5. The Waste Act

5.1
The National Environmental Management: Waste Act of 2008 was promulgated after an extensive consultation process around the Waste Bill. In an important sense, the Waste Act is a direct achievement of the 1999 NWMS, and represents the distillation of important lessons learned in its implementation. More directly, the provisions of the Act are in many respects the result of legislative priorities established by the 1999 NWMS.
 
5.2
Prompted in part by the fragmentation, duplication and lack of co-ordination in waste legislation, the White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management of 2000 initiated the review of waste legislation that culminated in the publishing of the draft National Environmental Management: Waste Bill on 12 January 2007.
 
5.3
The publishing of the draft Waste Bill marked the start of a 90-day period of public comment on the Waste Bill, to guide its finalisation. During this period, in addition to public meetings in each province, DEAT held workshops with the following stakeholder groupings:

• All relevant national government departments
• All provincial departments of environment
• South African Local Government Association (SALGA)
• Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and Industry Associations
• Institute of Waste Management
• Non-governmental organizations.

In addition, a two-day conference was convened to involve local government in the finalisation of the Waste Bill. Representatives from over one hundred metropolitan, district and local municipalities participated in deliberations.