Cape, SA short of landfill sites

THE province and the entire country, is fast running out of landfill space and potential sites are in short supply.

According to the City of Cape Town: “The City has three operational landfill sites. These are Bellville South, Coastal Park and Vissershok Landfills.”

The Bellville South site is in Sacks Circle, while the Coastal Park landfill is in Muizenberg. Both facilitate the disposal of general waste which cannot be reused or recycled, but there is also a drop-off facility on site for recyclables.

Vissershok Landfill is close to Table View is for the disposal of general and low to medium hazardous waste which cannot be reused or recycled. There is also a drop-off facility for recyclables.

Meanwhile, according to the Western Cape Integrated Waste Management Plan 2017-2022 by 2017, 93 out of 164 landfills in the Western Cape have closed, having reached the end of their natural lifespans.

Another document from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning said: “Waste management is mainly focused on providing guidance to district and local municipalities. Disposal at landfills is considered unsustainable as it leads to soil, water and air pollution if poorly managed.”

GreenCape’s 2016 Market Intelligence report said: “The province generates an estimated 7.7 million tonnes of waste annually, of which 3.6 million (47%) consist of commercial and industrial waste. The remaining 4.1 million tonnes (53%) is municipal solid waste (MSW).

“Of the total for the province, the City of Cape Town generates a substantial portion (48%) of the waste, which includes 2.8 million tonnes (36%) of MSW and 0.9 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste (12%).”

According to the national Department of Environmental Affairs, the waste economy contributed R24.3 billion to the South African GDP in 2016.

It provided 36000 formal jobs and supported an estimated 80000 informal jobs or livelihoods.