Towards a sustainable and integrated waste disposal approach: an assessment of waste-to-energy feasibility in Msunduzi Municipality, South Africa.
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Date
2020
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Abstract
Industrialisation and business activities have seen increased economic growth in major
cities and townships. Urbanisation is on the rise largely through rapid human migration
from rural or outlying areas to urban areas in both global North and global South
countries. Humans create solid waste. The complexity of general solid waste tends to
degrade the environment. Global organisations such as the United Nations and its
Sustainable Development Goals along with various national and sub-national
frameworks seek ways of solid waste management. The insufficient management of solid
waste is a palpable cause of stress to the environment, budget processes, community
participation challenges, institutional arrangements, finance issues and unsustainable
waste disposal. Therefore, this desktop study interrogates the research problem of
handling solid waste management at municipal governance level in an urban setting.
Some municipalities in different parts of the world implement waste-to-energy
technologies to address solid waste issues. The municipal context studied in this minidissertation
is Msunduzi Municipality, which is the capital of KwaZulu-Natal Province,
South Africa. Msunduzi Municipality has an integrated solid waste management plan.
However, it is yet to embark upon implementation of waste-to-energy technologies.
Drawing upon secondary data, the objectives of this study were to determine whether or
not waste-to-energy approaches can assist with providing sustainable solutions to waste
disposal and energy challenges at the municipal governance level. The study further
ascertained outcomes of waste-to-energy technologies employed by cities in different
countries and to draw lessons from these jurisdictions that could benefit Msunduzi
Municipality in developing waste-to-energy technologies.
This descriptive exploratory non-empirical qualitative study is underpinned by the critical
constructivist philosophical paradigm. Whilst Msunduzi Municipality provides the case
context, the case is municipal solid waste and the unit of analysis is energy; approaches
to deriving energy from solid waste. The study employed a non-probability sampling
strategy and a purposive sampling technique. Secondary data were collected by using
relevant words and phrases to source literature from various search engines and by
examining global, national and sub-national policy frameworks. Findings, conclusions
and recommendations provide lessons for Msunduzi and other similarly situated
municipalities. The results inform policy and praxis for municipal governance on the
feasibility of adopting sustainable integrated waste management approaches and waste-to-
energy technologies
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.