The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing household awareness and participation in domestic waste disposal and recycling, focusing on environmental educational (EE), wealth and location of suburb. The study was carried out in four suburbs in the Tshwane Metropolitan Area (TMA), namely Waterkloof, Lynnwood, Sunnyside and Mamelodi. A literature review was conducted, covering concepts of domestic waste management - waste prevention, collection, recycling and reuse, followed by household analysis using empirical data. The analysis shows that there is a low level of household awareness about the environmental implications of domestic waste management in TMA, and hence low level of participation in domestic waste sorting, disposal and recycling. Among relevant factors are the level of EE and income of the households across all suburbs. This calls attention to the need for strengthening EE not only in schools, but also in suburbs using both formal and informal outreach programmes. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Environmental Education)

The Clean Community System (CCS) is a method of waste management education widely used in the USA by the Keep America Beautiful organization. The CCS has been applied by the eThekwini Municipality since 1981. The training of staff and volunteers in the CCS has to date been limited and based on the American model. The aim of this study is to provide guidelines for the training of participants in the Clean Community System in the South African context. This will be achieved by a study of two community groups that have successfully applied the CCS. The results of the research will be compared with the principles of the CCS and relevant literature. The conclusions drawn from the study will provide guidelines for the training of participants in the CCS. / Further Teacher Education / M. Ed. (Didactics)

Waste minimisation is implemented worldwide and has become an urgent priority in South Africa as evidenced in the promulgated National Environmental Management Waste Act (2008). The most common waste disposal method in South Africa is by landfill, which is unacceptable. Local municipalities have made little progress towards waste minimisation. The aim of this study was to present a solution to waste minimisation for the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) by determining the feasibility of establishing composting facilities on landfill sites. One third of all municipal waste consists of green waste, which is compostable and can be converted on landfill sites. Nine municipal landfill sites were screened. The four most feasible sites were evaluated further by applying identified parameters that address physical, social and operational requirements. It is a possible to establish composting facilities on all four sites investigated, with Hatherley ranking as the most suited. The findings of this study clearly provided the basic parameters and requirements for constructing a composting facility and practical procedures applicable within a South African context. The evaluation method used can be applied as a model to evaluate similar studies in other municipalities to aid them in the decision-making process for waste minimisation. / Environmental Management / M.A. (Environmental Management)

Based on literature review, statistics of waste management at ports in South Africa is hard to come by. The research critically assessed the current waste management practices at Transnet National Ports Authority. Transnet National Ports Authority, Port of Richards Bay (TNPA RCB) was used as a case study to examine the different types and quantities of waste produced, analysing the current waste management model as well as determining TNPA RCB compliance to pertinent waste legislation. A 10 day waste audit was conducted to obtain quantitative data and to identify the different types of waste generated. The baseline data resulting from the waste audit conducted for the first time since the establishment of the TNPA RCB, found 402 kg of general waste generated, 74 kg of this total is segregated for recycling and the remaining 328 kg is landfilled. The overall conclusion gained during compliance audit was that the TNPA RCB was partly compliant with pertinent waste legislation and obligations. Furthermore, questionnaires about waste were sent to staff members working in offices to get an overview of how they deal with current waste management. A number of barriers to sustainable waste management were identified, including: lack of knowledge and awareness; constraints on facilities and human resources; culture that resists change and contamination. To overcome these, there needs to be education, as well as co-operation between top management, staff and waste service providers to help implement new strategies. The primary conclusions from this dissertation are that there are opportunities to divert waste streams from landfill and to attain a sustainable waste management system at TNPA RCB. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Management)

