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Towards zero-waste to landfill : the case of CSIR's framework

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisations are beginning to take responsibility for the impacts made by their
operations/activities on the environment. The sustainability of organisations can not only be
measured by their economic performance, but also by their social and environmental performance.
Good governance as recommended in the King III report (Institute of directors in South Africa,
2009) requires reporting to be integrated with the organisation’s social and environmental
performance. Organisations inevitably use natural resources and generate waste. Agenda 21
states that organisations should use natural resources efficiently (UNCED, 1992). The challenge
according to UNDP (1998:1) is not to stop growth, but to “change the patterns of consumption and
production, using new technologies to achieve greater efficiency and reduce waste and pollution”.
Waste management is not only an internal concern for the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR), but also for the national and international institutions. In South Africa, waste
management previously only involved the disposal of waste aspects of it; leaving out important
components of waste management such as its treatment and the principles of waste reduction, reuse
and recycling. South Africa has in the past ten years changed and has instead developed
sustainability plans. For example, The Polokwane Declaration on waste management outlines what
the government, civil society and the business community will do to ensure the reduction of waste
generation and disposal (South Africa, 2001). The National Environmental Management: Waste
Act (Act 59 of 2008) states that waste must be reduced, reused, recycled and treated before it is
disposed. To this effect, South African municipalities are trying to identify ways to ensure that
residents and industry adhere to these requirements. The CSIR is a scientific and technological research, development and implementation organisation
which has a long-standing commitment to environmental protection. It has been accredited for
adherence with ISO14001 Environmental Management System requirements for over ten years.
Development of the Zero-Waste to Landfill Framework builds on the strengths of the organisation’s
Environmental Management System and enhances sustainable practices throughout the
organisation; and also responds to national imperatives such as the Polokwane Declaration.
Typical waste streams generated at the CSIR sites include general business waste (paper, cans,
plastics, glass etc), general industrial waste (oils, greases, metals, plastics etc), and hazardous
waste (chemical, laboratory, bio hazardous). The Zero-Waste to Landfill Framework assists, and
gives guidance to the organisation in order to achieve Zero-Waste to Landfill. It informs the CSIR in
planning for initiatives and systems that need to be in place in order to achieve the Zero-Waste to
Landfill goal. The framework is developed to provide sustainable solutions for waste management
which result in economic, social and environmental benefits for an organisation such as the CSIR. This research was done to look into the factors that ensure that an effective waste minimisation
process and programme is implemented at the CSIR, and the recommendations are that;
a) The CSIR participates in sustainability reporting.
b) The CSIR implements green procurement.
c) The CSIR explores different innovative methods, technologies and materials that can be
used to minimise waste.
d) The CSIR runs intensive awareness raising campaigns. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit blyk dat sekere Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies uiteindelik besig is om verantwoordelikheid te
neem ten opsigte van die impak wat hul produksieprosesse op die omgewing het. Die
volhoubaarheid van organisasies word nie net deur ekonomies uitsette gemeet nie, maar sluit ook
die monitoring van organisatories-ekonomiese in. Effektiewe bestuur soos aanbeveel deur die King
III verslag (Institute of directors in South Africa, 2009) vereis dat organisatoriese rapportering
sosiale en omgewingsuitsette insluit. Dit is onafwendbaar dat organisasies natuurlike bronne sal
gebruik en afval daardeur genereer. Agenda 21 (UNCED, 1992) vereis egter dat organisasies
natuurlike hulpbronne op ‘n effektiewe en verantwoordelike manier sal gebruik. Volgens die UNDP
(1998:1) is die uitdaging aan organisasies nie om vooruitgang te stuit nie, maar “to change the
patterns of consumption and production, using new technologies to achieve greater efficiency and
reduce waste and pollution”.
Effektiewe afvalbestuur is nie net van toepassing op die “Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) nie, maar geld ook vir ander nasionale organisasies. In die verlede was
afvalbestuurmetodes in Suid-Afrika hoofsaaklik gemik op die wegdoening van afval, terwyl
metodes soos hergebruik, afvalvermindering en herwinning nie eers oorweeg is nie. Suid-Afrika
het gedurende die afgelope tien jaar vooruitgang gemaak op hierdie terrein deur planne te
ontwikkel wat volhoubaarheid sal bewerkstellig, byvoorbeeld the Polokwane Verklaring insake
Afvalbestuur wat bepaal watter metodes die regering, gemeenskap en besigheidsgemeenskap sal
implementeer om die vermindering en wegdoening van vaste afval te verseker. Die “National
Environmental Management Waste Act” van 2008 vereis dat metodes vir die vermindering,
hergebruik en herwinning oorweeg moet word alvorens blote wegdoening plaasvind. Die
munisipaliteite in Suid-Afrika is tans besig om maniere te identifiseer wat sal verseker dat inwoners
en industrieë hierdie vereistes nakom. The CSIR is gemik op tegnologiese navorsing, ontwikkeling en implementering en het ‘n
langtermyn verbintenis om die omgewing te beskerm. Dit het die afgelope tien jaar die ISO 14 001
akkreditasie bekom en behou. Die ontwikkeling van die “Zero-waste to landfill”-Beleid bou op die
positiewe aspek van die Organisasie se omgewingsbestuursisteem en bevorder volhoubare
praktyke regdeur die Organisasie. Die Beleid spreek ook tot nasionale imperatiewe soos die
Polokwane Verklaring. Die CSIR genereer afvalstrome ten opsigte van algemene kantoorafval
(papier, blikkies, plastiek, glas, ens.), industriele afval (olie, ghries, metale, plastiek, ens.), sowel as
gevaarlike afvalstowwe afkomstig van laboratoriums wat chemikalieë en biologies-gevaarlike
materiaal insluit. Die “Zero-waste to Landfill”-Beleid fasiliteer en gee gestalte aan die Organisasie
om hierdie doelwitte in die praktyk te bereik deur die ontwikkeling van inisiatiewe en sisteme. Die Beleid is ontwikkel met die doel om volhoubare oplossings te verskaf aan ‘n Organisasie soos die
CSIR wat uiteindelik ekonomiese, sosiale en omgewingsvoordele sal inhou. Hierdie navorsing is
gedoen om faktore wat die suksesvolle implementering van effektiewe afvalverminderings
prosesse en programme by die CSIR beinvloed te ondersoek.
Die aanbevelings sluit die volgende in:
a) Die CSIR moet betrokke wees by volhoubare rapporteringsmetodes.
b) Die CSIR moet aankoopmetodes implementeer wat volhoubaarheid ondersteun.
c) Die CSIR moet verskeie innoverende metodes, tegnologie en materiale ondersoek wat
gebruik kan word om die generering van afval te minimaliseer.
d) Die CSIR moet intensiewe bewusmakingsveldtogte van stapel stuur.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20114
Date03 1900
CreatorsGinindza, Mpendulo Tozi
ContributorsBrent, Alan, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
RightsStellenbosch University

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