National Environmental Management: Waste Act: National Domestic Waste Collection Standards (No. R. 21 of 2011)

No. 21 STAATSKOERANT, 21 JANUARIE 2011 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS DEPARTEMENT VAN OMGEWINGSAKE NO.33935 11 21 January 2011 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: WASTE ACT, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008) NATIONAL DOMESTIC WASTE COLLECTION STANDARDS I, Somo Edith Edna Molewa, Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, hereby under section 7(1)(b) of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008) set national standards for the collection of domestic waste in the schedule hereto. effect will be 1 February 2011. \ ~ '\"" ~ 1 l "BOMO 1;01 EDNA MOLEWA MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONME·NTAL AFFAIRS 12 No. 33935 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 21 JANUARY 2011 ADDRESSING CHALLENGES WITH WASTE SERVICE PROVISION IN '. SOUTH AFRICA NATIONAL DOMESTIC WASTE COLLECTION STANDARDS OCTOBER 2010 environmental affairs Department: Environm'ental Affairs REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA STAATSKOE RAI\JT, 21 JANUARIE 2011 Definitions In this document the following definitions apply unless the context indicates otherwise: NCL 33935 13 '~Basic Refuse Removal Service" means a baseline service level as established under Clause 9.1 of the National Policy on the Provision of Basic Refuse Removal to indigent Households. ~'BuildjngRubble" means waste produced during the construction~ alteration~ repair or demolition of any structure, and includes rubble, earth, rock and wood displaced during such a construction, alteration, repair or demolition. "Collection" means the act of collecting domestic waste at the place of waste generation or storage by an approved service provider or the municipality. "Collection Vehicle or Equipment" means any vehicle or equipment used In the collection of domestic waste. "Domestic Health Care Waste" means waste generated in a household for medical purposes and includes waste such as syringes, unused medicines and pi1ls~ used bandages, etc. that could cause a health hazard when not appropriately disposed of. "Domestie Waste" means waste, excluding hazardous waste, that emanates from premis(~s that arc wholly or mainly "for residential, educational, health care, sport or recreational pUl1lOses. Domestic waste can be classified into recyclable and reusable, compostable and also non-recyclable or non-· usable was~e; Domestic waste for the purposes of the standards does not include corn Illcrc.ia I and industrial waste~ building rubble and 'hard' or non-compostable garden waste. "Hard or Non-compostable Garden waste" means branches and tree stumps that nc(;~ds to he shredded in order to become compostable. "Hazardous Wastett means any waste that contains organic or inorganic clements or compounds that may, owing to the inherent physical, chemical or toxicological characteristics of that waste, have a detrimental impact on health and the environment. "Housebold" means a collection of individuals staying on a distinctive property and/or premises regardless of their relationships to one another. "Municipality" means a municipality as defined by the Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act No. 32 of 2000). "Receptacle" is the container designated solely for the purpose of temporary storage of household waste at the household, either provided by the municipality or the household, until such time of collection by the service provider/municipality. "Service Provider" means the providers of the domestic waste collection service, be it the municipality~ external entity or community that is contracted by the municipality to render a municipal service. "Standard" for the purposes of this document is a list of principles, procedures, processes and benchmarks established for ensuring that domestic waste collection services is fit f6r its intended purpose and perfonned in the manner it was intended for. The Standards further define quality and establish safety criteria. 14 No.33935 Contents GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 21 JANUARY 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ;. ii 1 Background and purpose ..•.u ••••••••••~ t· 2 Principles 'lll ••••••••• " ~ 1 3 Level of Service 1 4 Callee.tion .....•.."' ,.••.•••••~••••••••••••••••.•••.•.•.••.••••• 2 4.1 Separation at source 2 4.2 Collection of recyclable waste 2 4.3 Receptacles : 3 4.4 Bulk Conta.iners , 4 4.5 Communal collection points 5 4.6 Frequency of collection 5 5 Drop-off centres for Recyclables ~ ~ 6 Collection vehicles ,. 