Creecy launches R44m National Waste Management Fleet

• Published date: 24 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, has launched a R44.5 million National Waste Management Fleet at Mulenzhe village in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality, Limpopo.

The National Waste Management Strategy was revised in 2020 and focuses on improving household waste collection; diverting waste from landfills; promoting a circular economy and promoting community awareness of the effects of illegal dumping on their own health and on the environment.

Speaking at the launch on Monday, Creecy said that to achieve the goals of National Waste Management Strategy, all stakeholders must play their part and emphasised that national and provincial government must support municipalities to develop local integrated waste management strategies.

'We must ensure our landfills comply with the regulatory environment and waste does not leach into ground water or into the soil. We must invest in the yellow fleet and every year we must ensure more and more homes have access to safe waste disposal,' Creecy said.

She also emphasised that private sector must promote the circular economy and divert waste from landfills, as government has already set up the regulatory environment for extended producer responsibility schemes to promote re-cycling in the packaging, electronics and lighting industries with recent regulations gazetted for new sectors, including used oil and pesticides.

'Government and the private sector must work with waste reclaimers so that...