Towards zero-waste to landfill : the case of CSIR's framework

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisations are beginning to take responsibility for the impacts made by theiroperations/activities on the environment. The sustainability of organisations can not only bemeasured by their economic performance, but also by their social and environmental performance.Good governance as recommended in the King III report (Institute of directors in South Africa,2009) requires reporting to be integrated with the organisation's social and environmentalperformance. Organisations inevitably use natural resources and generate waste. Agenda 21states that organisations should use natural resources efficiently (UNCED, 1992). The challengeaccording to UNDP (1998:1) is not to stop growth, but to 'change the patterns of consumption andproduction, using new technologies to achieve greater efficiency and reduce waste and pollution.Waste management is not only an internal concern for the Council for Scientific and IndustrialResearch (CSIR), but also for the national and international institutions. In South Africa, wastemanagement previously only involved the disposal of waste aspects of it; leaving out importantcomponents of waste management such as its treatment and the principles of waste reduction, reuseand recycling. South Africa has in the past ten years changed and has instead developedsustainability plans. For example, The Polokwane Declaration on waste management outlines whatthe government, civil society and the business community will do to ensure the reduction of wastegeneration and disposal (South Africa, 2001). The National Environmental Management: WasteAct (Act 59 of 2008) states that waste must be reduced, reused, recycled and treated before it isdisposed. To this effect, South African municipalities are trying to identify ways to ensure thatresidents and industry adhere to these requirements.The CSIR is a scientific and technological research, development and implementation organisationwhich has a long-standing commitment to environmental protection. It has been accredited foradherence with ISO14001 Environmental Management System requirements for over ten years.Development of the Zero-Waste to Landfill Framework builds on the strengths of the organisation'sEnvironmental Management System and enhances sustainable practices throughout theorganisation; and also responds to national imperatives such as the Polokwane Declaration.Typical waste streams generated at the CSIR sites include general business waste (paper, cans,plastics, glass etc), general industrial waste (oils, greases, metals, plastics etc), and hazardouswaste (chemical, laboratory, bio hazardous). The Zero-Waste to Landfill Framework assists, andgives guidance to the organisation in order to achieve Zero-Waste to Landfill. It informs the CSIR inplanning for initiatives and systems that need to be in place in order to achieve the Zero-Waste toLandfill goal. The framework is developed to provide sustainable solutions for waste managementwhich result in economic, social and environmental benefits for an organisation such as the CSIR.This research was done to look into the factors that ensure that an effective waste minimisationprocess and programme is implemented at the CSIR, and the recommendations are that;a) The CSIR participates in sustainability reporting.b) The CSIR implements green procurement.c) The CSIR explores different innovative methods, technologies and materials that can beused to minimise waste.d) The CSIR runs intensive awareness raising campaigns.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University