Assessment of the practice and potential of industrial solid waste minimisation : case study of Stellenbosch

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:There is increasing pressure on factories and government to practise cleaner technology.The public is becoming more and more environmentally aware and external pressurefrom international competitors is also forcing companies to adopt environmentally soundproduction practices. Our natural resources and the environment need environmentallyfriendly practices. Waste minimisation is not only prudent practice for manufacturingindustries, but is also an integral part of environmental regulations in many countries,including South Africa. This research seeks to investigate the extent and potential forindustrial waste minimisation in Stellenbosch.The objectives of this thesis are, firstly to establish and evaluate the present range andextent of industrial solid waste minimisation practices; secondly to identify and evaluatepotential industrial solid waste minimisation measures that could (if necessary) beinstituted in future; and finally to propose a general strategy for the minimisation ofindustrial solid waste in Stellenbosch.The findings reflect that currently there is little waste minimisation awareness andpractice in Stellenbosch. The most common method of waste minimisation currentlypractised by industries is recycling through the selling of recyclables. The least commonmethod is the equipment-related change method, due to the high costs involved inadopting this method. Based on the findings, a suitable regional waste managementstrategy was developed and this strategy could possibly be adopted elsewhere in SouthAfrica.Key words: waste minimisation, waste management, re-use, recycling, factory,environment, practice, participation, cleaner technology, awareness, Stellenbosch

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University