Date: 17/11/2005
Source: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Title: van Schalkwyk: Cleanest Town Competition Awards
Speech by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, at the annual Cleanest Town Competition Awards, Pretoria
Targeting zero waste: Minister announces winners of 2005 Cleanest Town Competition
There are few experiences that can compare with an early morning walk in the Highveld mists or the rolling thunder of Atlantic waves pounding untouched white beaches. The open expanse of a crisp Karoo sunset is matched in splendour only by experiences like catching your first glimpse of an elephant or rhino in Umfolozi or reaching the summit of a Table Mountain hike. It is too often the case that we forget how privileged we are to live where we live, surrounded by the beauty and majesty of a country like no other on earth.
This gift of natural wonder is not granted to us free of responsibility. As South Africans we have been entrusted with a wealth of natural treasures that range from global icons like the Cape Floristic Kingdom, to the more everyday, but no less valuable, rivers, fields and forests that form the living backdrop of every community in our country.
Issues like waste management, recycling programmes and awareness initiatives are extremely important parts of improving and sustaining our environment and they are the nuts and bolts of this Cleanest Town Competition. The heart of this campaign however, is the clear and shared understanding of what we must do to ensure that our environment is protected.
Growth and Importance of the Competition
In 2003 the Institute of Waste Management in South Africa estimated that almost 470 million tons of waste is produced every year by our country - the majority of which is attributed to the mining sector. Individual South Africans are said to account for, on average, up to 2 kg of waste every day. With a rapidly expanding population, growing levels of waste and landfill sites approaching capacity, it is clear that the priorities of reducing, reusing and recycling are becoming more urgent for our communities.
Since it was launched at the National Waste Summit in Polokwane in 2001, the Cleanest Town Competition has grown beyond all recognition. In 2002, with only 76 entries, it made a tentative start. Last year we set a new record with a total of 148 entries from almost every corner of South Africa. This year we have seen that number dip slightly - to 144 entries.
It is not only the scale of the campaign that has grown however, it is also the scope, with a focus not only on physical conditions like waste disposal facilities and social services but also on programmes and projects like greening initiatives, waste management practices, education programmes, and community mobilisation.
As part of the implementation of our National Waste Management Strategy, the campaign plays an important role in raising awareness and recognising and encouraging good waste management strategies at local level.
New Waste Agreements and New Waste Bill
To meet these challenges and to address the targets agreed upon in the Polokwane Declaration, we have set for ourselves the target to reduce the amount of big 5 waste (plastics, cans, paper, glass, and tyres) that reaches landfills by 70% by 2022 and to have in place plans to minimise and treat the remaining 30%. This is our zero waste goal and in addition to programmes like this competition, we have also launched a number of national initiatives to make it a reality.
Amongst these have been the agreements that have been signed on priority waste streams like those with the plastic bag producers and the waste glass industry. We are in the final stages of an agreement with the waste tyre sector, with regulations and a Memorandum of Understanding that will be published for comment in the first quarter of 2006. Our next priority will be polyethylene (PET) waste on which we plan to finalise an agreement by the middle of next year. I would like to thank our private sector for the levels of co-operation and willing partnership that have been the hallmark of these agreements.
One of the most important national initiatives is the new National Integrated Waste Management Bill, which will also be ready for consultation in the second quarter of 2006 and which we aim to table in Parliament in the second half of next year. This new legislation will ensure that waste is approached in a holistic way - from point of generation to final disposal - ensuring that norms and standards are applied, monitored and enforced in all communities.
And the winners are…
Before we get to the announcement of our winners for this year, I would like to express our thanks to the members of the Steering Committee and the National Evaluation Panel, under the leadership of our Head of Communications, JP Louw - for their hard work and willingness to give of their time in ensuring that the environmental efforts of our local cities and towns are recognised and rewarded.
It is now my great pleasure to announce the finalists and winners of the 2004/05 Cleanest Town Competition. In the Local Council Category the second runner-up is Naledi in the Free State. The first runner-up is Overstrand, in the Western Cape. The winner and recipient of the R1 million prize in the Local Council Category is BaPhalaborwa, in Limpopo. In the Metropolitan Council category, the second runner-up is Cape Town. The first runner-up is the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The winner and recipient of the R1 million prize is eThekwini Municipality.
Of course this campaign is only partly about the overall winners. At least as important is the campaign report, which has carefully analysed the efforts of every participating city and town - reflecting both on strengths and areas in which improvements can still be made. Our congratulations go to every winning council - and especially to the residents of these cities and towns for the efforts that they are making to ensure that our South African environment is protected for every future generation.
