The leakage of plastic waste into the environment, including the marine environment, is an issue of growing global concerns. In South Africa, the need to find sustainable solutions is highlighted by the growing consumption of single-use plastic combined with weak waste collection, recycling and disposal systems.ka
According to research conducted by Jamneck et al. in 2015, the country is ranked 11th in terms of the mass of mismanaged plastics waste by countries globally in 2010. Other African countries such as Kenya, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and others have outlawed the use of petroleum-based single and short-term use plastic items. These countries have harsh penalties against companies that manufacture plastics, some even face jail time for continuing to manufacture plastic.
South Africa with the collaboration of Japanese government and the technical support of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have today in a high-level signing ceremony in Pretoria signed the funding agreement for the project to transforming from conventional plastics to more environmentally sustainable alternatives.
Dr Avashenee Chetty, from the CSIR stressed the need for government of science and technology to be on board with project. The three year project aims to support South African industry to transition from conventional plastics to more environmentally sustainable alternative materials. It will be implemented by the UNIDO, in collaboration with the council for scientific and industrial research.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Nomalungelo Gina, promised to do everything in her power to bring on board waste pickers, as they play a big role in the recycling programme. “Those people are dealing with “gold” but they do not know it. It is up to us the government to partner them up with big businesses such as Plastic SA, to not only pick up plastics for recycling purposes, but to add a meaningful contribution to the economy and environment at large”.
The project will include the assessment of new alternatives material such as home- compostable bio-degradable plastics to substitute single- use plastics products, and demonstration of the feasibility of such alternatives in collaboration with the industry. It will also focus on opportunities for local manufacturing and economic development. UNIDO’s international expertise in investment promotion in technology and innovation will be catalytic element in the implementation, while the CSIR will bring to the project its extensive expertise in the assessment of possible new materials from a materials function and polymer science point of view.
One of the biggest material wasted in South Africa is Sawdust, found from the cutting of a tree. Prof Bruce Sithole explained that trees in our country are mostly used for the manufacturing of paper, stating that; currently the industry produces limited products and extracts less than 50% value from trees, a highly inefficient use of a natural resource. Creation of a new value chains from the waste biomass will deliver industrial development opportunities and job creations. The waste can be developed to creating Xylose a product that is exported from other counties. Pine oil, juices, plastics and even chewing gum.
The implementation of this project will give effect to Japan’s commitment to tackle marine plastic litter under the Marine initiative, which will contribute to the realisation of the “Osaka Blue Ocean Vision” indroduced at the Osaka G20 Summit, and UNIDO’s longstanding expertise and leadership in the area of circular economy and waste beneficiation.
The ultimate goal of the project is to contribute to the reduction of plastic leakage into the environment, including the Marine environment.
