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Waste Management

16 April 2025 Media Release: Environmental Health Practitioners and their role in managing waste

Media Release: Environmental Health Practitioners and their role in managing waste

16 April 2025

Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) are appointed to carry out duties as outlined in the National Health Act (Act 61 of 2003) and Health Professions Act (Act.56 of 1974). These duties, known as Municipal Health Services, are rendered within the jurisdiction of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM). The jurisdiction includes Hessequa, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Bitou, Oudtshoorn and Kannaland local municipal areas.

In terms of Section 1 of the National Health Act, 2003 (Act 61 of 2003), municipal health includes:

  • Water Quality Monitoring
  • Food Control
  • Waste Management
  • Health Surveillance of Premises
  • Supervision and Prevention of Contagious Diseases, excluding immunisation
  • Vector Control
  • Environmental Pollution Control
  • Disposal of Human Remains
  • Safe handling of Chemical Substances

Waste Management: Promoting Hygiene and Preventing Illegal Dumping

The waste management functions of EHPs include monitoring waste management systems, refuse, healthcare waste, hazardous waste, and sewage.

This means the EHPs have to monitor waste management systems, including health care waste, hazardous waste, sewage and wastewater. Whenever there area health nuisances during the storage, treatment, collection, handling and the disposal of various categories of waste, EHPs will act and issue non-compliance notices to the relevant authorities. If the issues persists, fines are issued.

More of their waste-related responsibilities include:

  • Sampling any waste or waste product such as sewage or refuse for analyses.
  • The identification of needs and motivation for the promotion of sanitation.
  • Enforcement of Municipal Health By-Laws and the National Health Act, 2003 (Act 61 of 2003), in cases where health nuisances result from waste handling.
  • Educate communities on issues of waste management and pollution control.
  • Ensuring proper refuse storage, collection, transportation, transfer and processing, materials recovery, and final disposal.
  • Ensuring proper management of liquid waste, including sewage and industrial effluent.
  • Ensuring the proper storage, treatment, collection, transportation, handling and disposal of medical- and hazardous waste.
  • Investigating and inspecting any activity related to the waste stream or any resulting by-products.
  • The function excludes the operation of a waste management system rendered by Local Municipalities.
  • Advocating proper sanitation.

Illegal dumping

Illegal dumping and littering remain ongoing challenges in South Africa. Although the management of illegal waste dumping is not a mandate of GRDM, a whole-of-society approach is essential to keeping the environment clean.

EHPs continuously educate the public about the impacts of illegal dumping. The impacts include environmental pollution, detrimental impacts on the natural resources and habitats around us, as well as biodiversity. The practitioners also create awareness about the diseases caused by illegal dumping and that it attracts rodents and vectors.

Illegal dumping should be reported to local municipalities:

Hessequa Municipality: 028 713 8000 (office hours) 028 713 7917 / 028 713 2222 (after hours)

Mossel Bay: 044 606 5143, 044 606 5000 of 44802 (sms) or admin@mosselbay.gov.za

George: 044 801 6350 or gmun@george.gov.za

Knysna: 044 302 6405 / 060 998 7073 (WhatsApp) or rloxton@knysna.gov.za

Bitou: 044 501 3174/5 or customercare@bitou.gov.za

Oudtshoorn: 044 203 3900 or 044 203 7800/1

Kannaland: 028 551 8000 (office) / 061 602 1095 or customercare@kannaland.gov.za (customercare)

Johan Compion
Manager: Municipal Health & Environmental Services
E-mail: info@gardenroute.gov.za
Tel: 044 803 1300 / Cell: 082 803 5161

Contact details for each municipality:

Bitou Municipality
George Municipality
Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality
Hessequa Municipality
Kannaland Municipality
Knysna Municipality
Mossel Bay Municipality

-END-

 

20 March 2025 Media Release: GRDM Waste Management take hands in celebrating Global Recycling Day

Media Release: GRDM Waste Management take hands in celebrating Global Recycling Day

20 March 2025

Earlier today, the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Waste Management Section who have an office in Mossel Bay, in collaboration with the Mossel Bay Municipality and Henque Waste, celebrated Global Recycling Day with Denneprag Primary School.