Issued by: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
17 November 2005
Source: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Title: van Schalkwyk: Cleanest Town Competition Awards
Speech by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, at the annual Cleanest Town Competition Awards, Pretoria
Targeting zero waste: Minister announces winners of 2005 Cleanest Town Competition
There are few experiences that can compare with an early morning walk in the Highveld mists or the rolling thunder of Atlantic waves pounding untouched white beaches. The open expanse of a crisp Karoo sunset is matched in splendour only by experiences like catching your first glimpse of an elephant or rhino in Umfolozi or reaching the summit of a Table Mountain hike. It is too often the case that we forget how privileged we are to live where we live, surrounded by the beauty and majesty of a country like no other on earth.
This gift of natural wonder is not granted to us free of responsibility. As South Africans we have been entrusted with a wealth of natural treasures that range from global icons like the Cape Floristic Kingdom, to the more everyday, but no less valuable, rivers, fields and forests that form the living backdrop of every community in our country.
Issues like waste management, recycling programmes and awareness initiatives are extremely important parts of improving and sustaining our environment and they are the nuts and bolts of this Cleanest Town Competition. The heart of this campaign however, is the clear and shared understanding of what we must do to ensure that our environment is protected.
Growth and Importance of the Competition
In 2003 the Institute of Waste Management in South Africa estimated that almost 470 million tons of waste is produced every year by our country - the majority of which is attributed to the mining sector. Individual South Africans are said to account for, on average, up to 2 kg of waste every day. With a rapidly expanding population, growing levels of waste and landfill sites approaching capacity, it is clear that the priorities of reducing, reusing and recycling are becoming more urgent for our communities.
Since it was launched at the National Waste Summit in Polokwane in 2001, the Cleanest Town Competition has grown beyond all recognition. In 2002, with only 76 entries, it made a tentative start. Last year we set a new record with a total of 148 entries from almost every corner of South Africa. This year we have seen that number dip slightly - to 144 entries.
It is not only the scale of the campaign that has grown however, it is also the scope, with a focus not only on physical conditions like waste disposal facilities and social services but also on programmes and projects like greening initiatives, waste management practices, education programmes, and community mobilisation.
As part of the implementation of our National Waste Management Strategy, the campaign plays an important role in raising awareness and recognising and encouraging good waste management strategies at local level.
New Waste Agreements and New Waste Bill
To meet these challenges and to address the targets agreed upon in the Polokwane Declaration, we have set for ourselves the target to reduce the amount of big 5 waste (plastics, cans, paper, glass, and tyres) that reaches landfills by 70% by 2022 and to have in place plans to minimise and treat the remaining 30%. This is our zero waste goal and in addition to programmes like this competition, we have also launched a number of national initiatives to make it a reality.
Amongst these have been the agreements that have been signed on priority waste streams like those with the plastic bag producers and the waste glass industry. We are in the final stages of an agreement with the waste tyre sector, with regulations and a Memorandum of Understanding that will be published for comment in the first quarter of 2006. Our next priority will be polyethylene (PET) waste on which we plan to finalise an agreement by the middle of next year. I would like to thank our private sector for the levels of co-operation and willing partnership that have been the hallmark of these agreements.
One of the most important national initiatives is the new National Integrated Waste Management Bill, which will also be ready for consultation in the second quarter of 2006 and which we aim to table in Parliament in the second half of next year. This new legislation will ensure that waste is approached in a holistic way - from point of generation to final disposal - ensuring that norms and standards are applied, monitored and enforced in all communities.
And the winners are…
Before we get to the announcement of our winners for this year, I would like to express our thanks to the members of the Steering Committee and the National Evaluation Panel, under the leadership of our Head of Communications, JP Louw - for their hard work and willingness to give of their time in ensuring that the environmental efforts of our local cities and towns are recognised and rewarded.
It is now my great pleasure to announce the finalists and winners of the 2004/05 Cleanest Town Competition. In the Local Council Category the second runner-up is Naledi in the Free State. The first runner-up is Overstrand, in the Western Cape. The winner and recipient of the R1 million prize in the Local Council Category is BaPhalaborwa, in Limpopo. In the Metropolitan Council category, the second runner-up is Cape Town. The first runner-up is the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The winner and recipient of the R1 million prize is eThekwini Municipality.
Of course this campaign is only partly about the overall winners. At least as important is the campaign report, which has carefully analysed the efforts of every participating city and town - reflecting both on strengths and areas in which improvements can still be made. Our congratulations go to every winning council - and especially to the residents of these cities and towns for the efforts that they are making to ensure that our South African environment is protected for every future generation.
Issued by: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
17 November 2005
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