Dump sites, which were totally open, and landfills, contributed to climate change, by generating significant amounts of methane, which is a greenhouse gas. So pointed out Suez Recycling and Recovery (part of the France-based multinational Suez group) CEO Stephane Heddesheimer. He was addressing the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) conference, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Monday.

In many emerging countries most waste still ended up in open dump sites. ISWA had developed a plan to close the biggest of these dump sites around the world.

His company had already been involved in such endeavours. For example, a few years ago it had been awarded a contract, by the Moroccan government, to develop and implement a sustainable and affordable solution for a large open dump site in the city of Meknes.

The process adopted by Suez had involved consulting with, and involving, the local communities around the dump site. He explained that many people had gained a living by scavenging the dump site, albeit under terrible conditions. These people were organised into a cooperative, which was incorporated into the process, and benefitted from the achievement of a green solution at the dump site. This solution included the setting up of an energy-from-waste power plant.

As a result, the company had been awarded another contract by the Moroccan government. This was to execute a similar project, but at a bigger dump site in a bigger city.

Ideally, of course, waste should be separated into different streams, before it reached dump sites or landfills, to enable recycling to be instituted. How could this be done in South Africa (and, more generally, across Africa)?

Given socioeconomic realities, ordinary citizens could not be expected to take the lead in separating waste into the required different streams. Rather, the separation process should be led by industrial and commercial firms. Ordinary citizens could join in, later, when the necessary recycling infrastructure was in place.

A second step would be the development of green landfills. Then, the initiation of the mechanised recycling of specific waste flows, and the implementation of biogas energy solutions. More sophisticated processes could follow, later. 

(South African company Enviroserv is a member of the Suez group.)