The Bag That Builds Where Are Our OUTsurance Pointsmen?

Recycling plastic isn’t nearly as simple as one might think. Not only does plastic that goes to recycling have to be clean, but it must also be separated into one of seven types – not all of which are recyclable. A pilot project currently underway in the valley could help turn conventional wisdom about plastic recycling on its head.

Motorists in Stellenbosch now have safer and streamlined daily travel, courtesy of a team of expertly trained OUTsurance Pointsmen who are now deployed at highly congested intersections. This follows a formal agreement between Stellenbosch Municipality and OUTsurance. Pointsmen stationed in the Franschhoek Valley were withdrawn almost as soon as they arrived.

At the heart of the pilot project is a technology developed by the Center for Regenerative Design & Collaboration (CRDC). The technology allows plastic to be converted into an eco-additive – RESIN8 –that is added to concrete in the manufacturing of structural and other concrete products. Replacing up to 20% of natural aggregates with RESIN8 in concrete product manufacture has several advantages: It improves the performance characteristics of concrete products, reduces the amount of quarried material used in the concrete and removes plastic waste from the environment. Best of all, all seven types of plastic can be converted into RESIN8 and it doesn’t have to be clean to be used.

The initiative was formally launched on Friday, 20 January, when 15 pointsmen and women reported for duty in Stellenbosch Municipality. A municipal spokesperson welcomed the pointsmen to the municipal area and praised the contribution that they will make to the flow of traffic during peak traffic hours – especially when there is loadshedding.

In Franschhoek it was understood pointsmen would be deployed at the Le Roux Street entrance to Groendal and the R45/R301 intersection at Wemmershoek. This happened during the first days of the project, but the pointsmen were then promptly withdrawn without any reason being given to the public for doing so. Franschhoek residents are now rightfully asking what criteria are used to position pointsmen.

Bheki Zondo, Chief Executive Officer at Traffic Freeflow, who manages and runs the Pointsmen Project confirmed that 15 pointsmen and women have been deployed in Drakenstein Municipality on 19 January 2023 with a second team of 15 reporting for duty in Stellenbosch the next day. Their first shift will be from 07h00 until 09h00 with the second shift either from 13h00-15h00

CRDC SA has a processing plant in Cape Town from where the local leg of a global programme titled ‘The Bag That Builds’ is being rolled out. The programme is named after the distinctive green bags that are used to collect plastics for recycling. Individuals and companies are rewarded per bag of plastic they collect, making it a simple way for anyone to earn a small income while improving the environment. A collection drive in the Langrug community has already led to the coining of the phrase ‘pick up your money’ to inspire residents to or 16h00-18h00, depending on whether they will be directing school traffic or afternoon peakhour traffic. They will be reporting to identified intersections on a daily basis or be shuttled to areas affected by load shedding. take part in the pilot programme.

The pilot programme will run for three months from 1 January 2023 as part of a larger cleaning and recycling effort that is coordinated by members of the Franschhoek Heritage and Ratepayers Association (FHRPA). Current initiatives include the privatelyfunded clean-up crew that cleans areas that are outside municipal jurisdiction or that need extra cleaning, the installation (and servicing) of refuse bins where they are lacking and monthly community clean-ups.

As is the case in Johannesburg and Tshwane, Traffic Freeflow will continue to provide crucial project support by liaising with stakeholders such as Stellenbosch Municipality and the traffic department to ensure the successful implementation of the traffic control initiatives.

Danie Matthee, Chief Executive Officer at OUTsurance adds that although the Pointsmen Initiative has certainly proved to be a sustainable solution in improving traffic flow, it has also greatly contributed to skills development within underprivileged communities, creating job opportunities for more than 280 matriculants from previously disadvantaged communities.

Irmela Alberts, co-chair of the FHRPA says “We’re excited by both the environmental and economic opportunities this pilot programme presents for the valley. Our challenge now is to find ways to make it sustainable, so that the pilot programme can become a permanent one. We will keep the Franschhoek Valley cleaner, send significantly less rubbish to the landfill and through the involvement of the local schools contribute to creating a mindset where people litter less”

‘We look forward to making an ever greater impact in 2023 and we hope to expand this initiative to further contribute to the success of South Africa’s road safety objectives.’

For more information or if you have any form of plastic that you want to get rid of feel free to contact Jocelyn at 073 587 6132.

Text: Editorial Desk | Image: Supplied

Text: Editorial Desk | Image: Stb Municipality