Global Recycling Day was officially celebrated for the first time on 18 March 2018 and has since been held annually on 18 March to acknowledge and promote recycling as a vital tool for environmental preservation and sustainability.

“As the Garden Route Municipality, we believe that initiatives like these are essential in shaping environmentally responsible future generations. Educating our youth about the importance of recycling empowers them to make a positive difference in preserving our planet. I applaud and fully support our Waste Management Section, Mossel Bay Municipality, Henque Waste, and Denneprag Primary School for their commitment to fostering a culture of sustainability,” said the Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel.

During the celebration, the excited group of learners was tasked with creating an object or product from recyclable materials. The main objective of this activity was to educate learners that waste can be reused or recycled into another product.

The learners proudly showcased their final projects, which were judged based on the following categories:

  • Design
  • Materials used
  • Purpose and functionality
  • Importance of recycling

Each category had four winners, and participants were awarded medals and goodies to reward their enthusiastic participation.

“We were very surprised and impressed with the creative learning experience and the imaginative and innovative ideas the learners came up with. They created various products such as pencil holders, clothing, shoes, pot plants, and clutch bags,” said Innocentia Sikweyiya, GRDM Waste Management Officer.

-END-

10 December 2024 Media Release: GRDM Waste Management Section Hosts Chemicals and Waste Management Training for Local Municipalities

Media Release: GRDM Waste Management Section Hosts Chemicals and Waste Management Training for Local Municipalities

10 December 2024

During the week of 2–6 December 2024, the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Waste Management Section in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) facilitated Chemicals and Waste Management training sessions for officials from local municipalities across the district.

The refresher training sessions, presented by DFFE, were extended to municipal officials across various roles. They focused on critical aspects such as legislation, policies, standards, regulations, and education & awareness in waste management. Participants included waste section officials, drivers, landfill operators, team leaders, LED officials, street sweepers, portfolio councillors, and recyclers within specific local municipalities.

“Waste management is a local government function, and it is crucial to refresh everyone’s knowledge on an ongoing basis of the best practices and trends.” The training aims to empower all stakeholders to improve waste management practices effectively in their communities, “ said GRDM Waste Management official Innocentia Sikweyiya.

While this week’s sessions focused on coastal municipalities, the inland local municipalities are scheduled to undergo similar training in 2025, ensuring that the entire district benefits from this comprehensive capacity-building initiative.

Training session held in Mossel Bay

Training session held in George.

Training session held in Knysna.

Training session held in Bitou.

-END-

28 November 2024 Media Release: Accurate Waste Data – The Key to Managing Our Region’s Waste Effectively

Media Release: Accurate Waste Data – The Key to Managing Our Region’s Waste Effectively

28 November 2024

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) is committed to improving waste management in the region by constructing a Regional Waste Management Facility (RWMF). The facility will be operational by March 2025. This will, amongst others, ensure the accurate collection of data, better reporting practices, and infrastructure that supports sustainable waste practices.

Registered Waste Facilities in the Region

Currently, all waste disposal, recycling, and export facilities in the region are required to register with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment’s (DFFE) Waste Information System. Local municipalities submit monthly reports to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP)’s Integrated Pollutant and Waste Information System, feeding into the national South African Waste Information System (SAWIS). From data collected over the past few years, it is clear that accurate and consistent reporting remains a challenge, particularly due to the lack of weighbridges in most municipalities (this is noted countrywide).

According to Johan Gie, the GRDM Manager: Waste Management: “The RWMF will have two weighbridges installed for the weighing of incoming and outgoing waste collection and transport vehicles”.

