By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Forestry, Fisheries and the Enviroment Minister Dr Dion George has withdrawn the approval decision for the Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan (IndWTMP).
This is to allow for a detailed reassessment, ensuring the plan fully aligns with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Enviroment’s (DFFE’s) objectives of sustainable waste management and robust governance, he said.
In September, the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (Redisa), a non-profit company, hauled the minister and his department to court over the plan — approved by former environment minister Barbara Creecy in March 2024 — which it said “masquerades as a solution” to the country’s waste-tyre crisis.
In its court documents Redisa, which managed waste tyres from 2013 to 2017, said the plan had unachievable and unrealistic targets; lacked any budgetary detail; failed to use the available information and projections and was created and approved in a procedurally flawed manner.
Redisa has welcomed George’s decision after “publicly calling for this materially flawed and self-defeating plan to be scrapped”.
The environment department said that, since taking office, the minister had prioritised a “meticulous evaluation” of decisions made by previous administrations.
“After careful consideration, he [George] has opted to withdraw the (plan) approval to allow for a detailed reassessment, ensuring the plan fully aligns with the department’s objectives of sustainable waste management and robust governance.”
George said that, while the plan was developed through a prolonged and consultative process, “concerns have been raised regarding its alignment with current sector realities and policy intent”.
“The withdrawal enables a focused review to ensure the final plan is implementable, transparent and fully responsive to the operational and governance complexities facing the sector.”
The thorough review of the plan will involve renewed stakeholder engagement and the appointment of an organ of state, probably the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, to refine it, addressing areas such as data accuracy and sector capacity.
The minister said his goal was to deliver a waste-tyre management plan that is practical, inclusive and futureproof.
“This withdrawal is a proactive step to ensure we get it right, building a stronger foundation for the waste-tyre industry and environmental justice.”
Existing interim arrangements for waste-tyre collection and processing would continue, ensuring no disruption to the sector, the department said. It noted that engagements with the treasury were under way to secure a sustainable funding model while further details on the review process would be shared with stakeholders in due course.
Redisa was responsible for the implementation of a waste-tyre recycling scheme from 2012 — the only one of its kind in the country — which entailed the creation and management of a national network for collecting discarded tyres, storing them and delivering them to recyclers for processing.
This was envisaged as the beginning of a tyre recycling industry and the foundation of secondary industries for the use of products created by recyclers.
In September 2017, Redisa and its management arm, Kusaga Taka Consulting, were placed in final liquidation, based on a request from former late environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa. In January 2019, the supreme court of appeal overturned the liquidation order.
Redisa said that George “has made a rational decision” and “should be commended for taking the right action to resolve an issue he inherited”. It was committed to cooperating fully with all parties and would request a meeting with the minister “to discuss how best to manage the waste-tyre crisis in the country”.
South Africa produces at least 253 000 t/y of waste tyres, which Redisa says is being “mismanaged” by the Waste Bureau under the DFFE.