More information: Draft programme | Contact details and relevant links | National waste management strategies and action plans

Recycling is one of the many waste management issues that will be discussed at the National Waste Summit

The National Waste Summit is one of the implementation processes of the national waste management strategy for sustainable development in terms of the White Paper Policy on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management for South Africa. The strategy presents a long-term plan for addressing key issues, needs and problems experienced with waste management in South Africa.

The summit will provide a platform for showcasing government's - national, provincial and local - best practices in waste management as part of a broader awareness and capacity-building initiative. Furthermore, the strategy translates into action government's policy on waste as set out in the white paper. The summit will focus on issues affecting the environment, and will also seek ways and means to achieve better solutions to waste and environmental problems.

The summit will be held in Northern Province on 26, 27 and 28 September 2001.

Preparatory process

In preparing for the summit the following activities have taken place:

• A draft waste summit discussion document has been prepared.
• An organising committee to oversee the event has been set up.
• The draft waste summit document has been discussed and agreed with all provincial governments.
• A call for papers to be presented at the summit has been placed in The Star, Natal Witness, Pretoria News, The Argus and Engineering News with 15 July 2001 as the deadline for submissions.
• A workshop that further discussed and finalised the draft waste summit document with all other relevant stakeholders such as local government, business, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, learning institutions, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and representatives from waste management-funded poverty-relief projects was held on 6 July 2001 at the ABSA Conference Centre in Pretoria.
• DEAT is planning a community clean-up campaign in Northern Province as a build-up exercise to the waste summit and to demonstrate commitment towards a clean environment and judicious waste management.