SOL PLAATJE NEW UNIVERSITY

CIVIL SERVICES REPORT

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

AUGUST 2013
Prepared by: WF Potgieter

New University Sol Plaatje

Management of Solid Waste

Aug13

CIVIL SERVICES REPORT

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
INDEX

Page

1. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................3
2. WASTE GENERATION....................................................................................5
3. RECYCLING.....................................................................................................8
4. ON-SITE WASTE HANDLING.........................................................................9
5. COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL......................................................................9

ANNEXURES Background information to Solid Waste removal

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1. INTRODUCTION
This document provides background and information for the management of solid
waste material on the premises of the proposed new university to be established in
Sol Plaatje.
1.1

SITE DESCRIPTION & LOCATION

The New Sol Plaatje University is located in the Inner City of Kimberley. The site is
divided in a northern, central and southern campus.
The locality plan is shown below.

1.2

SOLID WASTE
Sold waste is categorised as either general or hazardous waste according to
Department of Water Affairs Minimum Requirements Documents. General wastes
can be subdivided into the following categories:
1. Paper
2. Plastic
3. Metals
4. Glass
5. Organics and
6. Inert Materials (eg. building rubble)
Details of the specific waste that will be generated on the university campus are
not available at present. The document will therefore report on general waste and
estimations will be made to provide preliminary volumes of each type of waste
generated during operations.

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1.3

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WASTE GENERATION
For the purpose of this report, the volume of waste generated is done by
multiplying anticipated student figures with a waste generation figure per capita per
day, or by multiplying the area by a similar figure of waste generation per m of
area.
Future needs assessment are done from anticipated number of daily students and
staff. Assumptions and estimated figures are discussed in more detail below.

1.4

SERVICE AGREEMENT
Details on projected numbers will be captured in a service agreement between the
New Sol Plaatje University and Sol Plaatje who will be responsible for the disposal
of solid waste and the provision of solid waste management services.

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2. WASTE GENERATION
2.1

UNIT WASTE FIGURES

The estimated solid waste to be generated on campus is determined by calculating
student and staff projections with unit waste generation figures (kg/person/day),
derived from various waste stream analyses previously compiled.
The unit waste generation is dependent on the waste type. The table below lists
the figure assumed for generation of waste on the campus.

Table 1:

Unit Waste Generation Figures

Domestic Waste Generation (kg/person/day)

Description

Waste Generation

Day to day students

Stay-in students
Day to day staff
Stay-in staff

2.2

0.8
1.5
0.8
1

DENSITY OF WASTE TYPES AND COMPACTION RATIO'S

2.2.1 Densities
The volume of waste to be collected, transported or disposed is expressed in the
following ways:
mass in kg/day or tons/annum,
volume in un-compacted m3/day or m/annum, used for the generation of waste
figures (including transportation of un-compacted waste types), and
volume in compacted waste in m3/annum (to the assumed compaction ratio before or
during transportation).
Compaction is done by means of a static linear compactor or a hydraulic compacting
transportation vehicle such as a Rear End Loader (REL),
The conversion of mass to un-compacted volume is calculated using a density in kg/m 3.
The densities used in this Study are derived from previous waste stream analyses.
Table 2:

Un-compacted Waste Densities

Un-compacted Waste Densities
Waste Type

Density (kg/m)

General Waste
Garden Waste

200
150
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2.2.2 Compaction Ratio's

The approximate compaction ratios for the various collection and compaction equipment
that may be utilised in future are listed in Table 3.
Table 3:

Compaction Ratio's
Compaction Ratio's
Compactor Type

Compaction Ratio

Rear End Loader (REL)

Static Linear Compactor
Roll-on/Lift on Collection Vehicles
Cage/Box Collection Vehicles

2.3

3:1
4:1
1:1
1:1

GENERAL WASTE GENERATION

The projection of student and staff that will reside on the campus
maximum number of students and staff per day and staying in.
Table 4:

the expected

University Population Figures

University Population Figures

Description

Number of
Students

Daily Students
Stay-in Students
Total Students

1 000
4 000
5 000
Staff

Estimated Daily Staff

Estimated Stay-in Staff
Total Staff (Estimated at 10% of student population

460
40
500

Listed below is the estimated total quantities of waste (by mass) that will be generated
based on the estimated student and staff figures listed above. A year was taken as 365
days for stay-in students and staff and 260 days for daily students and staff.

