3.2 Awareness campaigns and communication

The Waste Act requires the development of an IWMP to follow a public participation and consultation process (Section 72 and Section 73). Awareness programs should be developed in order to keep stakeholders abreast on issues pertaining to the development and implementation of the IWMP. A municipality can engage its stakeholders in various platforms such as:

• Ward Committee meetings.
• Waste management forum meetings,
• Workshops with interested and affected parties (could include youth environmental groups, taxi associations, religious groups, businesses operating in the area, schools etc.)
• Awareness campaigns i.e.as part of the development of an IWMP a municipality could publish information about the IWMP process and could communicate this in local media such as newspapers, local radio stations, print the information and post it on community notice boards.

The issues raised during the stakeholder participation process should be captured and dealt with under the implementation plan and stakeholders should be informed of progress made with regards to attaining the goals in the five years of implementing the IWMP.

Once the IWMP has been approved it is advisable that stakeholders should be kept informed on the implementation of the plan. Where possible, the annual performance reports that are required by the Waste Act should be made available to them or discussed during community meetings in order that stakeholders can track progress with regards to the municipality's ability to meet the targets contained in the plan.