Food insecurity has increased in South Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to figures from late 2020, 9.34 million people (16% of the total population) faced the spectre of hunger, even though South Africa is an exporter of food. The sad truth is that an unacceptably high percentage of the food produced in the country goes to waste, says Brendon Jewaskiewitz, President of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA).

“A prosperous and stable country is impossible if so many people don’t have enough food. In a developing country like South Africa, ensuring food security is ultimately a hot political issue,” he says. “Quite simply, we need to ensure that all South Africans have enough to eat, and that begins with reducing the amount of food that is wasted.”

Reducing food wastage is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 is to halve global food waste per capita by 2050, and to reduce food losses along production and supply chains.

Clearly, reduction in food waste relates directly to SDG 2, Zero Hunger. South Africa’s food sector signed on to a voluntary food loss and waste agreement brokered by the Consumer Goods Council, Department of Trade, Industry & Competition, and the Department of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, and which has the same goal as SDG 12.3.

Research published by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2021 estimates that 10.3 million tonnes of food is lost or wasted annually in South Africa. This equates to 34.3% of local production, or 45% when one takes exports into account. The largest proportion (49%) is lost during processing and manufacture, with 8% lost during primary production and 19% lost during post-harvest handling and storage.

 As much as 18% of total food waste occurs at the  household and general consumer level. This means that almost one fifth of what we purchase ends up in the rubbish bin.

Mr Jewaskiewitz says that food wastage is serious not just because it reduces the amount of food available for consumption—it has severe environmental consequences as well. While some food waste is used as animal feed, the vast majority finds its way into landfills where it generates large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas some 22 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Decaying food and organic matter can also pollute ground and surface water reserves.

One must also take into account the pollution created along the whole food value chain, including fertiliser use, machinery and vehicles emitting gases, and packaging.

Reducing food waste will also mean that the world will not have to produce so much extra food to supply the needs of burgeoning populations, particularly in Africa and Asia. Increased agriculture will mean more loss of biodiversity and higher levels of emissions.

“Role players across the value chain are using IT and related technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict demand more accurately and improve production, handling and storage processes,” Mr Jewaskiewitz concludes. “Consumers can also play a significant part by shopping and planning better to minimise the food that they waste”.

“We need to change our mindset as a society to target food wastage as part of our broader drive to eliminate hunger and care for our planet.”

ENDS
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Rosa-Mari Le Roux, [email protected], 060 995 6277, www.atthatpoint.co.za 

For more information on IWMSA please visit:
Website: Home (iwmsa.co.za)
Twitter: @IWMSA
LinkedIn: Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa
Facebook: Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa

Do you smile as you hold up your newly purchased garment? Then frown at the offending plastic wrapper it came in? Everyone knows plastic is bad for the planet. But what about the garment itself?

"Textile and fast-fashion waste is a huge problem that's growing exponentially but gets far less attention than it deserves," says Brendon Jewaskiewitz, President of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA).

It's high time consumers knew the truth – fashion is stripping the planet bare. It's almost impossible to recycle and its waste costs a fortune to process.

Global trends
According to Jewaskiewitz, the global textiles industry generates some 92 million tonnes of waste annually, about 4% of the world's total waste volume.

That equates to a rubbish truck of clothing every second. By 2030, the figure  is predicted to be in excess of 134 million tonnes.

Production problems
Textile and clothing production are extremely energy intensive processes that contribute significantly to air pollution. These industries are reported to be responsible for about 10 percent of global carbon emissions.

Textile mills are also to blame for one fifth of the world's industrial water pollution, or 20 percent of water waste. This is from using over 20,000 chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Don't forget the secondary waste created from production, manufacturing, packaging, transporting, marketing and retailing fabrics and clothing.

Waste management
Disposing of fashion and textile waste creates even more problems. "Consumers think everything can be magically recycled but, in reality, very little fashion waste is recyclable," says Jewaskiewitz.

Recycling old clothing is very slow and labour intensive, and requires special skills, often making it too costly to be worth the effort. A single garment can be made of various materials, some not recyclable, that must be carefully dismantled and separated. Mechanical recycling can also damage fibres, making fabrics unfit for reuse.