GRDM’s strategic planning is committed to the regionalisation of integrated waste management and minimisation services as advocated by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs & Development Planning (DEA&DP) and the National Waste Management Strategy, 2020. The DEA&DP, who is the licensing authority for domestic waste facilities, is committed to only licensing regional landfill sites and will therefore not issue waste management licenses to individual local municipalities going forward. “This is largely due to the economies of scale which reduces the capital and operational costs and improved overall compliance,” says Gie.

A recent picture of domestic waste cells under construction at the GRDM RWMF.

Regionalisation of landfill sites reduce potential detrimental environmental impacts because they avoid the spread of sources of pollution and reduce the socio-economic risks associated with local municipal landfills. A regional site is required, also because there is an exponential influx of people to the Garden Route District and subsequently increases the demand for refuse disposal services. The RWMF will allow the participating municipalities to meet this increased demand associated with the envisaged population growth in a cost-effective manner.

Regional Waste Statistics

The GRDM has access to waste disposal data for each town in the region. This data is critical for understanding waste generation patterns and for publishing statistics that help inform future waste management strategies and future planning. Although the compilation of detailed data, including recycling rates by material type, is ongoing, the GRDM is committed to improving data accuracy and availability.

The information currently reported by municipalities is mainly an estimate due to a shortage of weighbridges. These estimates are calculated by tools developed by DEA&DP and private industry to determine waste tonnages based on the type of vehicle (load capacity); type of waste e.g. builders’ rubble, garden waste, mixed waste etc., which each have an average uncompacted weight per cubic metre, and the percentage of load capacity filled with waste, amongst other things.

The RWMF weighbridges will be calibrated, and accurate waste disposal data will be available for the municipalities utilising the regional site which will be reported on the required information systems accordingly.

In the past, the GRDM assisted the seven local municipalities in the district by facilitating waste characterisation studies. “The aim of the waste characterisation exercise was to address an information gap in terms of the composition of waste stream in the local municipalities,” said Gie.  

The following were noted from the results of the waste characterisation exercises:

  • 3% of the waste stream by mass is composed of mainstream recyclables (paper, plastic, cardboard, glass and metal)
  • 6% of the waste stream by mass is organics, the majority of the organics (73.5%) is kitchen waste
  • Nappies composed 7.8% of the waste stream by mass.

The results of the waste characterisation exercise indicate that a reduction in domestic waste to landfill of 75.9% is achievable if all the recyclable material and organic waste were separated at source by households. In practice a 100% diversion rate is not possible as not all households will participate in a separation at the source. However, there still remains potential to significantly reduce domestic waste that goes landfill.

Recycling Figures and Future Reporting

GRDM is currently updating its data on the types and volumes of recycled materials, which will provide valuable insights into the region’s recycling efforts. These figures, once finalized, will help demonstrate the impact of recycling initiatives and identify areas for improvement.

The GRDM urges the public to make use of the at-source recycling programmes and facilities throughout the region. Households can further reduce their waste by composting organic wastes where possible. The following recycling facilities are registered with GRDM:

Baleng Redira Tyre Recyclers (District) 076 455 9544
Henque Waste (George) 082 552 5373
Henque Waste (Riversdale) 072 626 6249
Henque Waste (Mossel Bay) 067 406 2489
LG E-Waste (George) 061 434 5814
Maiqhame Trading (Plett) 083 650 5620
Retain Recycle Re-Use (Oudtshoorn) 044 279 2081
Southern Cape Waste & Recycling (Mossel Bay) 044 693 5005
DM Recycling Waste Management (Knysna) 072 281 7231

GRDM recognises that waste management is a collective responsibility and calls on businesses and residents to ensure a cleaner, healthier environment for the region.

For any inquiries relating to District Waste Management, please contact Johan Gie on 084 404 3515, or e-mail johang@gardenroute.gov.za

Feature image caption: Weigh bridges form part of the critical path of the RWMF and they are currently being installed.

