Are you registered?

Are you registered?

Waste generators that produce more than 20 kg of hazardous waste per day must register on the South African Waste Information System (SAWIS) website under the central registry. The ROSE Foundation explains the steps these companies should follow

Companies that generate waste should check if their site and/or activities are already registered with the central registry of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) before registering with the parastatal. “To do so, go to the ‘Search Registrations’ page on the central registry website,” explains Raj Lochan, CEO of the ROSE Foundation (Recycling Oil Saves the Environment).

You can search against various criteria, including: the type of registration; DEA registration number; site name; province; municipality; standard industrial classification code; and the year registration took place.

“A list of matching registrations will be given below the search function,” Lochan points out. “If you find that your site is already registered, but the specific activity is not listed, please log onto the central registry (using the username and password provided) and register any additional activities.”

He adds that companies should register if their site and activities aren’t already catalogued and if they:

• Recover energy from more than three tonnes of general waste per day;

• Recover or treat waste at a facility that has a capacity to process more than ten tonnes of general waste, per day, or more than 500 kg of hazardous waste, per day – excluding the treatment of effluent, waste water or sewage;

• Are involved in the scrapping or recovery of motor vehicles at a facility that has an operational area of more than 500 m2;

• Recycle general waste at a facility that has an operational area of more than 500 m2;

• Recycle more than 500 kg of hazardous waste per day, calculated as a monthly average;

• Treat hazardous waste at a facility that can process more than 500 kg per day;

• Treat health-care-risk waste, regardless of size or capacity of the facility;

• Dispose of general waste, to land, at a facility covering an area in excess of 200 m2 or dispose of any quantity of hazardous waste to land;

• Export hazardous waste from South Africa.

“The first requirement is to select the registration ‘type’ for which you are applying,” explains Lochan. You can choose from the following list: hazardous waste exporter; hazardous waste generator; waste disposal; waste recovery/recycling or waste treatment.

“Some basic information about the registration type, the site, the company and the contact person is required for all new registrations,” Lochan points out. “Some of these fields are compulsory (indicated by an *) and must be provided to ensure a successful registration.”

He continues: “Upon saving your registration, an e-mail will be sent to you (provided an e-mail address has been entered), notifying you that your registration is currently awaiting authorisation by the DEA.”

Based on the validity of the registration, it will be approved or declined by the system administrator. “You will be notified of your registration approval via e-mail. Should no e-mail address be provided, you will be notified telephonically, via fax or post.”

All successful registrations will be issued with a unique registration number, username and password, which may then be used to login into the central registry to change any information, as and when required.

Non-compliance, and various other offences, could result in penalties and fines not exceeding R10 million, or imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years, depending on which section of the Act has been contravened.

Sometimes, both a fine and imprisonment would apply, in addition to any penalty or award that may be imposed in terms of the National Environmental Management Act.

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SHEQ MANAGEMENT is the definitive source for reliable, accurate and pertinent information to guarantee environmental health and safety in the workplace.
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