M.A. / In present-day society, solid waste can no longer be treated as a non-valuable resource. Municipal waste produced from residential and commercial sources has become an economic resource for the poor on landfill sites. Urban poor, rural-urban migrants and urban-urban migrants are the ultimate symbol of the informal economy on landfill sites. These migrants have identified waste as an economic resource to extract a livelihood. In their presence on landfill sites, South Africa has introduced waste management policies which endorse the notion of sustainable development. Sustainable development is the notion through which South Africa shapes and parallels its environmental directive to avoid destruction and depletion of natural resources. Sustainable development is a theoretical framework adopted by this study to evaluate the effect of legislation on informal waste salvagers and waste salvaging. Waste salvaging is often frowned upon and neglected by local municipal authorities who are constitutionally mandated to ensure preservation of natural resources. Amongst other things, local municipalities need to recreate economic opportunities and curb the unemployment rate. Furthermore, South African municipalities deliberated during the tabling of the Polokwane Declaration to reduce waste disposal by 50% in 2012 through waste recycling and waste minimisation. In the absence of employment opportunities, local municipalities in South Africa are continually faced with the dilemma of incorporating informal waste salvaging into their waste management directives. This study uses Weltevreden landfill site in Polokwane as a case study to evaluate the effects of legislation on informal waste salvaging. A waste management and sustainability framework towards career waste salvagers was developed as a paradigm to incorporate elements of sustainable livelihood approach. The framework allowed the study to comprehend the synergy and the discords that waste management directives in South Africa unravel on informal waste salvaging. Furthermore, this led to the procreation of a model to unlock the economic potential of waste in South African municipalities. The model recognises the elements of waste management directives such as National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No.107 of 1998) and National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008). Despite that, the model resonates on the promulgations made in the Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008) on informal waste salvaging. This study intends to evaluate the extent to which contemporary waste management directives in South Africa support waste salvaging within the three pillars of sustainable development, namely economic, social and environmental. However, this research hypothesises that waste management directives in South Africa fail to support the three pillars of sustainable development. In light of the hypothesis, this research has identified waste salvagers, waste Thaba Makgafela Richard iii management officials and the public as instrumental respondents to evaluate perceptions and challenges linked to the informal waste economy. A desktop review of available regulatory instruments informed recommendations and the model procreated in this study. The key lessons are highlighted and followed in Chapter 7 which provides analytical conclusions and recommendations for all the chapters.

Food waste in the waste stream is becoming an important aspect of integrated waste management systems. Current efforts are composting and animal feeding. However, these food waste disposal practices rely on slow thermodynamic processes of composting or finding farmers with domestic animals capable of consuming the food wastes. Bioconversion, a potential alternative, is a waste management practice that converts food waste to insect larval biomass and organic residue. This project uses a native and common non-pest insect in Texas, the black soldier fly, which processes large quantities of food wastes, as well as animal wastes and sewage in its larval stage. The goal of this research is to facilitate the identification and development of the practical parameters of bioconversion methods at a large cafeteria. Three major factors were selected to evaluate the practicality of a bioconversion system: (1) the biological constraints on the species; (2) the economic costs and benefits for the local community; (3) the perception of and interaction between the public and management agencies with respect to the bioconversion process. Results indicate that bioconversion is feasible on all levels. Larvae tolerate and consume food waste as well as used cooking grease, reducing the overall waste volume by 30-70% in a series of experiments, with an average reduction of 50%. The economical benefits are reduced collection costs and profit from the sale of pupae as a feedstuff, which could amount to as much as $1,200 per month under optimal conditions. Social acceptance is possible, but requires education of the public, specifically targeting school children. Potential impediments to social acceptance include historical attitudes and ignorance, which could be overcome through effective educational efforts.