ENDS

 

20 November 2024 Media Release: Mayors and Municipal Managers Visit Regional Waste Management Facility Site

Media Release: Mayors and Municipal Managers Visit Regional Waste Management Facility Site

20 November 2024

Earlier today, 20 November, Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel led a delegation of Mayors and Municipal Managers from local municipalities on an oversight visit to the Regional Waste Management Facility (RWMF), located next to PetroSA in Mossel Bay.

“During my previous District Coordinating Forum I promised to arrange a site visit for Mayors and Municipal Managers to witness to progress of this collective mega-project,” said Mayor Stroebel.

During the visit, GRDM Waste Manager Johan Gie explained the minimum requirements for initiating waste disposal operations at the facility. These requirements include the completion of Cell 1A, the access road, weighbridge, leachate and contaminated water dams, drainage pipes, guardhouse, weighbridge buildings, and permanent fencing.

Installation of the weighbridge has commenced and will be operational by January 2025.

Gie previously at the DCF detailed some of the challenges faced with completing the project according to its planned schedule. The main issue has been been rain and wind damage, which caused delays in preparing the surface of Cell 1A. Cell 1A is part of the critical path of the project and needs to be completed for municipalities to start disposing waste. “In some cases, work had to be restarted multiple times due to the extent of the damage,” said Gie.

On a positive note, PetroSA has agreed to a month-to-month extension for the disposal of waste at its site adjacent to the RWMF, provided it complies with the prescribed licence conditions. GRDM will also be responsible for operating the temporary site, while also supplying the required cover material.

Overall the stakeholders were impressed with the progress made to date.

In his closing remarks, Mayor Stroebel said: “I want to thank GRDM Community Services Head of Department, Nthabeleng Raisa-Mlandu, the Mayoral Committee Chairperson for Community Services Jobieth Hoogbaard, Johan Gie – our Waste Management Manager and other personnel for their collective efforts to getting this project to where it is today”.

The works are still ongoing at the RWMF.

ENDS

02 August 2024 Media Release: Further Community Clean-Up Initiative in Concordia West

Media Release: Further Community Clean-Up Initiative in Concordia West

2 August 2024

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Waste Management section again worked together with the Waste Management section of Knysna Municipality, Asivikelane, and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to clean Concordia West Kop n Lop on Wednesday, 31 July 2024. This event followed an earlier clean-up on 18 July (Mandela Day) at the Concordia West wetland.

GRDM commended the participants for their dedication in trying to maintain clean environments and stressed the importance of continued education and awareness. During the clean-up, some community members were observed dumping waste even as others were cleaning. According to the GRDM District Waste Management Officer Innocentia Sikweyiya, “this truly highlighted the need for ongoing education about proper waste disposal in our communities”.

GRDM recognises the importance of joint clean-up efforts and stressed the need for stakeholders to revisit and revise their strategies. Integrating education, awareness, and recycling programs into their initiatives is seen as essential for long-term success.

 Stakeholders and Contributions

  • Asivikelane: 37 participants
  • GRDM: Provided gloves, masks, and rakes
  • Polyco: Supplied plastic bags
  • Aquelle: Donated beverages
  • Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE): 30 participants
  • Community Members: 6 participants
  • Knysna Municipality: Provided a refuse truck

In total, 320 bags of waste were collected during the clean-up.  “These two clean-ups clearly demonstrate the value of collaborative efforts in promoting a cleaner and healthier environment,” said Sikweyiya.

 Moving Forward

GRDM encourages ongoing community participation in maintaining cleanliness and stresses the importance of incorporating educational programs to foster better waste management practices. By working together and staying committed to these initiatives, the community can ensure a sustainable, healtier and cleaner future for all.

On the featured image and on the other images, you can see all of the clean-up activities.

