SA becoming rubbish dump
2003-05-06 23:44
Cape Town - Refuse production is increasing at a rate of 6% per year, says Peter Novella, president of the Institute for Waste Management in Southern Africa.
Residents of Cape Town, for example, produce as much as 1.7 million tons of waste per year which is dumped at local rubbish dumps. Plastic products (including shopping bags) account for about a tenth of the total volume.
People in upmarket suburbs, such as Sea Point and Constantia, produce about six times more refuse than residents of poorer areas.
"If Capetonians continue their current waste production, the Vissershok dumping ground will only be viable for the next 13 years. We welcome government's attempts to eliminate thin plastic bags."
Novella reacted to news that consumers will have to pay for plastic shopping bags as of Friday, May 9, under new regulations announced last year. The regulations aim to reduce the tons of plastic bags that end up at dumping grounds or in the environment.
For 25c to 46c a bag, consumers will receive a thicker bag that can be reused. Several supermarkets are selling sturdier alternatives, including canvas bags.
The institute says South Africans produce between 3.5 kg and 12kg of refuse per person every week. This is approximately two municipal refuse bags per week in the average household. 60% to 80% of this refuse (including glass, plastic, paper and metal) can be recycled.
As of this month, plastic bags thinner than 30 micrometres may not be produced locally. Advertisements may also not be printed on more than half of the surface of the bags to make it easier to recycle the bags.
Novella said some plastic bags could lie in dumping grounds for five to ten decades before decaying. An old newspaper from 1976, with the print still clear enough to be read, was found at Vissershok recently.