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Table 5:

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Estimated General Waste Generation (By Mass)

The estimated total volumes of waste that will be generated based on the waste
generation, waste densities and the compaction ratio of a static linear compactor (the
suggested method of on-site compaction) is summarized below.
Table 6:

Estimated Waste Generation (By Volume)

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3. RECYCLING
Waste recycling/reclaiming is the process by which materials otherwise destined for
disposal to landfill, are collected, processed and remanufactured or reused. Recycling is
a method of waste minimisation, which in turn will minimise transportation costs due to
the lower volumes of waste being disposed. Recycling or waste minimisation will also
prolong the availability of airspace at disposal sites.
Waste recycling forms an integral part of the National Waste Management Strategy.
Recycling will improve the environment by ensuring a cleaner, safer and healthier
atmosphere.
The following two basic methods of material recovery have been considered:
1. formalised material recovery at source of generation. Separation of waste at
source must however, be carried out in a manner that is supported and
acceptable to the waste generators, and it should not create a negative impact
and/or liabilities against the generators.
2. separation of recyclable material at a transfer or a disposal facility.
It is envisaged for the New University to implement the first method.
The success of a recycling project heavily depends on the volume, the quality of the
recyclable material, systematised collection, proper waste handling and availability of a
market. The composition of waste generation is based on previous waste stream
analysis studies, and specific analysis should be conducted in similar institutions to
confirm the following estimated quantities.
The table below gives an indication of the estimated typical waste composition by mass
(%) of the components of waste in areas similar to the study area.
Table 7:

Recyclable Materials

Item

Hard Plastics (recyclable)

Soft Plastics (recyclable)
Glass (recyclable)
Tin/Aluminium (recyclable)
Cardboard (recyclable)
Other Paper (non-recyclable)
Organic/Food (non-recyclable)
Other (non-recyclable)

6
18
15
22
8
10
18
3

It is estimated that a total of 69% could be recycled (hard plastic, soft plastic, glass,
tin/aluminium, cardboard), provided the infrastructure and systems are put in place.
An estimate was made on waste quantities that could potentially be recycled based on
the above and the estimated waste generation figures. The waste densities and the
compaction ratio of a static linear compactor (the suggested method of on-site
compaction) was again used for mass to volume conversions.The amount of waste to be
disposed of at a landfill is approximately 3 m/day after recycling and compaction while

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the remaining approximately 6 m/day of recyclable material will be carted off to potential
buyers to be sold.

4. ON-SITE WASTE HANDLING

In support of waste minimisation and recycling programs, every effort should be made to
minimise and recycle as much as possible. The potential for implementing a waste
minimisation/recycling program is even greater in areas where a large number of people
are present.
A waste management system will have to be implemented, managed and coordinated by
the university. In order to effectively collect the different waste types on site the university
would have to implement systems to collect, sort and store the different waste types until
collection for recycling and/or disposal.
One such a system would be a system of bins with specifically marked hoods. The bins
could be deployed in clusters of three:
two (blue) hoods for recyclables, and
one (grey) for 'other' (i.e. non-recyclable) waste.
This grouping of three hoods is important, as users must be provided with a full range of
'choices' in each position where the cluster is deployed, otherwise waste will be misssorted.
The university has a choice with regard to the management of on-site handling of the
waste and recyclable materials. The on-site waste management can either be managed
by the university by employing and coordinating staff and obtaining the required
equipment and vehicles or the university can appoint a service provider to manage the
waste and recycling activities on their behalf. The advantage of the latter is that the
service provider must provide the required staff, equipment and maintenance and will
therefore save the university capital expenditure and maintenance costs.

5. COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL

Preliminary discussions with the officials of Sol Plaatje Municipality confirmed that the
municipality will collect waste from the different university sites and dispose of at the
nearest landfill site.
The waste will be stored in skips to be provided by the municipality for collection and
disposal. The municipality will bill the university according to their rates and tariffs'
schedule for the collection and disposal services rendered. From the previously
calculated waste volumes (after recycling) it will only be necessary for the municipality to
collect and dispose of waste at least two times per week.
The nearest disposal facility at present is a Waste Landfill Site within 10km from the
proposed New University premises. The site is owned by Sol Plaatje Municipality.
The transportation of the compacted recycled materials will be the responsibility of the
university. As mentioned earlier in this report, the university will either have to manage
the transportation and selling of the recycled material themselves or an appointed
service provider can do it on their behalf.
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Annexure A Background information on Waste Management