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30 July 2024 Public Notice: Section 33 of the Local Government Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003)

NOTICE IN TERMS OF SECTION 33 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT: MUNICIPAL FINANCE MANAGEMENT ACT, 2003 (ACT 56 OF 2003)

Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 33 of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003) that Garden Route District Municipality intends entering into a long-term Service Level Agreement with the Service Provider, Khabokedi Waste Management (Pty) Ltd, for the operation and maintenance of the new Regional Waste Management Facility for the Garden Route District Municipality for a period of ten (10) years for Tender GRDM/19/23-24.

Notice is hereby further given in terms of Section 21 and 21A of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 no. 2000) that the local community and affected parties are invited to submit comments or representations on the draft Service Level Agreement. Any objections, comments or representations regarding the Municipality’s intention and agreement must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly endorsed “SECTION 33 COMMENTS ON NOTICE OF LONG-TERM AGREEMENT” and be physically submitted at the Garden Route District Municipality Reception located at 54 York Street, George; or alternatively e-mailed to Johan Gie, on/or before 30 September 2024 at 12h00.

A copy of the draft agreement, together with an information statement summarising the Municipality’s obligations in terms of the proposed contract is available for inspection during office hours at Garden Route District Municipality’s head and satellite offices. The physical addresses of the various offices can be obtained from the following link on the Municipality’s website.

The Information Statement and draft Service Level Agreement are also be available on the Municipality’s website.

Persons who are physically disabled or unable to write but need to participate in the process may present themselves during office hours at the offices of the Municipality listed above where a staff member will assist them to transcribe the relevant comments or representations.

This notice in published in English and will be made available free of charge, in Afrikaans or Xhosa upon request.

Hierdie kennisgewing word gepubliseer in Engels en sal gratis op aanvraag beskikbaar gemaak word in Afrikaans en Xhosa.

Esi saziso sipapashwe ngesiNgesi kwaye sifumaneka ngesisa, ngolwimi Iwe-Afrikaans okanye isiXhosa xa kukho isicelo eso.

For any information about the above, please contact Johan Gie via e-mail or at telephone number 044 693 0006.

MG Stratu
Municipal Manager
Closing date: 30 September 2024
Notice number: 82/2024

23 July 2024 Media Release: Mandela Day 2024: GRDM and Knysna Municipality Clean-Up Campaign

Mandela Day 2024: GRDM and Knysna Municipality Clean-Up Campaign

23 July 2024

On Thursday, 18 July 2024, the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Waste Management section joined hands with Knysna Municipality to celebrate Mandela Day with a clean-up campaign targeting illegal dumping in the Concordia West wetland. This initiative aimed to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining clean neighbourhoods and reducing waste.

During the campaign, GRDM District Waste Management Officer, Innocentia Sikweyiya, emphasised the importance of reducing waste by buying in bulk and reusing items instead of purchasing disposable plastic bags, favouring reusable shopper bags instead.

The GRDM Waste Management Section would like to thank Knysna Municipality for also referring to the importance of keeping communities clean. It is not just the responsibility of the Municipality to take care of the community; residents should also keep their communities clean. Knysna Municipality has assigned two participants to monitor the area, report any illegal dumping, and send information to law enforcement for investigation.

Stakeholders and Donations

Stakeholders and donations involved in the Mandela Day Clean-up Campaign include:

  • Asivikelane: Donated refreshments for participants.
  • GRDM: Donated plastic bags, gloves, masks, and rakes.
  • Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Workers
  • Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)

The campaign successfully collected 300 bags of waste, making a significant impact on the cleanliness of the Concordia West wetland.

Featured Image Caption: All the stakeholders involved in making the clean-up campaign a success.

By joining hands, GRDM Waste Management Section, Knysna Waste Management, and members of the Concordia West community successfully cleaned the area.

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22 March 2024 Media Release: Empowering Communities through Waste Management: A Celebration of Global Recycling Day

Media Release: Empowering Communities through Waste Management: A Celebration of Global Recycling Day

For Immediate Release
22 March 2024

In honour of Global Recycling Day, on Monday, 18 March 2024, the Waste Management Section of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), in collaboration with Mossel Bay Municipality, arranged a Global Recycling Day: Handover Waste Characterisation event. This gathering not only celebrated the ethos of recycling but also recognised the diligent efforts of participants involved in the GRDM Waste Characterisation Project in Mossel Bay over the past months.

