Waste management challenges to opportunities in the west rand district municipality, Gauteng, South Africa : initiatives

Abstract: The increased waste management and minimisation developments have placed enormous pressure on the West Rand District Municipality (WRDM) considering the rapidly shrinking airspace of the 5 landfill sites, rapid economic and population growth, lack of proper separation facility, which have led to waste management challenges in 4 Local Municipalities (LMs) of the WRDM i.e., Randfontein, Mogale City, Merafong City and Westonaria. Other waste management challenges faced by WRDM include recycling that is mostly done by unregistered informal recyclers/scavengers, shortage of waste transportation services, illegal dumping, in appropriate final waste disposal, generation of greenhouse gases at landfill sites such as methane gases that contributes to air pollution/global warming and water pollution through leachate migration. However, these challenges can be turned into useful resources and opportunities if properly managed and can provide employment for WRDM personnel including the conversion of waste into energy through thermal combustion and bio-gasification