THE INFLUENCE OF WASTE MANAGEMENT IN POLICY OF RECYCLING SCRAP METAL IN AFRICA


 


       Africa has a good policy in waste management and recycling of waste materials, the central and provincial agencies and leaders are the one who built specific sets of implementing law to further enhance their system in waste management and recycling that supports comprehensive reforms to minimize waste to protect the environment and to provide sustainability among its people. They have also provided the international agenda about waste management to the 4R which is Reuse, Reduce, Recycle and Repair the waste materials as a process that can be used to eliminate disposal but legally speaking Recycling is still a voluntary act from companies and they are not required nor given support such as incentives or rewards from the government.  


      Usually the laws are delivered, controlled and conducted through municipal autonomy and by laws, this means that although there are laws that are made by the higher authorities there may not be centralized law enforcement in Africa about waste management that often leads to irrational implementation and option of not following such laws. This practice may somehow weakens some municipality and villages to re-enforce such laws in most areas including recycling scrap metals, papers, plastics and other materials. According to National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and National Waste Management Strategy the Municipality has the responsibility of waste collection and disposal that includes the recycling of waste materials.


      All in all the highest authority and responsible agency about recycling in all level is the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in South Africa; they are the one to engage the law to local municipality and government so that they themselves have an obligations and references to follow through the Integrated Waste Management Plan. But this is not usually the case since not all local municipalities can comply, they does not have the necessary equipment and funds to provide recycling facilities in their area.


      In most parts of Africa Scrap Metal Recycling is conducted mostly by private companies and most companies who produce materials from plastic, metals, papers etc. are not required to establish their own recycling shop nor they are not even required to recycle their consumed products but usually companies are voluntarily buying scrap metals for recycling. If there are enterprises and individual who would like to set up basic scrap metal recycling usually what they need is the legal documentation before setting up their facilities and these are; Environmental Impact Assessment to regulate environmental harm, Suitable Location that will not create health hazards to the community and lastly the Acquisition of Land that is given by the municipality for permission of sales.


      Scrap Metal Recycling Shops should not also be involved in buying scrap metals coming from theft from railroads, bridges, water meters, traffic lights and any other sources that are obviously coming from stolen government and private properties. If possible they should also report sellers who are doing such activities to eliminate theft of metals including certain coppers, aluminum and other metals. The government and municipality have also taken their initiatives to promote to the community the available Scrap Metal Recycling shops to sell their waste materials and in response people deposit their recyclable metals including aluminum, tin cans, copper, wires, machines, hangers and appliances that are made of metals.


      In South Africa as early as 1990 there are participation of Schools, Local Government Unit, Municipalities and Non Government Organizations who participated the waste management policy to collect scrap metals, plastics, rubber, paper, glass and other recyclable materials and the institution themselves will be the one to sell the materials to the recycling shops, there are also shops that fetched the materials to some schools. The proceeds will be used for school facilities and other expenditures but as of today it has not been done again within the communities.


      Generally in determining cost analysis and benefits the Scrap Metal Recycling has been a competitive business in most parts of Africa especially in South Africa like in Cape Town, they have provided informal employment and income generation to some of their community residence by selling their stuff, the municipality have also reduce waste coming from scrap metal including tin cans and small metallic garbage are being sold. They have also protected the environment from pollution by eliminating landfill but generally it is the recycling shop who have benefited from their scrap. There are also cause oriented group including college universities who believed that the sustainability of recycling in their areas are not worth it since foreign companies are usually the owner of most recycling company in most African Countries.     


References:  http://www.mra.co.za/code-of-conduct.html    http://utilities.zibb.com/suppliers/waste+recycling+and+recovery/za/25740690   http://www.sawic.org.za/documents/232.pdf  



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