5. Contributing directly to poverty alleviation (through offering opportunities for employment, SMME development, and empowerment)

1.5(7)
The implementation of the NWMS will result in a number of clear socio-economic benefits, saving the country considerable resources in terms of public health and environmental degradation. The additional costs of implementing the Waste Act and the NWMS should be viewed against the considerable social, environmental and economic benefits that implementing the NWMS will have.

1.5(8)
The NWMS has to address the issue of the sheer volume of wastes produced by our society, at the same time as ensuring that waste management measures targeting the increasingly complex waste flows are environmentally sustainable and protect the health and well-being of the people. Accordingly the NWMS seeks to integrate the objectives of environmental sustainability and achievement of the waste hierarchy with the broader transformation and development objectives of improved public health outcomes, economic development, poverty alleviation and improved access for all.

Footnotes:

⁶Geoff Purnell of Munitech, “National Waste Quantification and the Waste Information System”, paper prepared for Department of Environmental Affairs as part of NWMS process, August 2009

⁷David Savage, “Cooperative Governance, Local Government and the Waste Planning System”, paper prepared for Department of Environmental Affairs as part of NWMS process, August 2009

^₈Michael Goldblatt of Palmer Development Group, “Macroeconomic trends, targets and economic instruments”, paper prepared for Department of Environmental Affairs as part of NWMS process, August 2009