Are South African businesses and municipalities ready to make sustainable waste management decisions? The new National Environmental Management Waste Amendment Act, Act 26 of 2014 (NEMWAA 2014) published on 02 June 2014, is facilitating a shift towards new developments and better processes in the industry – something all organisations should be aware of.

At this year’s leading waste management conference in Africa, WasteCon 2014, taking place from 06 – 10 October at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West, pertinent issues relating to the new Act, structures and the impact it has within the South African economy and landscape will be a core focus.

The theme for this year’s conference is “WIRED FOR WASTE: VALUE * GROW * SUSTAIN”.

“Wired” implies that the conference is well positioned to provide solutions and inspiration for change and transformation, with a multitude of specialists, nationally and internationally, regularly attending, sharing their insight and lessons learnt. The goal of this multi-day conference is to re-energize change and offer solutions for debate.

WasteCon 2014 will be hosting key industry-related workshops during the five-day event at this critical waste management conference. One of these sessions will be the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), who will reporting on the National Environmental Management Waste Amendment Act, Act 26 of 2014 (NEMWAA 2014) during their session on 09 October 2014. NEMWAA 2014 will be covered extensively during this session giving government the opportunity to report back on the Act.

Mark Gordon, Deputy Director-General: Chemicals and Waste Management, Kgauta Mokoena, Chief Director: Chemicals and Waste Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation and Anben Pillay, Director: Waste Policy and Information Management, will lead this thought-provoking two-hour session.

The workshop will give delegates the chance to familiarise themselves with the new Act set in motion earlier this year. This must-attend workshop will give an overview of NEMWAA 2014, the new pricing strategy, the Waste Management Bureau and the NEMWAA 2014 Regulations and Implementation Guide.

“During this specific workshop delegates will have the chance to understand the rationale for the amendment and new inclusions. They will also have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the process of implementing the pricing strategy and the Amendment Act,” says Dr Suzan Oelofse, President of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA).

The various other WasteCon 2014 workshops that delegates can look forward to are:

• The Department of Environmental Affair’s (DEA) Advanced Integrated Solid Waste Technologies in South Africa workshop (08 October 2014)
• GreenCape’s Green Economy workshop (08 October 2014)
• The Social Enterprises and Co-operatives workshop (08 October 2014)
• The Essential Facts of Waste Legislation workshop (08 October 2014)
• PETCO’s Spotlight on Plastic Collection and Recycling workshop (09 October 2014)
• DEA Reporting Session workshop (09 October 2014)

Another key attraction at WasteCon 2014 is the local keynote address by Jenny Cargill, Special Advisor to the Premier of the Western Cape Government with specific focus on the Green Economy. “We are very excited to have Jenny Cargill as our local keynote speaker who will address resource efficiency as the priority choice. Her knowledge on the subject will provide delegates with valuable insights, making WasteCon 2014 a must on this year’s environmental calendar,” says Oelofse.

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