INTRODUCTION
The focus of Waste Management in South Africa is changing. The emphasis is no longer on the disposal of
waste, but rather on avoiding its generation and minimising the waste stream wherever possible.
South Africa has a policy on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management in place and a comprehensive
National Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan to implement that policy. But if we are going to reach
the goals of the Polokwane Declaration adopted at the National Waste Summit of September 2001 and work
towards a waste free environment, each resident in every municipality will have to become a more
responsible manager of waste.
Traditionally, South Africa had followed an end of pipe waste management philosophy that resulted in a
small percentage of waste being recycled, with the remaining bulk of the waste stream being disposed of at
landfill sites. With urban real estate at a premium, and our natural resource base under growing pressure, a
new national waste management strategy was needed and formulated.
The new integrated Waste Management Policy and the National Waste Management strategy seeks to
minimise the waste stream going to landfills, while extracting maximum value from the waste stream at all
stages of the collection and disposal process. The strategy also introduced a slew of rigorous new
environmental regulations, designed to bring South Africas waste management in line with the Best
Environmental Practices In the world. Current world Best Practice standards dictate that only 10% of the
waste stream should end up in landfills. The broad goal any waste management strategy should be to
support the international vision of Zero waste to landfills by 2022. While this is a practically unattainable
goal some waste will always have to be disposed of at landfills it nevertheless remains an ideal and
focused goal.
Yet the challenge lies not just in the mere act of collecting and disposing of the waste, but also in how this is
accomplished. Recycling is the key to the twin goals of minimising the waste going to landfills and extracting
maximum value from the waste stream. Separating recyclable materials glass, paper, metals and certain
plastics out of the waste stream reduces the bulk of waste going to landfills, eases the strain on our
natural resources, and helps to create employment in both the informal and formalised waste reclamation
sectors.
The waste management system for the new University of Northern Cape would need to be designed within
the Best Practicable Environmental Option in compliance with the Integrated Waste Management Policy of
the Sol Plaatje Municipality Community Services Environmental Health Department
At present compliance with the broader issues of waste management, the environmental impact of large
scale developments and general sustainability issues have not altered the requirements for Local Authority
Building approval but we should be mindful that in the near future these issues will require input from the
University Administration.

PROPOSED NORTHERN CAPE NEW UNIVERSITIES WASTE MANAGEMENT

PROCEDURES
STANDARD LOCAL AUTHORITY REQUIREMENTS:
At present Local Authority Standards require that each property has a waste collection point provided which
is easily accessible from the road by the Local Authoritys Refuse Trucks. Waste Collection Areas are
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designed to meet the designated Local Authorities Area requirements. On a large scale project these areas
may prove to be quite onerous in respect of the size required.
Standard requirements are designed around the following parameters:
Domestic and Business Waste stored in 240 litre bins for collection once a week
Putrescible Waste stored in 240 litre bins for daily collection
The provided Refuse Area is determined by the volume of Waste generated by the complex. Volume is
calculated on the following standard formula:
Generation Factor (f (g)) x Floor Area (FA)/100 = volume (m) per week
The standard generator factors are:
Residential: 0.1425 (Residences)
Offices: 0.2258 (Administration, Teaching Facilities, Shared Amenities, Etc.)
Retail: 0.92353 (Catering Facilities)
Using these factors the new University of Sol Plaatje would require a Refuse Yard of approximately 2337m.
The area required for a university campus for approximately 5, 000 students, 4, 000 of whom are housed on
the site is of course particularly onerous and potentially extremely inconvenient to include in each land
parcel and therefore an effective Waste Management Plan that deals with the removal of the different types
of waste generated and the on site compaction of refuse and collection thereof can effectively reduce the
statutory requirements.
PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE FOR A LARGE SCALE PRECINCT:
An alternative to this would be to have one Centralised Refuse Sorting Yard Eco Centre for the entire
Campus located out of the direct eye of the inhabitants and daily occupants from which the Local Authority
and Recycling Companies could collect the waste. The Eco Centre could then be designed to properly
accommodate any future requirements by Local Authorities and Central Government to reduce the
environmental impact of waste generation. This option would allow for the incorporation of all the necessary
equipment for sorting, recycling and reduction of waste in one place and reduce the cost of waste
management for the University Administration.
The Eco Centre would be feed by a series of smaller Building Specific Refuse Rooms located at street
level conveniently closer to the Building tenants where they are not immediately visible would then supply
garbage to the Eco Centre. All storage of waste in these Refuse Rooms would be limited to bins which
could be transported to the Eco Centre on a small vehicle (bakkie).
The system described above requires the deployment of a Campus operated Waste Management System,
which regularly transports, i.e. removes the waste from each holding area on a minimum of a single daily
removal for the low waste generating tenants Administration Offices, Teaching Spaces and Residences) and
as many as are necessary daily removals from the Catering Facilities provided through the Campus, that
regularly generate wet waste from the minor Refuse Holding Rooms to the Eco Centre, where it is
systematically sorted into recyclable products, hazardous waste, compostable garden waste, builders waste,
and putrescible organic waste. The sorted recyclable products can then be sold on to the recycling
companies and removed. Hazardous Waste is removed to a hazardous waste disposal for incineration.
Compostable garden waste is forwarded to Composting Plants to allow green waste to be diverted from
Landfill and put back into the soil as nutrient. The balance is removed to localised landfill sites. In the future
putrescible organic waste may be supplied to Bio Digestors for conversion into methane gas (and possibly
returned into the Power grid) and organic by-products used as soil nutrients.
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The key objectives, an over-view of the waste management system, and specific duties are the participating
parties are briefly detailed here-below.
A. KEY OBJECTIVES