6 7 Health and Safety 1 8 Communication, awareness creation and complaints 7 8.1 Was~e·,Management officer 7 8.2 Awareness creation and guidelines to infonn the households ~ u 8 9 Waste Collection customer service stand~rds for Kerbside collection 8 10 General "••••••.9 ii STAATSKOERANT, 21 JANUARIE 2011 1 Background and purpose No.33935 15 To redress past imbalances in the provision of waste collection services, it is imperative that acceptable, affordable and sustainable waste collection services be rendered to all South Africans. The provision ofwaste collection services improves the quality of life of the entire community and ensures a clean and more acceptable place to live and work in. The lackof or poor quality waste collection services can however result in a number of environmental and human health problems. The National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008) stipulates that standards are required to "give effect to the right to an environment that is not hannful to· .. health and well-being," and that this right have to be applied "uniformly through~ut the Republic". It is recognised that South Africa is a developing country and the purpose· of the setting of standards is to ensure a service to all while complying with health and safety regulations without unnecessar.ily changing current creative collection processes as long as they function well and deliver a service of acceptable standard to all households. These National Domestic Waste Collection Standards are therefore applicable to all domestic waste collection services throughout the country. The setting of National Domestic Waste Collection Standardsy was infonned by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, J996, the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008), the General Waste Collection Standards of Gauteng . Province, the current international waste management standards and good practices in both developed."and developing countries, the current waste collection practices in South African municipalities as well as stakeholder consultations. NQTE: Guidelines j·o support of tbe standards are provided in text boxes througbout tbe document. 2 Principles The standards are set based on the following principles agreed upon during the <;onsultation process: • Equity; • Affordability andavaifability ofresources within municipalities; • Clarity and ease at which the standards can be implemented; • Practicality; and • Community participation in design of applicable and appropriate colleetionsystems. 3 Level of Service It is recognised that service levels may differ between areas depending on the practicality and cost efficiency of delivering the service. However, the standards for domestic waste collection as outlined below will be equally relevant to all different levels of domestic waste collection services. Service levels may vary between: a. On-site appropriate and regularly supervised disposal (applicable mainly to remote rural areas with low density settlements and farms supervised by a waste management officer); b. Community transfer to central collection point (medium density settlements); 16 NO.33935 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 21 JANUARY 2011 c. Organised transfer to central collection points and/or kerbside collection (high density settlements); or d. Mixture ofb and c above for the medium to high density settlements. 4 Collection Equitable waste collection services must be provided to all households within the jurisdiction of the municipality. In areas where travelling distances and the resulting costs may render regular waste collection services impractical, the municipality, through by-laws, must allow for more feasible alterrlative ways of waste handling, such as on-site disposal (refer to level of service in paragraph 3 above). 4.1 Separation at source Separation at source must be encouraged and supported in line with the relevant industry waste management plans. In addition: . a. All domestic waste must be sorted at source (Le. 'the ·households) in all Metropolitan and secondary cities; b. The service provider/municipality must provide clear guidelines to households regarding types of waste, the sorting of the waste, appropriate containers, and removal schedules for each type of waste; and c. Community involvement in recycling must be encouraged. 4.2 Collection ofrecyclable waste The municipality must provide an enabling environment for households to recycle domestic waste. An enabling environment could include kerbside collection and/or wen-kept drop-off centres within easy reach. Where the municipality does not provide for kerbside collection of the recyclable component of source separated waste, it must co-operate with the recycling sector to ensure the provision of facilities where recyclables can be dropped-off for coHection by service providers. a. Mainstream recycJables (paper, cardboard, newspapers, magazines, plastic, glass, metal cans and tins) must therefore, according to the level of service provided (see section 3 above), be either collected at households or from communal collection points by the municipality or service providers. b. Non-mainstream recyclabJes (electronic waste, scrap metal, batteries, fluorescent· lights, used oil etc) must be routed to clearly marked drop~off centres at well advertised locations for collection by service providers in the relevant recycling sector. 