| Summary: | During the past few decades the focus of waste management in South Africa has been
emphasised, especially in view of the increase in economic development which has
resulted in an increase in commercial, industrial, hazardous, mining, power generation
as well as radioactive waste. The iron and steel making industry in South Africa
provides for a vast amount of recycling opportunities of various materials resulting from
the iron and steelmaking process. The regulation of waste management in South
Africa may have some significant implications on this particular industry.
In this dissertation the history of waste management legislation in South Africa is
researched. It is found that initially only waste disposal was regulated, but over time, in
addition to disposal, other aspects were also regulated in terms of other pieces of
environmental legislation, such as the recycling, recovery and storage of waste. In an
attempt to provide for uniform waste management regulation in South Africa, and in
order to achieve sustainable development by the provision of a new waste hierarchy,
the National Environmental Management: Waste Act was introduced.
As part of this legislation, a new definition of waste was also introduced. It is indicated
as part of this dissertation that various interpretations of the definition of ‘waste’ are
possible. It is also indicated that these various interpretations may not only have some
significant implications for the iron and steelmaking industry in South Africa, but may
also have significant implications for the implementation of the waste hierarchy, as
envisaged in terms of current waste management legislation.
In the light of the above, and after taking comments by the members of the South
African Iron and Steel Institute into consideration, recommendations are made for an
improved legislative framework for waste management in South Africa. It is
recommended that there should be a trade–off between the protection of the
environment and the re–use, recovery and recycling opportunities of materials available
to industry in the short–term as well as the long–term.
In order to achieve such a trade–off, it is suggested that the ‘End–of Waste’ criteria in
South Africa be reconsidered and re–evaluated to ensure more legal certainty with
regard as to exactly constitutes waste and to provide for a definition of ‘waste’ which is
clearly defined. === Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.
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