Landfill strain adds pressure to Joburg’s waste management system

Concerns are mounting over the city of Johannesburg’s waste management capacity, as questions arise about whether landfill sites can keep pace with the growing volume of refuse.

The city’s waste management entity, Pikitup, operates four landfill sites across Johannesburg. However, only two of these are currently accepting general waste, placing increased pressure on the system. According to information provided to the Lenasia Rising Sun, the city’s landfill network includes Goudkoppies and Robinson Deep, which are fully operational, while Marie Louise and Ennerdale are only partially operational.

Responding to claims that landfill sites are full, Pikitup spokesperson, Anthony Selepe, said the situation is more complex.

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“The city still has two operational landfill sites, and the other two are partially operational and are being used to dispose of clean builder’s rubble. Furthermore, the city is using or has access to private landfill sites,” said Selepe.

While this indicates that waste disposal capacity has not been completely exhausted, it does confirm that available space is under strain. To address the growing demand, Selepe said the entity has developed a long-term strategy to extend landfill capacity.

“Pikitup has a landfill master plan which is aimed at increasing the lifespan of all its four landfill sites. The plan, amongst other issues, entails extending the land mass of the current landfill sites to increase their life span,” he explained.

The pressure on landfill operations has already begun to affect service delivery in some areas. Residents in Lenasia experienced delays in refuse collection in the past weeks, raising concerns about reliability.

Selepe confirmed that these disruptions were linked to landfill-related challenges. Pikitup remains the city’s official waste management service provider, operating 12 depots across Johannesburg, along with 33 garden refuse sites and one incinerator.

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Despite these resources, the limitation of landfill capacity continues to pose a significant challenge. As waste generation increases in the city, the sustainability of current disposal methods is under scrutiny, with experts often calling for greater investment in recycling, waste reduction, and alternative disposal solutions to ease the burden on landfill sites.

For now, while Johannesburg’s waste system remains functional, the reduced number of fully operational landfill sites signals a growing need for urgent and innovative interventions to prevent a future crisis.