This article has been supplied and will be available for a limited time only on this website. As Gauteng runs out of municipal landfill space, a new type of partnership between a waste management company and producer responsibility organisations (PROs) is poised to become a model for efficient material recovery, recycling and job creation.
Situated on a private landfill site in Springs, the new Tonkmeter material recovery facility (MRF) serves reclaimers, businesses and industry in the Ekurhuleni region.
Speaking at the launch, provincial waste management officer Palesa Mathibeli said Gauteng was facing a waste management crisis because municipal landfills were reaching the end of their lifespan and a number had been closed down due to non-compliance, leading to an increase in illegal dumping.
“We are quickly running out of landfill airspace because we are not diverting waste away from them,” Mathibeli said.
“So, it puts more pressure on facilities like this one. That is why we are very happy to see that our private partners are taking the initiative to support each other in addressing this crisis.”
