- Construction works has commenced on the first of nine new regional waste disposal facilities in Cape Town province South Africa.
- The first facility is situated in Mossel Bay.
Southern African Faith Communities Environmental Affairs MEC Anton Bredell explained that the department and district municipality underwent a consultation process with residents and municipalities for more than 10 years for the project to come to fruition. “South Africa has a serious waste problem. We are running out of landfill space everywhere and the increased cost and growing environmental issues is a problem that we must tackle head-on before it is too late,” added Bredell.
The footprint of the first waste management site in Mossell bay will cover an approximate area of 115 hectares and the landfill waste cells itself will reach a maximum height of 12 metres. Three individual domestic waste cells, and one hazardous waste cell, will be excavated to 6 meters below ground level and filled sequentially.
It will serve Bitou, Knysna, George and Mossel Bay. It is also designed to accommodate domestic waste from Hessequa and Oudtshoorn Municipalities in the future. The initiative would create about 500 temporary and 60 permanent jobs during construction.
The facility will have a lifespan of approximately thirty (30) years. The site will include a domestic waste cell (Class B landfill) and a separate hazardous waste cell (Class A), that will accommodate hazardous waste with low and medium hazard ratings. The services of a roaming chipper and crusher will also be made available to Mossel Bay, George and Knysna municipalities on a rotational basis in order to manage their green waste, construction and demolition waste, respectively.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