Most old clothing made from synthetic materials also can't degrade properly. That's why over 85% of discarded clothes are either burned or end up in a landfill.

The culprits
While population growth is certainly an important factor in the rapidly rising tsunami of fashion waste, it's not the main cause. Jewaskiewitz blames runaway consumerism in the fashion industry.

"People are reportedly buying 60% more clothes than they did 15 years ago," he says. That equates to around 56 million tonnes of clothing per year.

Why? Fashion used to be seasonal. But fiercely competitive fashion houses are flooding the market with new designs at shorter intervals, enticing trendy shoppers into the latest outfits much quicker.

The solution
Only conscientious consumers can stop the fashion garbage avalanche that's sweeping the planet, but it means dealing with the problem and not its symptoms.

Yes, you can sell, hand down or donate old clothes. Or you can find ways to reuse them, like cutting them into cleaning rags or stuff cushions with them.

"The best solution is to opt for longer lasting materials and styles that never go out of fashion, and demand the same from the fashion industry," says Jewaskiewitz.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Rosa-Mari Le Roux, [email protected], 060 995 6277, www.atthatpoint.co.za 

For more information on IWMSA please visit:
Website: Home (iwmsa.co.za)
Twitter: @IWMSA
LinkedIn: Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa
Facebook: Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa

The “usual suspects” of plastic pollution by individuals – plastic bags and straws – now have company. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, disposable masks are lying discarded all over the country. And according to Brendon Jewaskiewitz, President of Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), the problem is snowballing.

“Studies have shown that globally, about 130 billion disposable masks are being used per month. That equates to an astounding 3 million per minute,” Jewaskiewitz points out.

“Although we don’t have exact figures for South Africa, as a nation we are rather careless about single-use plastics – and masks are no exception. With our population of more that 58 million people, we will most certainly be in line with these shocking global statistics.” 

Not a waste problem - a human problem
Jewaskiewitz emphasizes the issue of single-use masks and their disposal can’t be addressed without acknowledging that it is part of a bigger plastic pollution problem, and that human behaviour is at the core of it.

“These masks are not biodegradable,” he notes. “When they are exposed to the elements, like sunlight, they break down and fragment into micro- and nanoplastics. It is then spread into our ecosystems and consumed by animals and fish.”

He says there has even been instances where small animals have been found entangled in the “ear bands” of discarded masks. Users are therefore advised to snip these ear bands before putting their masks in a PPE-bin.

“Many of these issues can be completely avoided by steering clear of single use masks in the first place,” Jewaskiewitz points out. “Opt for a reusable mask whenever it’s possible.”

He says single-use masks are often chosen because of convenience.

“It’s the same argument we hear with plastic bags. People will say they packed shopping bags, but are too lazy to walk back to their car and fetch it, so they buy a plastic bag instead. Similarly, people now keep a bunch of disposable masks in their car.”

Education and awareness is key
Simply putting items in a rubbish bin, waiting for it to be discarded by authorities, is also no longer good enough. “In South Africa, local municipalities are tasked with waste management,” Jewaskiewitz says.

“But with so many elements of service delivery taking strain, waste management is often shifted to the bottom of the pile when it comes to allocating resources.”

The result is that about 90% of local waste is landfilled, and only a very small portion is recycled or reused.

“Companies can make a difference by emphasizing the importance of reusable masks, as well as the correct disposal of single-use masks,” he advises. “It should be as important in their communications as the Covid-19 safety protocols.”

He says looking at the bigger picture is crucial.

“People often think that the one disposable mask they throw away, makes no impact. But if every South African does that every single day, it very quickly turns into a massive problem.

“Likewise, if everyone makes an effort to reduce and recycle, it also makes a huge positive difference,” Jewaskiewitz concludes.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Rosa-Mari Le Roux, 060 995 6277, [email protected], www.atthatpoint.co.za 

For more information on IWMSA please visit:
Website: http://www.iwmsa.co.za/
Twitter: @IWMSA
LinkedIn: Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa
Facebook: Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa