Waste Management & Exclusion Workshop

"Beneficial use of waste is the wealth of the future."

26 - 27 February 2025 | Environment House (Arcadia, Steve Biko)

BACKGROUND & INTRODUCTION

The constitution guarantees everyone to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures among other things.

Waste Act became a game changer as it provides measures to protect the environment while promoting sustainable use of natural resources. This is so because Minister requires every person who is operating waste management activities such as recycling and reuse facilities; recovery facilities (waste to energy facilities), treatment facilities (e.g rendering facilities, medical waste treatment facilities; some wastewater treatment plants), waste storage facilities and disposal facilities to have waste licences and relevant registration certificate to ensure that their facilities operate in environmental sound manner.

Waste to energy is one of the measures followed by the world at large to divert waste from landfill site, more especially organic waste. Waste to energy projects present opportunities to contribute to energy security. Methane generated from waste may be harvested to produce either biogas or electricity. There are also technologies that allow steam from waste to be used to produce electricity. Electricity and biogas are the commodities that have a huge market in the country and the globe. This present opportunities for the creation of decent jobs on a bigger scale while creating opportunities to contribute to energy security in the country. Both Methane and Carbon dioxide are greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and their use may go long way to mitigate climate change.

The purpose of this workshop is to bring experts, policy makers, industrialists, researchers, business, road agencies, municipalities, non-governmental organisations, civil organisations, representative of waste pickers, engineers, scientist, product developers and technology inventors to exchange information with the sole purpose of promoting beneficial use of waste and circular economy, to prevent pollution and overall to give true meaning to environment that is not detrimental to human beings.