National Organic Waste Composting Strategy

Tipo de pratica Recycle

Nombre la actividad profesional National Organic Waste Composting Strategy

Nombre del agente principal South Africa Government

Tipo de agente(s) Autoridades públicas

Ubicación South Africa

Etapa de la puesta en práctica Final de la vida útil

Año de puesta en práctica 2013

Actividades realizadas o en vías de realización The government of South Africa is currently working on the implementation of an organic waste composting strategy on the basis of the provisions of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 2008, as well as the National Waste Management Strategy 2011. The strategy promotes composting as an effective management solution for diverting biodegradable waste from landfill sites. South African authorities believe that its adoption will facilitate the endorsement of regulations and the development of standards that guarantee environmentally sound treatment for organic waste. The strategy differentiates three categories of organic waste, depending on the level of hazard for the environment: Category 1 includes waste considered to have the lowest impact on the environment (wood and green waste); Category 2 includes fruit, vegetables and drinks; and Category 3 includes animal by-products, fatty oils and household domestic mixed waste which has the highest environmental impact. The strategy identifies legislative gaps and limitations, and proposes solutions and options for the maximization of composting opportunities. It also calls for sound cooperation between local and national public authorities and the private sector for the development of capacity- building programmes and composting facilities, and it reiterates South Africa’s commitment to meeting landfill diversion targets for organic waste as provided under its National Waste Management Strategy 2011. South Africa also has identified other practical solutions that promote organic waste treatment facilities and divert biowaste from landfills such as: government funding and subsidies to private and local authorities; green funding through the Development Bank of South Africa; use of carbon credits and CDM projects; use of standards to check compliance for waste management businesses; a gradual ban of organic waste from landfills; and public awareness and education campaigns and programmes to assist citizens with source separation, home or communal composting and reuse.

Resultados y repercusiones It is also worth noticing that there are already some pioneering projects related to the reduction of organic waste going to landfill. One of them is the Reliance compost project in Cape Town. About 800 tons of organic waste are daily collected, chipped and composted. This project has been developed and up-scaled already five years ago together with the consulting firm Soil & More International from the Netherlands who also helped the Reliance project to generate carbon credits, verified through TÜV-Nord from Germany, an accredited UNFCCC certification body.