Nombuyiselo Majola, the representative of Mossel Bay Municipality, commended the participants for their commitment to the ‘War on Waste,’ acknowledging the challenges they faced in sorting through waste yet determined with unwavering dedication. “You took bags with waste, went through it; came across things that are smelly and not pleasant, but still you did not miss a day,” she said.

Following Majola’s address, Johan Gie, the GRDM Waste Manager, echoed into the significance of the Waste Characterisation Project and the invaluable contributions of the participants. He highlighted the importance of understanding waste composition in effective waste management strategies, emphasising that “a person cannot manage something if there isn’t knowledge of what is being managed.” Gie expressed gratitude to the participants for their role in providing essential data for informed decision-making regarding waste management initiatives.

During his presentation, Gie showed interesting insights collected from the project, such as the difference in waste composition between different socio-economic areas. He explained how the data collected, influenced strategic planning, such as implementing composting and recycling initiatives based on waste patterns observed in the different neighbourhoods through the study. “Because of the similar studies, we found a lot of organic waste came out of the lower-income areas, explaining that people who earn less, peel their own potatoes and vegetables and in general end-up with a lot of peels and organic waste. In contrast, where people in high-income areas reside, we saw that they tend to buy packets that’s already peeled and cut, which results in a lot of packaging waste” said Gie.

The event also featured a message of support from Charlotta Lamprecht, CEO of Henque Waste, situated in Mossel Bay. She shared the remarkable work her company does in recycling and waste management, inspiring the audience with tales of environmental ownership and community empowerment.  “I always tell people, we are working with waste, but we are not waste. We are proud of what we are doing; we are not stealing and we are not begging; we are working hard. Even though it is sometimes smelly and not good,” she said. Her message was powerfully driven with – if you throw-away you trash, it does not disappear, but it is where people like them comes in.

Participants of the Waste Characterisation Project, like Chriswell Sandile Nongezana and Monwabisi Matthews Sigxavu, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn and contribute to waste management efforts. “With what we have learn here, we can now teach our children and families at home on how to separate waste and how to practise recycle,” Monwabisi Matthews Sigxavu said

As a token of appreciation, all participants received certificates recognising their invaluable contributions, symbolising their role as champions in the ongoing battle against waste.

The Global Recycling Day: Handover Waste Characterisation event served as a emotional reminder of the collective responsibility we bear towards safeguarding our environment. Through community engagement, education, and strategic initiatives, the Garden Route District Municipality and Mossel Bay Municipality are paving the way towards a cleaner, greener future for generations to come.

The Programme was directed by Innocentia Sikweyiya, GRDM District Waste Management Officer who also coordinated the project.

Featured image caption: Participants and stakeholders of the Mossel Bay Municipality Waste Characterisation Project.

-END-

14 February 2024 Update 3 on the Construction of the GRDM Regional Waste Management Facility

Update 3 on the Construction of the GRDM Regional Waste Management Facility

14 February 2024

Bulk earthworks, including the final shaping of Cell 1A and excavation of the leachate and contaminated water dams, are in progress. The road box cut has been completed for the entire access road of 3.8km and the contractor has commenced with the road layer works.

The excavation of the subsoil drainage trenches in Cell 1A is in progress and all the required materials for the installation of the subsoil drainage is on site. The completion of the subsoil drainage will be followed by the installation of the various liners as legislatively required to prevent any underground water or environmental pollution. The clear & grub and removal of topsoil on Cell 1B (adjacent to Cell 1A) is also in progress.

There have been several delays in the construction process to date, however, all avenues to expedite the project is currently being pursued and a revised programme is to be submitted to Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) by 16 February 2024.

-END-

There are currently various activities taking place at the Regional Waste Management Facility in Mossel Bay.