Wasting the Nation.indd - Groundwork

Chapter 2: Rubbish Figureswaste of 725 kg/y. If, as in Cape Town, 55% of municipal waste is ‘trade’ rather thandomestic, then per capita waste drops to 326 kg/y. Given that the majority of thepopulation falls in the low income group, the implication is that middle and highearners are indeed pushing profligacy to new limits as argued by the NFSD.B1 and B2 municipalities reported more waste collected than disposed of. This meansthey are spilling it, dumping illegally or their figures are completely cocked up. Thelast is most certain although there may also be some illegal dumping by municipalities.That B1 cities, some of them now bidding to be given metropolitan status, cannotgive a coherent account of waste is a sign of the deep malaise in waste management.19% of B1s and 34% of B2s did not respond to the DEAT assessment, indicating thatthey have no effective waste management capacity 15 or are indifferent to the issue. Theabsence of capacity itself indicates the low priority given to waste.B3 and B4 figures look somewhat more credible, reflecting very low collection ratesand people taking their own rubbish to dumps. At best, however, these figures arerough guesses as few of these municipalities are likely even to monitor incoming wasteby sight if, indeed, there is anyone on site. No waste management functions whateverare carried out in several B3 and most B4 municipalities that did respond to the DEATassessment. It is likely that those who did not respond – 39% of B3s and 62% of B4s– similarly just don’t do waste management.In principle, if not necessarily in practice, figures should include illegally dumpedwaste as municipalities are supposed to clean it up and many report doing so. However,costs cannot be recovered for this or for area cleaning and these tasks are widelyneglected or under-resourced even in the metropolitan councils. This is particularlythe case where services are outsourced or corporatised as shown by Samson [2003].Irrespective of privatisation, the principle of cost recovery falls hardest in poor areaswhere municipalities cannot hope to recover costs for any services. The effect is toreproduce the spatial inequities of apartheid.Municipalities do not regard waste minimisation or recycling as ‘core business’, despitethe priority given to it in policy, and 87% say they “lack capacity” for it – which reallymeans that they ignore it. Where recycling is done, it seems that it is outsourced or simplyleft to the private sector. The DEAT assessment comments, “The existing municipal15 The consultants made follow up phone calls and comment that, “Typically, the municipalities that did notrespond indicated a lack of information and personnel to complete the questionnaire.”- 30 - groundWork - Wasting the Nation