To maintain the highest possible standard of hygiene relating to the transport, storage and processing of
waste on site.
To minimise the environmental impact of the disposal of waste by addressing Recycling and
Reduction of waste
To ensure safe, effective handling of solid waste in compliance with all relevant legislation.

B. OVER-VIEW OF WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A series of localised waste holding rooms would need to be incorporated in the design throughout the
campus for the temporary holding of waste. All generated waste would be taken to the closest holding room
by the respective building cleaning staff. Waste will be collected from these holding rooms on a regular basis
by a waste management company appointed by the University Administration as an Operating expense. The
Waste Management Service Provider would be appointed to provide 365 days per year service.
The location of the waste holding rooms would be planned to maximise site aesthetics, provide the most
convenient access to building occupants, and maximise operational efficiencies.
The waste will be taken to a centralised Eco Centre on the campus by the appointed waste management
company. This Eco Centre is provided with all necessary plant and equipment for the recovery of
recyclable materials (thereby achieving a reduction in the volume of waste which is subsequently disposed
to landfill).
The Waste would generally be sorted into the following categories for forward delivery to:
Product:
Compostable Organic Material
Putrescible Organic Waste
Building Rubble
Building Rubble Metalwork
Cardboard Boxes, Newspapers, Magazines and Plain Paper
Glass Bottles and Jars
Plastic bottles, Bags, Buckets, Dustbins, Toys and Expanded Styrene
Metal: Steel, Aluminium and Tin Food and Beverage Cans
E-Waste
Hazardous Materials:
Fluorescent and Long Life Light Bulbs
Batteries
Aerosol Cans
Paint
Oils Oil Recycling Plant
Infectious Medical Waste
Drugs and Chemicals

Dump Site:
Composting Plant
Bio Digestor or Landfill
Landfill Site
Metal Recycling Plant
Paper Recycling Plant
Glass Recycling Plant
Plastic Recycling Plant
Metal Recycling Plant
E-Waste Recyclers
Light Crusher

Incinerator
Incinerator

Standard Plant provided at the Eco Centre generally includes the following Equipment:
Non-Recyclable Waste Compactor
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Dry/Recyclable Waste Compactor

