Johannesburg is five years from a full-blown waste management crisis as 6000 tons of waste - generated daily by residents - continues to pour into the city's brimming landfill sites.
The city has run out of suitable land to open up more sites and it is calling on residents to produce less waste and to recycle.
As part of its waste minimisation strategy, the city has proposed:
- Separating waste at source to facilitate recycling by residents;
- Commissioning landfill gas extraction plants to turn waste into gas;
- Establishing cooperatives to collect and recycle waste; and
- Dispatching 1000 fixed recycling bins to schools.
Member of the mayoral committee for environment and infrastructure services Matshidiso Mfikoe said: "We don't have land. The pieces of land we have are inside residential areas. Another landfill site will be the last resort.
"That is why we advocate for separation [of waste] at source, otherwise we will be in trouble in about five years.
"What is required from us as the city, and every member of the public, is a change in behaviour;a move away from irresponsible generation of waste and its disposal to one that acknowledges that waste management is an acute concern for each of us."
Speaking a week before the launch of the Joburg waste summit, Pikitup managing director Amanda Nair said: "I must admit that we have not dealt with this problem speedily."
According to city officials, the Robinson Deep landfill site, opened in 1930, is growing ever taller and currently looms more than 80 m above the city.
Johannesburg also faces an illegal dumping scourge, which costs R170-million a year. About 229,709 tons is dumped illegally each year.
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