Bredell announces initiative to improve and recognise waste management excellence in Western Cape Municipalities
“Waste management is one of the core basic services a municipality must provide to its residents. Waste management is also central to our response of balancing economic development and environmental protection. As such, we are always searching for new ways to support municipalities in providing this essential service,” Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning said.
Bredell was referring to the launch of the Integrated Waste Management Recognition Programme (IWMRP) administered by the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. The Programme will promote the sharing of best practices and innovation in waste management amongst municipalities in the Western Cape. It will also encourage municipalities to be proactive in their approach to addressing waste challenges.
The launch of the IWMRP is also an effort to continue the good work done by the Cleanest Town Competition, which used to be funded by the National Department of Environmental Affairs but was discontinued in 2019. “In the absence of the Cleanest Town Competition, we had to find something to replace it with in the Western Cape,” Bredell said.
Bredell said there is a direct link between good local government management on the one hand, and prospering communities on the other hand. “Investment and economic development flows to towns and areas that are clean and safe and where basic services are provided. Through the IWMRP we are creating a platform that will recognise and promote good waste management governance.”
The IWMRP is also innovative in the sense that it will make use of an existing electronic reporting platform to gather and compile waste management information from municipalities. In this way, duplication is avoided, and documents can be uploaded electronically.
At this stage, there is no prize money, but winning municipalities will benefit from positive media exposure, and all municipalities will benefit through the knowledge exchange that will be facilitated, according to Bredell.
As part of the larger drive towards greener municipalities, Western Cape municipalities must develop Waste Diversion Plans, with the target of diverting 100% of organic waste from landfill sites by 2027. This is to reduce the amount of methane gas generated and released into the atmosphere from landfill sites. “Diversion rates are currently at 32%, and we have already received diversion plans from 15 municipalities. Before the Waste Diversion initiative came into effect, diversion rates stood at between 10% and 15%,” Bredell said.
Contact:
Wouter Kriel
Spokesperson for Minister Anton Bredell
Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
079 694 3085