2 STAATSKOERANT, 21 JANUARIE 2011 Guideline for collection of recyclables No. 33935 17 The viability of recycling relies heavily on economies of scale. It is therefore important that enough clean recyclables (from separation at source including households) must be accumulated to justifY the cost of transport associated with the colJection of recyclables. The following issues must be considered: • The use of existing infrastructure (i.e. garden waste centres, landfills) for temporary accumulation and storage of recyclable waste. This may require an amendment to existing landfill permits; • Bulk waste transfer facilities for recyclable waste by district municipalities; • Regionalisation of collection of recyclables to ensure economies of scaJe especially in remote areas; and • Collaboration with recycling companies to avoid potential bottlenecks. • If there is no recycling market for source separated recyetables, waste-to-energy options must be considered prior to disposal. 4.3 Receptacle$ The following specifications and procedures are applicable to aU receptacles for domestic waste collection (refer to the guideline box below when selecting suitable receptacles): a. Recepbides for the storage of non-reusable and non-recyclable waste must be easily distinguishable from those for the storage of recyclable waste; b. ~eceptacJes for the storage of non-recyclable waste at households must be: (i) fit for the safe storage of waste; (ii) such that pollution ofthe environment and hann to health are prevented; (iii) rigid and durable to within reason prevent accidental tipping, accidental spillage and leaking; (iv) intact and not corroded or worn out; . (v) covered to ensure that animals and insects cannot enter and that the waste cannot be blown away; and (vi) not bigger than 240£; c. Each household supplied with a bin or wheelie bin takes responsibility for the hygiene as wen as safekeeping of the bin, and must not purposely damage it or use it for any other purpose than for keeping waste until collection day; d. The service provider/municipality must take care to return the emptied receptacle to the same household from where it was collected for emptying; e. Where returnable receptacles are in use, household members must mark his or her receptacle to assist the service provider/municipality in returning the receptacle to the same household from where it was collected; and f. Elderly and disabled persons' households must have the choice to use smaller receptacles or bins that handle more easily than the standard bins provided by the municipality. 3 18 No.33935 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 21 JANUARY 2011 Guideline Cor selecting receptacle type. The following must be taken into account: Cost - Bins/wheelie bins are more costly than plastic bags, but have a longer lifespan. Size - The size of the receptacle will be detennined by the bulk (volume) of oon recyclable and recyclable waste generated by an average household in a certain area. The frequency of collection must be considered, as frequencies of less than once a week become a health hazard in South African climatic conditions. The maximum size of receptacles for a hou.sehold is therefore set at 240t. Pollutioll - Plastic bags create an additional source of pollution if not re-used andlor recycled. Compatibility - The receptacles must be c.ompatible with the type of collection vehicles in use. Where applicable, and in areas where the use of wheelie bins will be feasible, wheeJie bins n:.aust be phased in as and when transport vehicles that are not currently compatible with wheelie bins are replaced. However, compactor trucks may not be the best method of collection for mixed recyclables, nor for the collection of non-recyclable waste with low compaction potential. " Handling - The receptacles must be easy to handle by the household and the service provid~rI municipaJity and must "be easy to dean and have no sharp edges. However~ some high density areas on steep slopes (although there are proper roads for trucks)~ might need other types of receptacles than areas on flat ground. Vermin a,.,d vector control- The receptacles must be impenneable to vennin and flies. This implies that receptacles must not allow moisture or rain water to enter and must not discharge any leachate. Durahility - the receptacles must be fairly resistant to mechanical damage as well as be 'animal proof'. Various domestic and other animals may damage receptacles in search of food. Availability - The receptacles must be freely available in the market at competitive prices (to both municipalities and consumers as the case may be). Number of receptacles - The size of the household will determine the number of receptacles required. A fixed number can be provided per household and. additional receotacles on reauest and oossiblv at a cost to the household. 