Magister Artium - MA / Solid waste management in South Africa has been focussing on the technical issues of waste disposal with little attention paid to the social and economic aspects of households. It is important to find out the impact of the attitude and perception of households on solid waste management, especially in low-income areas to be able to deal with the deplorabe domestic solid waste management in such areas. The quantity of solid waste generated in low-income areas is often assumed to be less than the solid waste generated in high-income neighbourhoods. In most of the townships of low-income households in Cape Town, the residents live next to mountains of solid waste which is not the case in middle and high income areas. This clearly has a negative effect on the environment and human health. Tafelsig is one of the low-income Cape Flats townships where the open spaces and green areas are dumping areas. The small yard that people own is often unclean. The aim of the study was to examine how households residing in the low-income neighbourhood (Tafelsig, Mitchell's Plain) view domestic solid waste and its management. The study explored the perceptions, attitudes and behaviour of these households towards the production and management of sold waste. Issues relating to the degradation of their environment and to solid waste mismanagement were also examined. / South Africa

Magister Artium - MA / Solid waste management is a phenomenon that has been researched for many years. With the development of industries and commerce, waste inputs into waste management programs are crucial, since these are the sectors responsible for the generation of waste and thus the inputs are invaluable when programs are formulated. In order to develop effective waste management strategies, it is important to identify the source of waste generation and the processes that must be followed to minimize waste. The objective of this research was to follow waste from generation to ultimate disposal and to case study why and how differences in waste disposal practices occur in the Breede River District (BRD) and the Cape Metropolitan Area (CMA). / South Africa

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Due to concern about diminishing landfill space, the City of Denton contracted a municipal solid waste characterization study in 1999 that would identify materials for diversion. This paper describes the results of 5 1-week waste sorting events, a scale-house analysis, a recycling participation study, a recycler profile and a similar city study. The results of the characterization studies suggest that at least 50% of each waste stream is recyclable or divertible though paper products accounted for no more than 45% by weight of any waste stream. Curbside recycling participation rate was 71% during the 6-week study period though the average weekly set-out rate was 37%. Recycling participation rates varied significantly by zip code and by home value categories but not by gender. Denton is fairly progressive in its waste management approach when compared to demographically similar cities on a 15-question assessment though recommendations for improvement have been identified.

The handling of hazardous wastes -- their transportation, storage, treatment, and disposal -- has become a significant public issue in Virginia and the nation. The results of mismanagement of these wastes have prompted the passage of governmental regulations to reduce the risks to public health and the environment. However, regulation has taken place primarily at the federal and state levels of government, leaving the proper role of local governments ill-defined. Citizens, concerned that current regulations may be inadequate or poorly administered, have encouraged localities to adopt generally negative positions toward both public and private hazardous waste management activities. This paper evaluates the issues involved, the current role of local governments in hazardous waste management, both in Virginia and nationwide, and suggests that localities should carefully evaluate more positive local hazardous waste management options. Based on criteria developed in the paper, several options are suggested for consideration. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg In fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geography and Environmental Studies 31 May 2018 / South Africa will be dependent on coal for power generation for many decades to come, before a complete transition is achieved where more energy will be generated from non-fossil fuel sources. Through case studies of Hendrina and Kendal Power Stations, this study explored how the management of fly ash (FA) waste in South Africa can be improved to minimise its impact on the environment and human health and examined the potential recycling applications that can benefit local communities. The study drew insights from an environmental justice framework to examine the pollution impacts that FA is exposing to the local community. The environmental justice theory is based on the principle that all people have a right to live in an environment that enhances their wellbeing. Empirical evidence obtained from local community’s in-depth interviews revealed that FA is impacting on the health of communities by exposing them to respiratory and other illnesses and it is also affecting their livelihoods which primarily involves farming. A just transition theory was employed to examine potential socio economic opportunities that can be derived from FA recycling to fulfil redistributive measures that can reduce inequality and eradicate poverty in local communities. Some of Eskom’s power stations like Hendrina are nearing the end of their lifespan since their commissioning in the 1960’s and 1970’s. To aid a just transition, ash recycling was found to have the potential to address the socio economic situation of the power station’s employees and the local communities. The study found that local communities generally lack knowledge about coal ash recycling and need to be empowered and supported to partake in ash recycling ventures. The study argues that a shift in the ash recycling regime is needed in order to benefit local communities and facilitate a just transition to a clean energy production. / MT 2018

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