5 minute read
News round-up
by 3S Media
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
45% of SA’s total available food supply lost, mainly during production
Advertisement
An estimated 45% of South Africa’s total available food supply is being lost or wasted yearly, with the primary production stage of the food cycle on farms being a major contributor. Yet less than 40% of farmers measure how much food is wasted during the farming process.
This was one of the findings of a recent study conducted by the Behaviour Change Agency (BCA), a behavioural science research company from Cape Town. BCA was commissioned to do the research on behalf of WWF South Africa, the WWF Nedbank Green Trust and Food Forward.
Although food waste occurs across all stages of the food supply chain, a study by the CSIR found that 34.3% of the total food waste in South Africa occurs at the primary production stage.
Off the back of this, the recent study probed farmers’ awareness, attitudes and behaviours around food waste, including the value they place on reducing food waste, and what their food waste management practices are.
Environmental factors were cited as one of the biggest contributors to food waste and loss. Unseasonal weather, destructive pests and diseases can damage entire crops at a time, leading to enormous wastage.
CSIR receives R5 million laboratory equipment
South Africa’s CSIR now hosts Africa’s only laboratory equipped to test and verify imported or locally produced products that are being promoted as biodegradable.
This follows the recent handover of an automated testing facility and equipment, valued at R5 million, to the CSIR by the Japanese government, through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
The testing laboratory is capable of establishing the conditions and timeframes for the biodegradation of materials. Tests can be performed under different conditions – aerobic (compost, soil, freshwater and marine) and anaerobic.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Pretoria, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Barbara Creecy, said the new research equipment donated to the CSIR will boost the country’s capability to test bioplastics and ensure their verifiable standards.
“The services that will be offered through this facility will broaden transparency and ensure that product claims can be tested in accordance with environmental labelling standards,” concludes Creecy.
Small pieces of plastics are widely spread all over the world’s oceans and ingested by living creatures. Microplastics are also found in humans; however, the long-term effects of this plastic pollution threat are still largely unknown.
Three scientists that have conducted groundbreaking research in understanding the impact of microplastics on humans and the environment are this year’s laureates of the Volvo Environment Prize. With the help of winds and ocean currents, microplastics have spread all over the planet. The laureates have reported them in the Arctic deep sea and the snow on Mount Everest in the Himalayas.
The microplastics found, even in the world’s most remote areas, result from a breakdown of litter from the 360 million tonnes of plastics produced annually, used for packaging, cosmetics, car tyres, and numerous other items. Now, microplastics in the marine environment are spread in the food chains, and intensive research is underway on environmental effects and how to prevent the proliferation of plastic waste through legislation and changes in design, production and disposal.
Scientists are also still unsure whether consuming microplastics harms marine life and human health – but the effects are there.
Contamination of recyclables negatively impacts recycling industry
In order to sustain the recycling industry, there are some golden rules that need to be followed. Not only does this reduce harm to the environment, but it creates and sustains many jobs (in both the formal and informal sectors).
It also supports a circular economy where recyclables are converted into new products, reducing the demand for natural resources. A growing concern for recycling companies is finding waste with contaminants such as rocks, sand and water.
This creates problems such as damage to recycling equipment, rotting paper and, in turn, pathogens that may harm the health of those people working with the waste. The contamination of recyclables not only has a negative impact on the recycling industry as a whole, but affects honest people’s livelihoods, and is detrimental to the environment.
To educate the public on how to recycle their waste in an effective way, Mpact Recycling has launched its ‘Some things just don’t go together’ campaign. This is aimed at creating awareness around materials that must be separated from recyclable waste.
8 000 kg of recycled plastic converted into recycling bins for schools
Million Plus, a consumer recycling campaign led by Polyco PRO NPC, aims to mobilise more than a million South Africans to commit to recycling their plastic packaging to keep it out of the environment and landfill, and instead put it back into the recycling value chain.
Forging ahead towards this target, Polyco has rolled out a nationwide school recycling initiative, delivering a total of 320 recycling bins to 80 schools across the country.
For this Million Plus schools’ campaign, each school will receive two double recycling bins (four in total). One bin is for plastic recycling and the other is for other recyclables.
To support the use of these bins at schools, Polyco is collaborating with the Pick n Pay School Club to distribute important educational material that will help teachers and learners understand how to recycle plastic packaging and the importance of keeping recyclables out of the environment and landfill.
Women leading the way in creating a circular economy
The recycling industry is traditionally perceived as a male-dominated one; however, in reality, many remarkable women and woman-run businesses are making waves in it. Recently, three such South African women, who have found innovative ways to turn recyclables into viable businesses and improve the lives of those living in their communities, were celebrated in the annual PETCO Awards.
These women were recognised for reflecting the principles of sustainability, the circular economy, SMME development and the advancement of women in the value chain, as well as for creating formal and informal jobs in the communities in which they operate.
They, along with six other winners of the awards, have been celebrated in a new online documentary series, Message in a Bottle, which provides a behind-the-scenes, rarely seen look at the operations and efforts of these women. It also highlights the invaluable contribution that these local heroines are making in bettering their communities and the environment.
