Browsing by Author "Nell, Charlotte Maria"

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    Determining spatial and temporal change in household solid waste composition within Stellenbosch local municipality
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Nell, Charlotte Maria; De Waal, Jan; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography & Environmental Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The quantities in which solid waste is generated are continuously increasing throughout the world. If waste is not treated or disposed of in an appropriate manner, the consequences for societies and environments are likely to be extremely adverse, if not catastrophic. Consequently, effective management of household solid waste is crucial to ensuring the maintenance of clean and healthy living environments. As it is incumbent upon local authorities in South Africa to provide solid waste management services, they require accurate information pertaining to their waste streams to guide their waste management practices. It is widely recognised throughout the world that waste characterisation studies represent an optimal means of obtaining detailed data pertaining to waste streams. This thesis concerns the findings and a comparative analysis of two waste characterisation studies which were conducted in 2012 and 2017 in the Stellenbosch municipal area. The studies were concerned solely with the residual portion of household solid waste which is landfilled. While the fourteen areas were surveyed in the study of 2012 and samples were sorted into seven fractions, twenty-three areas were surveyed in the study of 2017 and some of the fractions which had been used in 2012 were further sub-divided to yield a total of eighteen fractions. Ten of the areas which were surveyed in 2017 were either similar to or overlapped with those which were surveyed in 2012. In each study, waste profiles were determined by both mass and uncompacted volume for each area. The respective findings from 2012 and 2017 were then compared to identify spatio-temporal changes and statistical analyses were performed to determine the significance of each change. Correlations were also determined between relevant socioeconomic parameters and the data which had been obtained pertaining to the waste streams of individual areas. Organic waste represented the predominant waste fraction by mass in all ten overlapping areas in the two characterisation studies, while the plastic wrap/packaging fraction was the largest by volume in all areas in both studies. The largest and most significant temporal changes from 2012 to 2017 were a very large increase by mass in the case of the plastic wrap/packaging fraction and by volume in that of the hard plastics fraction. The findings revealed that the high rates at which particular fractions of the waste stream were disposed of in low-income areas were skewed as a consequence of the separation at source programme not being implemented in the areas. Consequently, it is recommended that the implementation of the programme should be extended to all areas which fall under the jurisdiction of the Stellenbosch Local Municipality, in the form of a three-bag separation at source programme. Improved education and awareness concerning the waste crisis with which the municipality is faced at present is also equally crucial.