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1.6.3 Waste treatment

Submitted by admin on Wed, 2010-03-24 17:19

1.6.3(1)
Due to a variety of factors, waste treatment technologies have not been effectively or widely deployed in the country. A vocal lobby opposed to thermal processing exists in the country and the performance of some existing treatment facilities has been poor. Furthermore, the lack of full cost accounting of landfill management has made treatment seem comparatively expensive and resulted in disposal to landfill becoming the preferred waste management option.

1.6.3(2)
This situation is not sustainable, and the NWMS promotes treatment of waste. Some of the required steps have already been taken. Air Quality standards that apply to thermal treatment processes have been developed. Specific policy in relation to thermal treatment has been developed to provide a degree of certainty to potential entrants into the sector. Through the waste classification system, provisions to divert waste from landfill will be introduced.
 

Comments

'Thermal' and 'non-thermal' treatment

Submitted by June Lombard on Sat, 2010-06-05 19:00.

Section 1.6.3 1st paragraph 'A vocal lobby opposed to thermal processing exists'

In this whole document incineration/combustion/burn technologies are incorrectly equated with the term 'thermal treatment'. 'Thermal treatment' is any treatment using heat, therefore non-burn technologies which also employ heat, e.g. steam or microwave heat, are still thermal processes. The differentiation should be made when using the term 'thermal treatment' between combustion/burn and non-combustion/non-burn treatment technologies.

Section 4.5 refers to 'thermal' and 'non-thermal' treatment of HCRW, the latter presumably meaning technologies alternative to incineration - here again there are non-burn, thermal treatment technologies such as steam sterilisation and microwaving that are incorrectly called 'non-thermal'. Non-thermal treatment here would probably only be chemical disinfection, the rest all using heat generated one way or another.

This must be addressed throughout the document