4.4 Bulk Contaillers Where bulk containers .are the most appropriate receptacles, the same standards appJy as for receptacles as stipulated above (section 4.3). In addition, bulk containers must be fitted with reflectors and where appropriate be placed next to a platform for ease ofaccess. A fonnalised domestic waste collection system must be provided to transfer the waste from individual households to the bulk containers in cases where such containers are used for domestic waste. The job creation potential (i.e. involvement of community contractors) of such a domestic waste collection systems must be.optimised in favour of the local community. 4 Skips STAATSKOERANT, 21 JANUARIE 2011 No. 33935 19 It must be noted that skips are designed for collection of bulky waste such as building rubble or 'hard' garden waste which will not become windblown during transportation. Skips are therefore not appropriate for domestic waste collection unless appropriate measures are put in place to prevent windblown litter from the skips. 4.5 Communal collection points Communal collection points must be clearly demarcated areas with appropriate receptacles where household waste can be deposited for collection by the service provider/municipality. The municipality must ensure that communal collection points are kept tidy at all times. The receptacles must be: a. Covered so as to prevent windblown litter; and b. User friendly to allow even children and disabled persons to safely deposit waste into the receptacles. The collection points must: a. Be easily accessible for waste collection vehicles; and b. Enco,",.rage waste separation at source. 4.6 Frequency ofcollection . Acknowledging that waste minimisation is encouraged, the frequency of waste collection must not encourage illegal dumping or cause a nuisance in teons of odours and volumes of waste being stored. Non-recyclable waste must be removed at least once a week. [Also see health issues hereunder.] Recyclable waste must be removed at Jeast once every two weeks and removal must be coordinated with industry (the users of the recycJables) to minimise costs and the clogging of space at transfer stations and depots. Waste deposited at communal collection points must be collected within 24 hours of receptacles being reported as full or at regular intervals so as not to attract vermin and increase health risks. Bulk containers must be collected once filled up or within 24 hours of being reported as full, but not less than once a week. Frequency of collection of recyclable and non-recyclable waste may differ depending on: a. The size of the bins provided and the volumes of waste generated; b. The area ofcolJection in terms of: (i) type of service provided including types of vehicles and equipment used~ and 5 20 No. ~J3935 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 21 JANUARY 2011 (ii) distances between collection points and disposal sites to minimise transport costs; c. Climatic conditions - In South Africa's hot weather conditions, thecolJection of non recyclable waste less than once a week is a health hazard. 5 Drop-off centres for Recyclables Drop--off centres for recycJabJes not collected at the households must be easi'ly accessible to the public. Such centres must also be conducive to reinforcing recycling behaviour - it must be clean and user friendly. Drive-through options should be considered and implemented where feasible. Collection from drop-off centres must be at regular intervals so as not to cause a nuisance. 6 Collection vehicles Collection vehicles that are the most appropriate for the specific task and geographical terrain must be llsed. See the guideline box below on selecting collection vehicles. The fol1owing shall apply: a. Collection v~hicles, used for the collection and transportation of waste must not be used for any other purpose while collecting and transporting waste. b. Health issues [regular cleaning of the vehicles is required] must be considered. c. Waste must be collected and transported in closed vehicles (covered to ensure no windblown litter generation) to prevent littering during transportation. Non-compatible vehicles must be phased out. d. Maintenance schedules must be adhered to and roadworthiness of vehicles ensured where applicable in order to ensure a reliable waste collection service. 6 STAATSKOERANT, 21 JANUARIE 2011 Guideline on Collection Vehicles No. 33935 21 Collection vehicles that are the most appropriate for the specific task should be used. Consideration must be given to the following: (i) type of waste to be removed - recyclable or non-recyclable~ (ii) the geographical area of collection; and (iii) the method of collection - e.g. whether the receptacles in use need specialised equipment to be lifted or not. Collection vehicles used for the collection of non-recyclable waste might not be appropriate for the collection of recyclable waste. In choosing the type of vehicle for the collection of non-recyclable and recyclable waste the following must be taken into consideration: (i) how much each type of waste can be compacted; (ii)' any leachate forming when compacting the waste; and (iii) whether different types of recyclables are collected 10 one receptacle at the households. 