"A lot of progress has been made in terms of waste management since last year, but the problem is exacerbated, in part, by the lack of enforcement capacity," she told a waste management conference in East London.
Mabudafhasi described Cabinet's approval of the implementation of the National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) as a milestone in the country's waste management approach.
"It is the first single document outlining how government, industry, businesses and households, as a collective, will deal with waste in order to increase the efficiency and delivery of waste services," she said.
"As society progresses, we face the challenges of new and complex waste streams which must be managed in a sustainable manner."
Systems and technologies used in the early 1980s might not be relevant for managing waste in 2012.
Abound 11 million vehicle tyres were sold in South Africa annually, turning into 275,000 tons of waste.
As tyres were not biodegradable, the ministry recently approved the formation of the Integrated Waste Tyre Management Plan.
"This plan seeks to deal with waste tyre problems while incorporating job creation, both of which are government's top priorities," Mabudafhasi said.
"A global transition to a low carbon and sustainable economy can create large numbers of green jobs across various sectors.
"We are working closely with National Treasury to ensure that funds for waste management are allocated and that they are sufficient.
However, local government has to put systems in place for efficient budgeting and be able to achieve more with less."
Source: Sapa via I-NET Bridge
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