TUESDAY, 23 MAY 2000: One of the things that starkly represents the perennial nature of dirt in our society is the issue of plastic bags. Plastic bags touch the lives of each and every South African, be they rich or poor. I have made a remark in the past that this product is competing with the protea - our national flower in adorning our landscape.

The new restrictions on the use of plastic are the start of a clean up of our country. I am very encouraged by the overwhelming support that my call has received from the public. I recently got a phone call from a resident from the Northern Cape town of Douglas to inform me of how they have successfully removed plastic bags from their town altogether. This is the kind of community spirit that we are looking for. The environment belongs to us all and therefore the responsibility of its maintenance and conservation also rests with us all.

Many people are beginning to take initiatives in order to provide alternatives to plastic bags. My office has been inundated with calls from the public and we are encouraging organisations and individuals to come forward to display for two weeks their alternatives to plastic as part of the celebration of World Environment Day in Cape Town. This will go a long way in Educating our nation about the dangers of plastic bag and will give birth to a new consciousness to clean up South Africa.

There has been a lot of speculation about what our intentions are in this regard. We would like to see the end of the plastic bag as we know it today. It is our intention however to phase it out over the next year.

From January 2001 no person may supply carry bags of a thickness of less than 30 microns. With effect from 1 June 2001 no person may supply carry bags of a thickness of less than 80 microns. We believe that this step will help deal away with the plastic bag and encourage consumers and retailers alike, to explore alternatives.

We will be pulling out all stops to enforce these regulations. The harshness of the penalties demonstrates our desire to send a very tough message to all and sundry: We have to roll up our sleeves and clean up our country. Any person who contravenes these regulations will be guilty of an offence and liable on first conviction to a fine of up to R10 000 or and one year in jail. A second or subsequent conviction can land you in Jail for up to ten years or cause you to be fined up to R10 000.

These regulations on plastic bags are the start of a broader look at waste management. Simply put we as a nation have to start to recover a higher percentage of our waste less we drown in our own garbage. In line with this my Department is looking at means for the compulsory recycling of building rubble, tyres and plastic by March 2001 in order to kick start the process of reclaiming waste.

This is our action as government; we call on communities to act similarly - in a responsible way towards our environment. Our attitude towards littering must change now. Members of the public are called upon to study these regulations - published in the Government Gazette today - and comment within 90 days. We would like to involve communities on whose success our policy depends.

Approximately 35-40% of households in South Africa are serviced by way of curbside collection, 40-50% of households have no collection and the remainder are serviced by skip collection. The frequency of skip collection varies and inadequate removal causes littering problems since users must deliver their own waste to the skips which may be full. Smaller children may not be able to reach the level of the skip and waste is dumped next to it. Waste in non-serviced areas that cannot be reused or recycled is usually burned, dumped in open areas or buried.

Addressing these problems is a major challenge and should be done through the development of sustainable waste management systems to suit each area. In the past there was limited public participation in waste management issues and affected communities have been alienated from the planning and execution of waste projects. Actions should achieve an improved quality of life within communities and at the same time contribute to job creation. Projects must be sustainable to ensure that communities see the benefits in their daily lives.

There is a need for a high-level education awareness through out society. I call on Churches and all educational institutions to engage those on whom they have influence to educate our nation about the war against waste.

A variety of initiatives by government will be taken to capacitate local government to play a key role in the implementation of the new approach to waste management.

In August this year we will be releasing a manual for local government practitioners. We would like to see communities being given a greater role in the establishment of proper waste management systems.

During the same month we will also release regulations that deal with the issue of medical waste.

As the Deputy Minister indicated all of these efforts are in order to enhance the quality of our people’s lives.