The governance role of local government in the recycling of domestic waste

Abstract

Research has shown that South African households produce on average 54.2 million tons of waste per year. This means that each South African produces just under one ton of waste each year. There has been an ever-growing concern about waste due to overconsumption and about what the effects of waste are on the natural environment all over the world. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the entire human population involve themselves in developing and upholding sustainable methods of controlling domestic waste. A major waste concern is the mismanagement of plastic, especially how plastic particles have entrenched themselves into each and every aspect of the earth. Research has shown that pieces of plastic have been found in the anatomy of marine life, in large gyres and in 93% of bottled water. Almost the entire international community have accepted that waste control is essential to protect the environment, and effective waste management (such as recycling) has become an international concern, which further reiterates how important recycling is. Although many developed and some developing countries have been highly successful in waste management through waste prevention, minimisation and recycling, South Africa is said to be approximately 30 years behind these countries when it comes to recycling initiatives and managing waste.