Composting to divert organic waste from landfill
Waste management service providers, as well as any large volume waste producers, are under pressure to look for alternative organic waste treatment and disposal methods. South Africa’s current waste classifications and regulations do not allow you to just send waste to landfill, especially organic waste.
Over the past two years, national government has placed special attention on the organic waste stream. With the release of new waste classification regulations in 2019, organic waste that typically has a high moisture content is now tightly regulated. According to waste classification standards, waste that contains more than a 40% moisture content needs to be treated before it is disposed of on in a landfill site. Western Cape government has gone a step further.
The landfill ban of organic waste in the Western Cape comes into effect in 2022 with the requirement of a 50% reduction of organic waste to landfill, and a 100% reduction by 2027. Landfill operators are now required to draw up organic waste diversion plans and submit them to the Department of Environmental Affairs.
These stringent landfill regulations for organic waste strengthen the favourability for commercial composting using technology like the BiobiN on-site vessels. Waste regulations also favour composting as a treatment method for large volumes of organic waste, with no waste license required. As stricter regulations are imposed on commercial sectors like retail and hospitality, on-site composting will become the preferred method to deal with organic waste.