The development of IWMPs is not a new concept as many municipalities and Provinces developed what is termed 'first generation IWMPs' in accordance with the 1999 National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS). The development of first generation IWMPs was however not a mandatory requirement as there was no environmental legislation to call for the development of these and as such; they could not be enforced. The result was that first generation IWMPs had little or no success with implementation since it was on a voluntary basis.
The development of IWMPs is now mandatory as stipulated in the Waste Act; therefore in trying to assist municipalities to develop their IWMPs the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) developed this guideline. The Waste Act requires that Municipalities must integrate their IWMPs into the Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in order to ensure that waste management services are streamlined with other essential basic services such as water and sanitation, housing, and electricity provision. This is to ensure that waste management should receive a share from the equitable share funding allocation and municipalities should ensure that waste services will be properly budgeted to ensure sustainability in the delivery of waste management services. Further, Municipalities are required to include the implementation of their IWMPs in their annual performance reports.