South Africans generate approximately 107, 7 million tonnes of waste every year.
About 12, 7 million tonnes of this amount, comes from households.
This is according to a report released by the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), back in 2022.
This week, Dion George, Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), announced 8 Municipalities would receive the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) infrastructure and support for separate waste collection.
EPR is based on the principle that manufacturers of brands, who have the greatest influence over product design and marketing, have the ability to reduce waste.
EPR may take the form of a reuse, buyback, or recycling program.
8 Metros include Buffalo City (East London), the City of Cape Town, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (East Rand), City of eThekwini (Durban), City of Johannesburg, Mangaung Municipality (Bloemfontein), Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (Gqeberha) and the City of Tshwane (Pretoria).
Peter Mbelengwa, Spokesperson of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, said support will be provided to the Metros, based on the volumes of waste generated.
He said metros are getting attention as they are high density areas.
The Minister also said DFFE surpassed its target for reducing Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs containing carbon, hydrogen, chlorine and fluorine) in 2023, achieving more than a 50% reduction.
Illustration of plastic waste only, generated by Metros, Green Cape (2022).