South Africa faces a growing waste management challenge. With urban populations expanding, consumption patterns shifting, and recycling rates still relatively low, the pressure on landfill sites to perform is high.

While public discourse often rightly focuses on recycling, diversion and alternative waste treatment technologies, the reality is that landfills will remain a necessary part of the integrated waste management lifecycle for years to come. The question, then, is how to extend their lifespan in a way that is both technically sound and environmentally responsible.

For Reon Pienaar, a professional civil engineer at the specialist waste management consulting company JPCE (Pty) Ltd, this challenge lies at the intersection of engineering, regulation, and day-to-day operational practice. “Landfills are designed with a limited capacity,” he explains.

“Every site has a finite amount of airspace. The job of engineers, license holders and operators is to manage that airspace as intelligently as possible, without compromising compliance or the environment.”

The problem is often referred to as the ‘airspace crisis,’ and Pienaar says, “Landfills are excavated and lined with the disposed waste volumes then dispersed across the operational area of the site or cell. This gets compacted and covered with soil, and eventually the waste body increases to above natural ground level up to the maximum allowable height. Airspace refers to the volume that is available to be filled with waste in the excavated and built-up waste body above ground level, and is constrained by the maximum licensed height and safe, stable final landfill outer slopes.”

The landfills in South Africa are filling up, and the airspace, while crucial, is limited.

While diversion, separation at source, and recycling have received a big push as of late, the data suggest that as much as 80% to 90% of South Africa’s waste is still heading for landfill sites. Pienaar adds, “While it is important to aim high and look at countries with a high landfill diversion rate, we need to look at and understand our context in South Africa. Many rural and informal spaces do not even receive a basic waste collection service, and most collected waste is often taken directly to landfills. It is also important to note that even with a high recycling and diversion rate some waste remain unrecoverable and landfills will still need to exist to accommodate this.”

Engineering from the Ground Up

The issue becomes ‘how does South Africa extend the life of its current landfills’ in order to accommodate waste, and continue basic waste removal?

Extending landfill life begins even before the landfill is operational. From the design stage, engineers must anticipate how the site will behave over decades. This involves a complex interplay of geotechnical, hydrological, social, economic, and structural considerations.

“If you don’t design a landfill properly from the start, you immediately shorten its sustainable life,” Pienaar emphasises.

“The slopes must be engineered to remain stable as waste accumulates. Your drainage systems must be designed to handle both stormwater and leachate, and your lining system must be designed to protect the underlying groundwater. If any one of these elements are compromised, the whole sustainable lifespan of the facility is affected.”

Pienaar adds, “Waste management is still a relatively new field of engineering in South Africa, only really starting to gain importance in the 1980s. Dumps, as opposed to engineered landfills, were the dominant way of handling waste and these have a horrid impact on the environment. Comparing them to what we have today, in engineered landfills, is night and day. South Africa is always improving in the management of our waste, and most importantly we have good and strong regulations to assist us.”

The life span of a landfill site is dependent on the license conditions issued for each facility.

Stormwater is a particular challenge in South Africa’s variable climate, where heavy downpours can overwhelm poorly designed systems. Pienaar notes: “To aid in the optimisation of sustainable landfill life, landfills need to be designed and operated to ensure separation of clean and dirty water. Engineered stormwater channels need to keep clean stormwater from entering the waste body end engineered drainage systems need to manage the rainwater within the landfill.” Modern engineered landfills include the use of geosynthetic materials in the liner design, some of which act as a barrier between the underlying soil and the waste, preventing leachate from contaminating groundwater resources. Other geosynthetics assists with drainage of leachate which is essential to keep the landfill efficient.”

Equally important is compaction. The density of waste, achieved through the right compaction methods and machinery, directly translates into extended airspace. “The difference between poor compaction and optimal compaction is measured in years,” says Pienaar. “You can gain years of additional life in the landfill just by ensuring proper compaction techniques are consistently applied.”

Operations: Daily decisions, long-term impacts

Even the best-designed landfill can fail prematurely and become a risk for pollution if operations are weak. Pienaar highlights the role of daily cover, cell management, and strict operational discipline in maximising lifespan.

