South Africa generates over 42 million cubic meters of waste annually, most from the Gauteng province. Waste disposal, especially in landfills, produces greenhouse gases like methane that contribute to climate change. Under the Clean Development Mechanism, South Africa can implement projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and access financial resources. One opportunity is capturing methane from landfills through extraction and flaring to generate electricity. The Designated National Authority has received interest in such landfill gas to energy projects from municipalities seeking to address methane emissions.

1. CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM IN THE WASTE SECTOR
BACKGROUND CONTRIBUTION FROM WASTE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
South Africa is a non-Annex I party to the United Nations In 2000, the waste sector accounted for 2% of South
Framework Convention on Climate Change, and its Kyoto Africa's GHGs. The disposal and treatment of waste can
Protocol, having acceded to the Convention on 29 August produce emissions of several GHGs, which contribute to
1997 and ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 31 July 2002. global climate change. The most significant GHG produced
The Kyoto Protocol offers opportunities for developing from waste is methane. It is released during the breakdown
countries, like South Africa, to access financial resources of organic matter in landfills. Other forms of waste disposal
for implementing projects aimed at reducing Greenhouse also produce GHGs, but these are mainly in the form of
Gases (GHGs) under the Clean Development Mechanism carbon dioxide (a less powerful GHG). Even the recycling of
(COM). Implementation of COM projects will assist the waste produces some emissions (although these are offset
country in achieving its sustainable development goals. by the reduction in fossil fuels that would be required to
obtain new raw materials). Waste prevention and recycling
The COM is a flexible mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol of help address global climate change by decreasing the
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate amount of GHG emissions and saving energy.
Change (UNFCCC) that provides a practical framework for
participants to reduce or stabilise GHGs that cause global Municipal landfill waste
warming and climate change. The mechanism itself was
established under Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol. South Africa disposes of most of its waste in municipal landfill
sites. This is specifically household waste, builder's rubble,
WASTE SECTOR IN SOUTH AFRICA garden waste, dry industrial waste and commercial waste.
Municipal waste poses serious health and environmental
Waste (also known as rubbish, trash, refuse, garbage, impacts. Through the process of decomposition, landfills
junk or litter) is unwanted or useless material. Waste is are known to produce a gas called methane. Municipal
directly linked to human development, both technologically solid waste can be mitigated through a project reducing
and socially. There are four major categories of waste: methane emissions from landfills and other waste-handling
municipal solid waste, industrial waste, agricultural waste activities. The Designated National Authority (DNA), which
and hazardous waste. In South Africa, over 42 million cubic oversees COM in South Africa, has received a lot of interest
metres of general waste is generated every year, with the in the Landfill Gas to Energy Project (methane extraction,
largest proportion coming from the Gauteng province. flaring and generation of electricity), particularly from
municipalities.
In addition, more than 5 million cubic metres of hazardous
waste is produced every year, mostly in Mpumalanga and Landfill gas contains 40-60% methane, with the remainder
KwaZulu-Natal, due to the concentration of mining activities being mostly carbon dioxide (CO2). Methane is 21 times
and fertiliser production in these provinces. The average more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to its
amount of waste generated per person per day in South properties as a GHG, making it a key climate change gas to
Africa is 0.7 kg. address. Burning methane produces energy, carbon dioxide