Woefully inadequate solid waste management in City gets an F

WASTE is a big problem confronting every city in the world.

Besides a lack of suitable new landfill sites, useful reusable materials are being unnecessarily discarded to the detriment of the environment and consumers.

Anyone driving through Joe Slovo, in Milnerton, will see how serious the problem of uncollected waste is. Rodent infestation in Cape Town is a serious problem. The mayor acknowledged this in a question I put to him. It is made worse when waste is left lying around. An outbreak of disease in any part of Cape Town could very quickly afflict the whole city. Covid19 must serve as a warning.

Milnerton is also witnessing deteriorating water quality below the Potsdam Waste Water Treatment Works. The toxic waste contamination and at times high level of sewage in the lower reaches of Diep River flowing into Milnerton Lagoon cannot go on for ever. Long term solutions have to be found.

In 2012-13, Cape Town sent 1.5 million tons of general waste to Cape Town’s landfill sites. Nine years later the tonnage remains more or less the same. The Solid Waste Directorate thinks this is okay as the population has grown in nine years.

So, what happened to the City’s waste minimisation programme?

When we look at the organic waste diverted from dumping sites, it is shocking that in 2021 the quantity presently is much less than in 20122013. Even more shocking is that the diversion of builders’ rubble is now two thirds less than in 2016-17.

The Province requires that municipalities process 50% of all organic waste into compost by 2022. With just one composting plant in Bellville, how is that going to happen? The City also has only one materials recovery plant at the Kraaifontein Integrated Waste Management facility. Two others are being planned for Athlone and Coastal Park. Here again, the lack of ambition is glaring.

The push worldwide is for cities to adopt a circular economy – reuse of items – so the environment can be regenerated. But Cape Town will be lagging far behind other cities.

As for source separation, CT has just six pilot programmes – not inspiring. The City of Seattle is using technology to help it track recycling, waste, organics and construction & demolition data, to influence its waste management. Ideally Cape Town should be twinning with Seattle or another such city to make its waste management also fully data driven. This is absolutely essential.

When councillors have quality and adequate data analytics, better decisions and faster progress will be made towards a circular economy. Waste minimisation at present is grossly insufficient. Solid Waste Management in the city gets an F. FAROUK CASSIM | Cope Milnerton