Mountains of waste can be shifted
Kathy Waddington, University of Natal
THE RECENT strike by municipal workers has provided a vivid illustration of
the mountains of waste generated by South African households, commerce and
industry – and the potential for business to make major environmental and
economic savings through waste minimisation and cleaner production.
“The visible waste we’re seeing is only the tip of the iceberg: most of the
waste - and the potential savings - are hidden, but these can be uncovered
through waste minimisation programmes in companies,” says Professor Chris
Buckley, the head of the Pollution Research Group at the University of Natal.
The potential for savings is huge: 20 companies in a pilot project saved R13
million.
The three-year ‘waste minimisation club’ project was begun in February
1998 to improve water quality through prevention of water pollution by
industries, and by reducing the demand for industrial water. In addition, its
secondary results contribute to the establishment of competitive industrial
small, micro- and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs), promoting the concepts of
cleaner production, waste minimisation and sustainable development amongst SMMEs,
and promoting energy efficiency.
The clubs that have been formed in the country indicate “that recurrent
first year savings of 2% to 7% of turnover can be achieved through a formal
programme,” said Prof Buckley. Waste minimisation implies a systematic
approach to reducing waste at source, with continuous monitoring and target
reassessments.
The concept, developed in the Netherlands in the early 1990s to encourage
industries to reduce pollution, involves a small number of companies, generally
within the same geographical area, working together to exchange ideas and
information on minimising waste and encouraging each other to improve process
efficiency, save money and reduce their environmental impact. Its success has
bred more than 80 clubs in the United Kingdom, and similar initiatives in New
Zealand and India.
Susan Barclay, a project leader with the Pollution Research Group, and two
chemical engineering masters students, Namo Thambiran and Dhiraj Maharaj, ran
two pilot clubs in KwaZulu Natal – one in the metal finishing sector in
Pinetown and Durban, and one in the industrial area of Hammarsdale – and these
illustrate the benefits:
R13 million was saved by 20 companies, the majority of which was achieved
through improved housekeeping practices at no, or low, cost;
1 030 Ml of water (about enough to fill 500 Olympic swimming pools) was saved by
17 companies over three years, which reduced the amount of effluent discharged
into drains by 990 Ml;
A total of 65.7 GWh of energy (enough to boil 2 500 million cups of tea) was
saved by 10 companies during the three years, and there was a reduction of 45
000 tons of carbon dioxide, 425 tons of sulphur dioxide and 190 tons of nitrogen
oxide gasses being emitted into the atmosphere, with related savings in water
and coal; and
On average, savings accounted for between 2% and 5% of the annual turnover of
the companies.
Training in waste minimisation, Prof Buckley emphasises, is essential for the
project’s success and must involve all employees, from management to
shop-floor level.
“Industries are constantly challenged to produce higher levels of output
while using lower levels of inputs and producing less waste, but Cleaner
Production is recognised as an important approach to reducing environmental
impact and leading industries in the direction of sustainable development,”
said Prof Buckley.
The three-year project (1998 to 2000) was funded by the Water Research
Commission (WRC) and managed by the Pollution Research Group (PRG). The project
was co-funded by the European Union Directorate General XVII for Energy (Thermie),
which made provision for the involvement of two European consultants, Enviros
March (United Kingdom) and Cowi (Denmark). Cowi’s involvement was through the
South African organisation, Kagiso Trust, and focused on general environmental
awareness training for management and shop-floor employees. The School of Life
and Environmental Sciences (SLES) at the University of Natal analysed the social
aspects of the clubs, such as interactions between club members, and monitored
the response to the training sessions given by Kagiso-Cowi. The ML Sultan
Technikon in Durban is also involved in the project, through funding from the
Foundation for Research and Development (now the NRF).
Since the initial pilot clubs were formed a further 16 waste minimisation
clubs have been formed in South Africa. The WRC is currently funding the
Pollution Research Group to undertake research to enable the management and
promotion of waste minimisation clubs in South Africa.
For more information, contact Prof Buckley at phone +27 31 260-3131, fax +27
31 260-1118, or cell 082 806 7251
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