Assorted Skips for Collection of Category sorted products
Light Crusher
Glass Crusher
Baler
Can Baler
The Eco-Centre requires the following building requirements:
Easy access to boundary and roadway
Separate Ingress and Egress into Eco Centre
Adequate turning circle for a Rear-End Loader (12.980m (l) x 2,490m (w) x 4,690m (h))
Adequate height for Skip Loader (5.2m clearance)
Parking for the Site Waste Collection Vehicle
Management Office
Adequate Closure of Entire Area to reduce odour to the balance of the Precinct
Adequate Mechanical Extraction
Provision of Odour Control to Wet Waste Area
Wash Bin Bay (Water Supply and Drainage)
Floor Drain and Sump
Typical Layout includes the following Areas:
Daily Wet Waste Storage Area
Unsorted Bin Area
Sorting Tables
Bin Storage Area
Wash Bin Area
Clean Bin Storage
Heavy Equipment Stations
Minimum Area for Eco Centre:
20,000m x 15,000m
Minimum Area for Localised Waste Holding Area:
5,500m x 5,500m (2 Parking Bays)
C. SPECIFIC DUTIES
The specific duties of the various parties are detailed here-below:
1. BUILDING OCCUPANTS (STANDARD WASTE GENERATORS: ADMINISTRATION, OFFICES,
TEACHING SPACES & RESIDENCES):
a) All waste is to be sorted at source into the standard categories as listed above and taken to the
Localised Waste Holding Area.
b) 240 litre bins adequately marked as to their particular category of are to be provided in the Localised
Waste Holding Area.
c) All sorted Waste is to be placed directly into the correct 240L wheeled bin.
d) Cardboard boxes are to be flattened before placing in the waste holding rooms provided.

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e) Hazardous waste such as used as listed above and any chemicals that may have been left on site by
building or cleaning contractors, and other materials that may be found which are listed as hazardous in
terms of prevailing legislation shall be disposed of according to the specified
criteria relating thereto, and safe disposal certificates will be provided. In each instance where such
material is generated, the cost for the handling and disposal of such material will be for the cost of the
party producing such waste.
2
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)

h)

CATERING FACILITIES
All waste is to be sorted at source into the standard categories as listed above and taken to the
Localised Waste Holding Area.
240 litre bins adequately marked as to their particular category of Waste are to be provided in the
Localised Waste Holding Area.
All sorted Waste is to be placed directly into the correct 240L wheeled bin.
Organic food waste to be reduced by means of food macerators that are to be installed at each facility
that produces food waste.
Should any food waste be generated that is not disposed by means of a food macerator, it is to be
placed into a bin liner before placement into the 240L bin.
Cardboard boxes are to be flattened before placing in the waste holding rooms provided.
Hazardous waste such as used cooking oil, chemicals that may have been left on site by building or
cleaning contractors, and other materials that may be found which are listed as hazardous in terms of
prevailing legislation shall be disposed of according to the specified criteria relating thereto, and safe
disposal certificates will be provided. In each instance where such material is generated, the cost for
the handling and disposal of such material will be for the cost of the party producing such waste.
All meat and fish packing and waste is to refrigerated prior placement to the wheelie bins; placement of
the refrigerated waste is to be within an hour of the standard pick up time.

2. APPOINTED WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICE PROVIDER

a) A dedicated site vehicle is to be provided to collect full bins and flattened cardboard boxes from the
designated waste holding rooms.
b) Hygiene at the Eco Centre and the localised waste holding rooms, including odour control is to be
maintained to a high standard.
c) Bins in the Waste Holding Areas are to be removed on a regular basis through every day to ensure that
the Holding Areas are storing the minimum of waste at any one time. The regular removal is to be fully
monitored by the Waste Management Service Provider to ensure compliance by their on site staff.
d) Bins are to be exchanged on a full-for-empty basis at the waste holding room with bins that have been
washed and cleaned at the Eco-Centre allowing for minimisation of the localised holding stations.
e) Full bins are to be taken to the Eco Centre for processing.
f) The service is to be provided 7 days per week.
g) Waste is processed by means of the source separation program whereby recyclable materials are
recovered from the waste stream and are sorted and graded into the various categories on site.
h) Non-recyclable waste will be disposed into a Waste Compactor which will be emptied to landfill as and
when required.
h) Cardboard, Paper, Glass, Tin, Aluminium, Plastic and other recyclable materials recovered are suitably
stored prior to collection from site by the respective Recycling Companies.
i) All Putrescible Wet Waste generated by the on-campus food shops, kitchens and canteens is to be
removed from site on a daily basis.
ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION:

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Please note it is advisable to assign the Catering Facilities separate Waste Holding Facilities from the
general Administration, Offices and Teaching Areas as it makes the management of the nuisance and health
risk of putrescible and decomposing waste easy to contain. These areas of course require much more
rigorous sanitary conditions in order to limit odour, flies and rodents.

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