|
The Durban Metropolitan Area (DMA)
produces over 1.8 million tonnes of waste a year, the majority
of which is disposed of in landfill sites. Affluent communities produce
up to 13 times more waste per person than
poor communities. Commercial and industrial activities are the main sources
of hazardous waste. There is currently sufficient capacity for
the disposal of domestic and low hazardous waste
in the DMA, but future capacity is limited. The DMA has
6 operational landfill sites of which 4 are general waste
sites and 2 are low hazard co-disposal sites.
|
General waste - includes rubble, garden refuse,
domestic waste, commercial waste and general dry
industrial waste. |
Hazardous Waste - is any matter which
has toxic, chemical or long-lasting properties which could be
harmful to human health and/or the
environment.
|
How much waste is produced in Durban?
About 1.4 million tonnes
of waste is landfilled in the DMA annually. This does not,
however, reflect the total waste production in Durban which is
in excess of 1.8 million tonnes a year. Considerable
quantities of liquid waste are disposed of through marine
pipelines. In addition, in many informal settlements, only an
estimated 25% of waste reaches the formal waste stream.
Of the waste which is landfilled, about 90% is general
solid waste, with liquid and hazardous waste making up the
balance. In 1996, an estimated 200 tonnes of high hazard waste
(representing some 0.01% of all waste being land filled) was
exported to other provinces for disposal.
Waste disposal (landfill & marine pipeline) in the Durban Metropolitan Area -
1996
|
Type of Waste |
Waste quantity (tonnes per annum) |
% by mass |
Type of disposal
facility |
|
General dry waste |
1 248 000 |
67.93 |
General landfills Low hazard (H:h)
landfills |
|
Lower hazard wet
waste |
130 000 |
7.08 |
Low hazard (H:h)
landfills |
|
Higher hazard waste |
200 |
0.01 |
High hazard (H:H) landfills
(exported) |
|
Medical waste |
+/- 4 000 |
0.22 |
Incinerators |
|
Industrial/sewage effluent (mostly
water) |
455 000 |
24.77 |
Marine Pipelines |
|
Total |
1 837 200 |
100.00 |
|
Note: The 2 low hazardous (H:h) sites in the DMA accommodate
both general dry waste and lower hazard waste.
Click here to view
trends in waste landfilled in the last ten
years.
Who produces waste in DMA?
Domestic waste generation rates depend largely on the type
of community. In informal settlements, each person generates on
average about 40 kilograms of waste a year. In contrast, in
affluent areas, each person on average generates 540 kilograms of waste
a year, or 13 times as much as the poorest communities. The
type of waste generated also varies between communities. More
affluent areas generate more recyclable materials such as
plastics, paper and glass. Poorer areas generate a high
proportion of organic matter. Commercial and industrial
activities are the main sources of
hazardous waste produced in the DMA.
Quantities of waste
produced per person per year
|
Population and income
level
|
Waste generation rates
(m3/person/year) |
Estimated average
mass(kg/person/year) |
|
Higher
Income |
2.70 |
540 |
|
Middle
Income |
0.75 |
150 |
|
Low Income,
Formal |
0.24 |
48 |
|
Low Income,
Informal |
0.20 |
40 |
How is waste disposed of in the
DMA?
Most
of the general and
hazardous
wastes generated
in the DMA are landfilled in the city's general
(G) and low hazard (H:h) landfill sites. There is
no high hazard (H:H) site in the
DMA or even the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
A very small quantity of high hazard waste
(approx 200 tonnes per annum) is currently exported out of
KwaZulu-Natal to high hazard (H:H) landfill sites in Gauteng and
the Eastern Cape. Some industrial effluent is treated and disposed of
to the sewer. All treated sewage and industrial effluent from
the Central and Southern sewage works is disposed of to sea via
marine pipelines. In addition, there are two permitted industrial pipelines in
the DMA which are used for disposal of
certain industrial wastes.
Medical waste is usually
incinerated under controlled conditions. Two private companies
have medical incineration operations, one located in Prospecton
and the other located out of the Durban Metropolitan Area,
in Ixopo. These companies source waste from the DMA and
other parts of KwaZulu-Natal. It is estimated that an average of
135 tonnes of medical waste are incinerated by these two
companies per month. This includes waste collected from over 70% of
the hospitals in KwaZulu Natal, clinics and veterinary clinics.
In addition, some hospitals have their own medical
incinerators on site.
Durban currently has 6 operational landfill sites of which 4 (Bisasar Road,
Mariannhill, Mpumalanga and La Mercy) are general waste sites
and 2 (Bulbul Drive and Shongweni) are low hazard co-disposal sites.
In addition there are a number of garden refuse
disposal sites and 18 transfer stations. The locations of
the landfill sites can be seen on this map.
|
Estimated lifespan of DMA land fill sites
- Bisasar Road site 20+ years
- Mariannhill site 20+ years
- Shongweni 15 years
- Bulbul Drive 8 years
- Mpumalanga Close July 2000
- La Mercy Close Dec
2000
|
There is currently sufficient capacity
to dispose of domestic waste in the DMA but there is a need to
secure additional capacity
for
the future. In addition, the two co-disposal sites have had
to accommodate an extra low hazardous waste load because of
the closure in February 1997 of the largest low hazard site in
the province, Umlazi IV.
|
