CIRCULAR ECONOMY REDUCES LANDFILLS
South Africa is severely lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of the circular economy and its systems. According to the CSIR, the country has a very low rate of recycling and re-use of materials, and it is estimated that about 90% of waste ends up in landfills instead of being reintegrated into production processes.
According to Patricia Schroder, president of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), the country is stuck in a cycle of managing waste and dealing with overburdened landfill sites. The answer to South Africa’s waste challenges is waste minimisation, and the most effective way forward is to bring more companies into the circular economy, and to reduce the amount of waste we dump on our landfills.
IWMSA recommends that businesses need to minimise waste by first reducing the resources needed in the production process and limiting surpluses. They should then use any remaining material in other aspects of the production process. What can’t be re-used needs to be recycled following the correct recycling protocols.
From here, participants may be able to reclaim some material to make other products, and waste that can be used as fuel should be used to generate electricity. Only after each of these avenues has been exhausted should any remaining waste be sent to a landfill.
To close the production loop and significantly reduce waste, companies can improve product designs to reduce the resources required and improve recyclability. In addition, plastics should be chemically broken down for re-use, and metals such as steel and aluminium should be recovered for re-use.
Companies also need to make use of biodegradable materials such as bioplastics or natural fibres where possible, and use renewable energy in production and recycling processes to further limit impacts on the environment.
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