Bibliographical refernces appear at the end of each chapter / This study reviews solid waste management practices in Polokwane City. The study area covered some of the residential areas in Polokwane City; namely; Ivy Park, Fauna Park, Welgelegen, Westernburg and the City Centre. This article describes two main methods that were used to collect data; that is Qualitative and Quantitative method. Field survey was also made to validate data obtained from the participants that were interviewed during qualitative data process. After framing the problem, the objectives of Solid Waste Management Practices in Polokwane City were briefly outlined as follows: • Assess solid waste management practices in Polokwane City. • Make comparison on how households and the municipality take responsibility in storing, collecting, transporting, treating and disposing solid waste. • Investigate what problems the City encounters in managing solid waste. • Make relevant recommendations aimed at improving solid waste management practices within the City. The service management was administered by the municipality and private sector. From the five study residential areas, the Municipality manages waste in the City Centre while the private sector manages waste in the other residential areas. However, the City continues to play an administrative role over the contracted service provider. Statistical results were presented in figures and tables. The results showed the storage habits, frequency of collection, mode of transport and methods of disposal for solid waste in Polokwane City. The only method of disposal in the city was found to be landfilling. Activities that took place at the landfill site, such as reclaiming were outlined together with the economic values that these activities add to the City. The study also revealed that as population increases, the amount of solid waste generated also increased. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Management)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology Degree : Environmental Health, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Introduction Informal waste picking has both economic and environmental benefits, however there are many health risks associated with this activity. This cross sectional descriptive study assessed the respiratory health risks and dust (PM2.5) exposure among informal waste pickers operating at the New England landfill site in the Msunduzi Municipality. Data was collected from 102 informal waste pickers using a validated questionnaire adapted from the British Medical Research Council and American Thoracic Society. Our study population comprised of 66.4°/o women with a mean age of 36.7 years. Women reported greater use of safety shoes and gloves compared to men. Very few participants used dust masks or respirators. Results showed a high prevalence of chronic cough (57o/o), wheeze (51°/o) shortness of breath (31.6°/o) and cough with phlegm (29.0°/o) among all participants. Among those who reported having ever smoked, there was a significantly higher prevalence of cough with phlegm (45.2°/o p=0.02) and wheeze (73.1°/o, p= 0.05). Similarly, there was a bivariate association between current smoking and wheeze (p=0.02) and between ever smoked and wheeze {p< 0.05). A random sample of 28 waste pickers was chosen from the 102 participants for personal sampling. The levels and distribution of time weighted average to PM2.5 were calculated during an 8 hour working period. Average personal sampling levels of PM2.5 were very high compared to environmental levels. Personal sampling results showed a maximum exposure of 431 J.,Jg/m 3 and a mean of 187.4 J.,Jg/m 3 compared to a maximum level of 27.9 J.,Jg/m 3 and a mean of 16.5 J.,Jg/m 3 for environmental sampling. Mean personal sampling results significantly exceeded recommended eight hour time weighted average for South African National Standard for Occupational Exposure Limit (Republic of South Africa OHS ACT 85 of 1993), World Health Organisation and United State Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for PM2.5, while the environmental mean was within guidelines. This study showed that waste pickers are exposed to high levels of PM2.5 while working at the landfill site. Limited or no use of personal protective equipment increases risk of dust exposure and adverse respiratory effects. The relatively high prevalence of cough, shortness of breath and wheeze symptoms among these informal waste pickers may be linked to exposure to dust at the landfill site / PDF copy unavailable. please refer to hard copy for full text information / M

Thesis (MTech(Environmental Health))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. / Pharmaceuticals have been formulated to influence physiological systems in humans, animals, and microbes but have never been considered as potential environmental pollutants by healthcare professionals. The human body is not a barrier to chemicals, but is permeable to it. Thus after performing their in-vivo functions, pharmaceutical compound introduced into the body, exit mainly via urine and faeces. Sewage therefore contains highly complex mixtures of chemicals in various degrees of biological potency. Sewage treatment works including those in South Africa, on the other hand, are known to be inefficient in removing drugs from sewage and consequently either the unmetabolised pharmaceutical compounds or their metabolites emerge in the environment as pollutants via several trajectories. In the environment, the excreted metabolites may even undergo regeneration to the original parent molecule under bacterial influence, resulting in “trans-vivo-pharmaceutical-pol ution-cycles”. Although all incinerators are known to generate toxins such dioxins and furans from the drugs they incinerate, all the medicines disposed by the hospitals under research, were incinerated, as the preferred option of disposal. The incineration process employed was found to be environmentally unsafe. Expired and unused medicines which the general public discard as municipal solid waste become landfilled. Because many landfill sites are not appropriately engineered, the unwanted drugs landfilled therein, leach into the surrounding ground water, which is the influent source of water treatment plants. Water treatment plants, including those in South Africa, are also inefficient in eliminating pharmaceutical compounds, releasing them in sub-therapeutic concentrations into potable tap water as pollutants, the full effects of which are yet to be determined.

