Waste generators and waste managers in the public and private sectors are being challenged by increasingly demanding environmental legislation in South Africa, particularly in light of potentially severe financial implications and a scarcity of technical expertise. EnviroServ Waste Management is a valued partner in helping clients achieve legally complaint, cost-effective and safe waste management.
Hazardous waste management
Changes to environmental legislation in South Africa are clear evidence that the South African Government intends to move waste up the well-known waste hierarchy and away from landfill disposal
as a final solution. This inherently supports the philosophy of a circular economy where waste is recovered, recycled and reused where possible, rather than simply being disposed. This can be clearly seen in the Waste Regulations and
their associated Norms and Standards that are introducing increasing prohibitions on wastes that should preferably be reduced, re-used, recycled or recovered rather than disposed to landfill. These prohibitions are summarised in the
table below with many already being formalised and in place.
| WASTE PROHIBITED / RESTRICTED IN TERMS OF DISPOSAL | COMPLIANCE TIMEFRAME (From 23 Aug. 2013) | PROHIBITION |
|---|---|---|
| Reclaimable or recyclable used lubricating mineral oils, as well as oil filters, but excluding other oil-containing wastes. | Four (4) years | Effective Aug. 2017 No landfill disposal permissible |
| Reclaimable or recyclable used or spent solvents. | Five (5) years | Effective Aug. 2018 No landfill disposal permissible |
| Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) – Lights. | Three (3) years | Effective Aug. 2016 No landfill disposal permissible |
| Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) – Other. | Eight (8) years | Landfill disposal permissible until 2021 |
| Waste tyres: Whole. | Immediate | Landfill disposal illegal |
| Waste tyres: Quartered. | Five (5) years | Effective Aug. 2018 No landfill disposal permissible |
| Liquid waste: •Waste which has an angle of repose of less than 5º, or becomes free-flowing at or below 60°C or when it is transported, or is not generally capable of being picked up by a spade or shovel; or | ||
| • Waste with a moisture content of 40% or that liberates moisture under pressure in landfill conditions, and which has not been stabilised by treatment. | Six (6) years | Effective Aug. 2019 No landfill disposal permissible |
| Hazardous waste with a calorific value of: | ||
| • 25 MJ/kg | Four (4) years | Effective Aug. 2017 No landfill disposal permissible |
| • 20 MJ/kg | Six (6) years | Effective Aug. 2019 No landfill disposal permissible |
| • 10 MJ/kg | Twelve (12) years | Landfill disposal permissible until 2025 |
| Brine or waste with a high salt content (TDS 5%), and an LC concentration for TDS of more than the LCT2 value prescribed for TDS. | Eight (8) years | Landfill disposal permissible until 2021 |
| Disposal of garden waste: | ||
| • 25% diversion from baseline of separated garden waste. | Five (5) years | Effective Aug. 2018 |
| • 50% diversion from baseline of separated garden waste. | Ten (10) years | Effective Aug. 2023 |
EnviroServ has spent considerable time and effort in identifying suitable waste management solutions that will be able to replace landfill disposal as required, serving our customers now and into the future.
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