Hazardous waste is any waste that is harmful to human health and the environment. This type of waste is mostly generated by industries, hospitals, petrol storage, agriculture and many more other sources. The management of hazardous wastes remains a central environmental issue internationally (DWAF, 1998). Hazardous waste can be treated though that differ in their chemical formation, waste can be treated chemically by being neutralized, oxidised, reduced and by precipitation. Physically it can be treated through the processes of encapsulation and separation, and biologically through the use of microorganisms. When the chemicals are treated most of the waste can be send off to a landfill site as they will not have any toxic effect on them.
Most
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Aims and objectives
The aim of this research is to give more clarity on hazardous waste management in South
Africa. The objectives of this research are:
To determine the regulations that governs hazardous waste management.
To determine the number of landfill sites available in the country.
Literature review
The United States currently produces about 700 million metric tons of hazardous waste per year (Botkin and Keller, 2008). Hazardous waste produced in different countries is increasing as years goes by if taking the statistic of 700 million metric tones by 2008, it shows that it has grown in 2016. South Africa has been struggling when it comes to hazardous disposal sites as
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it did not have designated sites, waste was dumped in same landfill sites of which is not right.
The plan to build the first of a kind came along in the late 2013 as an idea to build the best hazardous waste landfill site that will be used in South Africa. Vlakfontein in the Vaal
Triangle was a suitable area to build such a landfill as it was an old brick making quarry. The landfill site has a lifespan of 35 years which is covered by 212 hectares and can hold up to