This study investigated the education and training needs for municipal employees in order to inform an education and training strategy that would address environmental management challenges in Makana local municipality in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape province. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study that made use of questionnaires, document analysis, focus group discussions and interviews as instruments for data generation. Samples of respondents were selected from Makana Municipality employees in top and middle management positions, professionals/technicians and workers, including elected councillors. The study was contextualised through establishing environmental management issues in Makana municipality; establishing organisational needs; development of a learner profile; and through a review of policies and recent trends in adult education. The study established that the Makana Municipality employees are most concerned with the following issues: sanitation; solid waste management; livestock management and fire management. These issues require primary environmental competences among all council employees (top and middle management, professionals and technicians, workers and councillors who work on part-time basis). The educational implications needed to respond to these issues also require an understanding of legislation. The study also established that technical education and training which includes planning, project management, and financial and budgeting competences are necessary amongst the management and professionals. These competences may enable them to develop capacity in environmental management. This study further established the need for social education which includes competences such as communication and social justice. These competences should be developed amongst members of the same group as they need to involve the community in management of the environment. This should enable the municipality to create job opportunities and help change negative attitudes.

This case study was done in KwaZulu–Natal province in South Africa within two municipalities Ethekwini and Umsunduzi Municipality. Three communities participated in this study. The research is motivated by the lack of cooperation between some municipalities and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in implementing the National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) at a local level. The primary goal is to explore the availability and development of learning support materials (LSMs) that relates to waste management in collaboration with CBOs and local councillors. The secondary goal is to explore the use of learning support material to promote participation in the implementation of the NWMS. Coresearchers were from the Community Based Organisations as well as local councillors who are located within the communities of these CBOs. Pseudonyms for co-researchers from CBOs and Councillors and the name of their townships have been used to protect co-researchers. A literature review has been conducted to explore research that has been done on the development, usage, accessibility and distribution of the LSMs. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews; field visits to communities, tape recording of discussions and the keeping of a field journal. Some of the key findings included that LSMs is used by both CBOs and Councillors to try to reduce local environmental problems. It also identified that there are no formal mechanisms between CBOs and Municipalities in dealing with waste management programmes within the identified communities. The other important finding was that the participation of CBOs in the development of LSMs normally excludes the user groups as a result language used is not always understood. Illustrations used in some cases may be misinterpreted if the reader is not English literate as most of material in circulation is written in English. Some recommendations for further research have been made in relation to the findings made in the study. These included recommendations on the development, usage of LSMs, participation of stakeholders in resource development within the context of CBOs and local municipalities.

The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing household awareness and participation in domestic waste disposal and recycling, focusing on environmental educational (EE), wealth and location of suburb. The study was carried out in four suburbs in the Tshwane Metropolitan Area (TMA), namely Waterkloof, Lynnwood, Sunnyside and Mamelodi. A literature review was conducted, covering concepts of domestic waste management - waste prevention, collection, recycling and reuse, followed by household analysis using empirical data. The analysis shows that there is a low level of household awareness about the environmental implications of domestic waste management in TMA, and hence low level of participation in domestic waste sorting, disposal and recycling. Among relevant factors are the level of EE and income of the households across all suburbs. This calls attention to the need for strengthening EE not only in schools, but also in suburbs using both formal and informal outreach programmes. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Environmental Education)