Question NW1296 to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
28 May 2021 - NW1296
Bryant, Mr D W to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
(1) In light of the perceived inability of local authorities to manage plastic waste and its impact on the surrounding environment which remains a huge challenge across the Republic, what steps (a) are being taken by her department to ensure that the Matzikama Local Municipality reduces the amount of plastic waste generated in its jurisdiction and (b) will be taken by local residents to assist in reducing the amount of plastic waste; (2) what statutory obligations are currently placed on municipalities to reduce and manage plastic waste?
Reply:
(1) a) The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) is leading a number of the initiatives to address the problem of plastic waste pollution, some of which are executive in collaboration with civil society and the plastics industry. The initiatives that are led by the DFFE to recover or remove waste and litter from land and aquaic systems include, but are no limited to :
i. National Working for the Coast programme: a job creation initiative targeting women youth and persons with disabilities, focussing on promoting responsible coastal management through, among others, regular collection of litter along South Africa’s beaches and waterways;
ii. Good Green Deeds programme: a nation-wide programme aimed at mobilising the public to clean local communities and raise awareness around illegal dumping and management;
iii. Source to Sea programme: a programme aimed at reducing litter flows into the marine environment by targeting and recovering litter at source (in river catchments and human settlement along rivers) and promoting improved waste management. This project is currently being expanded to all coastal district municipalities as part of a Presidential Employment Stimulus initiative to counter the negative economic impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic;
iv. Operational Clean Sweep; an industry led initiative aimed at reducing the accidental loss of pellets, flakes and powder from processing facilities into the environment;
v. Municipal Cleaning and Green programme (Presidential Economic Stimulus); the aim of this programme is to fight environmental degradation and ensure that our country is free from litter and illegal dumps. This will be done through mass public employment, with a special prioritisations of women, youth and persons living with disabilities;
vi. Provision of Institutional support through:
assisting municipalities to develop 5 year integrated waste management plans (IWMP) to ensure sustainable planning for waste management and to leverage funding;
assisting with the development of municipal by-laws to ensure compliance and enforcement on waste management matters, and
building capacity through training of municipal officials and councillors on Waste Management matters such as waste planning, collecting, collecting, recycling, landfill compliance, etc.
vii. Provision of financial support through assisting municipalities to access the Municipal Infrastructure Grant to improve waste collection, recycling/diversion and landfill compliance; and
viii. Conducting the National Consumer Awareness campaign ( by the Department) on plastic waste, food waste, construction and demolition waste, and waste declaimer integration.
b) The initiative above are targeted at the general public, including Matzikama Local Municipality residents, to reduce plastic waste pollution.
(2) The Constitution places the responsibility on municipalities for refuse removal, landfill site management and waste management. The National Environment Management; Waste Act 2008 (ACT No. 59 of 2008) (NEMWA) requires a municipality to deliver waste management services, including waste removal, waste storage and waste disposal service; in addition, integrating its waste management plans with its integrated development plans and ensuring access to residents for such services. NEMWA requires municipalities, amongst others, to minimise the generation of waste through implementation of the Waste Management Hierarchy. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations require municipalities, where applicable, to co-operate with the relevant industry (producers and producer responsibility scheme, to increase the recovery of identified products from municipal waste.
Regards
MS BD CREECY, MP
MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
DATE: 28/05/2021