“Every day, operators are making decisions that affect the long-term viability of the site,” he says. “If cover material is not applied sufficiently or done inconsistently, you can end up with odours, vermin, and fire risk as well as pollution from wind-blown litter. If you allow trucks to tip waste randomly, instead of managing a controlled cell, you can lose compaction efficiency and airspace. These small decisions add up over the years.”

He stresses that landfill life extension is not simply about stretching the available airspace, but also about ensuring compliance and safety. “We should not be extending lifespan for the sake of it. We need to be extending landfill lifespan in a way that protects the environment, prevents contamination, and keeps the landfill aligned with regulatory standards.”

In this sense, compliance with the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (Act 59 of 2008) becomes more than just a box-ticking exercise. It becomes a driver of innovation. “South Africa’s regulations are very clear on landfill licensing, lining, monitoring, and rehabilitation,” Pienaar explains. “That framework pushes us as engineers to find smarter ways to design and plan. Compliance is what forces us to innovate.”

No discussion of landfill lifespan can ignore the role of waste diversion. While engineering and operations can squeeze more years out of a site, the ultimate solution is to reduce what goes into the landfill in the first place.

“The less you put in, the longer the site lasts. It really is that simple,” says Pienaar.

“Separation at source, material recovery facilities, composting of organics, crushing and beneficiating builder’s rubble, these are all essential tools for reducing the volumes that reach landfill.”

Pienaar points out that organic waste is particularly problematic. “Organic waste breaks down and generates methane, which is both a greenhouse gas and a fire risk if not responsibly managed. By diverting organics, we not only extend landfill life but also reduce emissions and safety risks.” There is an entire industry dedicated to managing organic waste, using it for a range of technologies from composting to Anaerobic Digestion, which is much better than ending up in landfill sites where it can become a problem.

Recycling rates remain a challenge in South Africa, with only a fraction of potentially recyclable materials currently being recovered. For Pienaar, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity. “Every tonne of recyclables we recover is a tonne less waste into the landfill and directly results in airspace saved. That is why we see recycling not only as an environmental imperative, but as an engineering strategy for landfill life extension.”

South Africa’s new extended producer responsibility laws (EPRs) have taken effect, and while optimistic Pienaar says, “It’s too early to tell the full scope of impact, but it’s promising and a very important part of managing the waste lifecycle to minimize waste to landfill.”

Technology and the future of landfills

As the waste sector modernises, technology is playing an increasing role in extending landfill lifespan. Data-driven monitoring systems allow for real-time tracking of compaction density, leachate levels, and gas emissions. Gas-to-energy projects convert methane into a usable energy source while reducing environmental risks.

Pienaar says. “The landfill itself has very little in the way of tech on site, but the correct compacting techniques and equipment, measuring and monitoring tools, and on-site recovery all aid in extending the lifespan of a landfill.” For Pienaar, the technological advancement is the way engineers design the landfill to make it as efficient as possible in protecting the surrounding environment.

He believes that a cultural shift is also needed. “We must stop thinking about landfills as the only option. They are part of a broader, integrated system that includes recycling, treatment, and energy recovery. The landfill of the future is not just a hole in the ground; it is an engineered facility that sits within a circular economy.”

Rehabilitation: Planning for the end at the start

Extending landfill life also means planning for closure. Rehabilitation is a legal and environmental requirement, but Pienaar sees it as more than that. “When we design and operate a landfill with rehabilitation in mind, we are already extending its effective lifespan. We are reducing risks that could shorten its usable life, and we are creating a plan for what comes after.”

In effect, the land can be rehabilitated and used long after closure, meaning the landfill’s real-life extension goes beyond the operational phase.

He explains that post-closure land use, whether as green space, solar farms, or other community assets, depends on how well the landfill has been managed during its operational phase. “If you cut corners during operation, you leave a legacy of problems. If you operate properly, you leave behind opportunities.”

Ultimately, extending the life of landfills is about balance. Engineers must balance capacity with environmental protection, compliance with practicality, and short-term costs with long-term sustainability.

“Every decision, from the design table to the daily cell operations, affects the life of the site,” Pienaar concludes. “We must see landfills not as dumping grounds, but as highly engineered systems that require expertise, discipline, and forward thinking. If we do that, we can extend their lifespan in ways that benefit both the environment and society.”