7 Health and Safety a. In aadressing the general health of the waste collection workers, all waste collection workers must receive: (i) regular medical check-ups to ensure their health and well-being~ Oi) appropriate ·personal protective equipment~ e.g. gloves, masks, overalls and raincoats, gumboots; and (iii) ongoing training on health and safety issues. b. Existing Occupational Health and Safety legislation must be adhered to. 8 Communication, awareness creation and complaints 8.1 Waste Management officer The Waste Management Officer will be designated to deal with general communications and awareness raising regarding waste. This officer will also be responsible for the handling of all complaints and resolving such complaints within a set period, as follows: a. The complaint handling mechanisms will be in line with the type of municipality and availability of infrastructure to handle such complaint mechanisms; b. The time frame for responding to complaints is a maximum of 24 hours. The complainer must receive notification of how the complaint will be addressed within this 24 hour period; . c. Complaints from both households and waste collectors (including service providers/ municipality) must be dealt with; d. Where complaints arise from negligence or lack of awareness on the part of households, communication and general awareness creation must be improved; and e. An efficient and effective register containing all complaints must be kept. 7 22 No. 33935 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 21 JANUARY 2011 8.2 A'wareness creation and guidelines to infol'm the households a. The municipality must create awareness amongst households about the following: 0) the types of waste collection services provided; (ii) ,~eparationat source - the removal of recyclables'and re-usable waste from the. general household waste; (iii) the potential of composting of some of the household waste and the benefit of such to the household; (iv) the unacceptability of illegal dumpingand littering; (v) measures to be taken against individuals that Jitter and dump waste illegally; (vi) the cost of cleaning up illegal dumping and littering, and the implications on household waste collection rates; and . (vii) 'the advantages of reporting illegal dumping activities. b. The municipality must provide clear guidelines to households about the following: (i) the different types of waste generated in households; (ij) separation of non-recyclable and non-reusable household waste from compostable waste and recyclable waste; (iii)" appropriate containers for each type of waste; (iv) removal schedules for each type of waste; and. (v) what to do with waste other than those waste forming part of the regular schedule of waste collection services. c. Awareness raising and guideline communications must be done at regular intervals to ensure that all households are well informed about aU issues listed under (b) above. 9 Waste Collection customer service standards for Kerbside collection a. Weekly waste collection must be done on the same day every week according to the municipality's schedule. b. When the scheduled municipal services are interrupted for· whatever reason, the municipality must resume the service as soon as is practical and address all backlogs so caused as a matter ·of priority. c. When collection has been missed the waste must be removed not later than on the next scheduled collection day. d. The collection team will make every effort to return the same bin to the premises of the household if bins are used as receptacles. e. A charge will be set for replacement ofwaste bins reported as: (i) lost or stolen; (ii) vandalized; or (iii) damaged (other than by the service provider/municipality or equipment or normal wear and tear). f. Revised collection arrangements during the December holidays or for public holidays· wilJ be widely publicized if applicable. Residents will be infonned of revised collection arrangement in advance by one or more appropriate method. g. A charge does' not apply in the following circumstances: (i) receptacles damaged by the service provider! municipality or equipment; or 8 STAATSKOERANT, 21 JANUARIE 2011 No.33935 23 (ii) receptacles provided to i~digent households qualifYing for fully rebated service. h. The municipality must stipulate the time at which the waste receptacle must be put out for collection on, the coJlection day. i. (fthe waste receptacle contains unacceptable material as specified in the by-laws (such as builders rubble) the waste may not be removed. J. AU complaints about the service must be addressed as follows: (i) promptly (within the time frame specified by the municipality);' (ii) appropriately and realistically; ,and (iii) efficiently and effectively. 10 General a. All communication to household residents must be via the waste management officer. (i) waste collectors may not enter into debate with household residents; (ii) waste collectors may not intimidate household residents; and (iii) household residents may not intimidate or force waste collectors to coneet ' waste which is not separated according to the guidelines or which was disposed of in contravention ofa by-law or other legislation. 9