Simply Green - The Waste Issue - July 2021 by Independent Media Digital Magazines

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the Waste issue

ILLUSTRATION CHAIYAPRUEK2520

Tip of the iceberg uncovered

Also inside: African good news • The waste pickers of SA

FRO M T HE EDIT O R

AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY

PUBLISHER: Vasantha Angamuthu vasantha@africannewsagency.com EDITOR: Vivian Warby vivian.warby@inl.co.za FEATURE WRITER: Terry van der Walt terryvdwalt@inl.co.za DESIGN: Kim Stone kim.stone@inl.co.za PRODUCTION: Renata Ford renata.ford@inl.co.za BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Keshni Odayan keshni.odayan@inl.co.za SALES: Charl Reineke charl@africannewsagency.com GENERAL INQUIRIES: info@anapublishing.com

“EVERYTHING you see is going to end up in a rubbish bin – even you.” These words, spoken to me as I interviewed rubbish gleaner and artist Mark Hilltout, who uses found corrugated iron as a canvas, hit home. As I looked around the room and saw chairs and a couch; a dining room table; clothes; kitchen utensils and other things, the enormity hit me of just how much we acquire over our lifetimes with very little thought as to where it will end up. When a plogger tells us how bewildered he is to see relatively smart humans buy plastic bags for their groceries, it struck me even further how oblivious to the facts we can be, and how our linear way of thinking about waste can no longer be. The aim of this waste edition is to open your eyes to the devastation wreaked on our planet by our waste. It also gives you tips and ideas to help turn the tide. Of course, it all begins with knowing – and then doing. Retraining ourselves in term of what we see as necessities, reducing our need for items that end up in landfills, and waking up to what we are bringing into our homes and putting into our rubbish bins, is a start. This magazine is also a strong call to governments, manufacturers, and other big companies, to play their part to ensure that a sustainable world is possible. Finally, as always, a very big thank you to the eco-activists out there, lobbying for change. Warm regards

Vivian Warby

DO JOIN US AT: @simplygreenZA

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P I CT URE A RTEM B EL I A I KI N / PEXEL S

C O N TA C T U S

SG contents 2

LETTER

CONTENTS

THE WASTEJOURNEY And what can be done

WWF STUDY Big business needs to come to the party

CIRCULAR ECONOMY Chris Whyte explains

DID YOU KNOW?

SUSTAINABLE LIVING Feedback

SA’S LANDFILL STORY How bad is it?

WASTE AND WATER Joyce Moganedi on what ends up in our water

AFRICA GOOD NEWS Africans doing great things

CONTINENTAL OVERVIEW The real situation

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MADE TO BREAK e-waste’s dirty secret

LOCALS TURNING THE TIDE

FINDING TREASURE Toolkit in your trash

GLEANING FOR GOLD Waste pickers of South Africa

LONG DROP A good idea

SAVE WATER How a high school is helping

GOING ZERO WASTE A KZN pre-primary shows you how

PLOGGING Get fit and save the planet

COMPOST KITCHEN All you need to know

HOW TO RECYCLE Plastic, glass, paper and metal

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P I CT URE L EONI D DA NI L OV

What a load of

RUBBISH

THE WORLD produces 2.3 billion tons of waste each year. This rubbish is a huge contributor to the pollution of our oceans and land. Our rubbish is building up in overfilled landfills and is forming new geological features as it masses up. Toxins from these rubbish dumps are seeping into groundwater and leaching into other water and our food supplies. 0 4

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P I CT URE NA JA B ERTOLT-JENSEN / U NSPL A SH

P ort ia Mbau in her garden.

The linear way of going out, buying something, bringing it home and later throwing it away is no longer working. Just because we don’t see where our rubbish goes, doesn’t mean we are disconnected from it. There is a cycle and it directly affects us. For example, 0 5

we buy groceries – much of it packaged in plastic, plus we put them in a plastic bag – then we throw away the plastics, with some ending up in the ocean as microplastics (full of petrochemicals) which fish eat and those very same fish end up on our plates. Can you see it yet?

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P I CT URE SA I NDU R ENVI R O / U NSPL A SH

The best option is to lower our waste and avoid plastic packaging altogether. Experts say reduce and refuse should be the first line of action for the consumer and that recycling should be the last option. They define zero-waste living as ultimately avoiding sending things to the landfill in the first place.

P I CT URE NA JA B ERTOLT-JENSEN / U NSPL A SH

However, the onus should also be on manufacturers, big companies and government policy makers to help us make this change. Change needs to come from the top – with less plastic in our shopping cycle, consumers can make better choices. 0 7

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P I CT UR E ST I JN D I JKS T RA / P E XE L S

Everything you see is going to end up in a rubbish bin – even you Well-known local artist Mark Hilltout who gleans rubbish dumps all over the globe for discarded corrugated iron to make his world-renowned art

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MAKE THE CIRCLE

GREENER We urgently need to reduce the amount of plastic waste which goes into landfills and often ends up polluting our natural environment. Yet, says WWF’s Lorren de Kock, the solutions are complex

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the past three years numbers have stabilised. This highlights the need for more support from all stakeholders in the value chain to increase collection, recycling and the demand for postconsumer recycled content, not incrementally but to achieve the systemic shift required.

o-author of the report, Lorren de Kock, who is also WWF South Africa project manager: circular plastics economy, says the solutions to these problems are complex. For instance, instead of using virgin (new) plastic raw material, we could include post-consumer recycled content – or recyclate – in plastic products to drive up recycling rates. However, there is no silver-bullet solution and there are many barriers in the plastics value chain, some of which are

unique to particular sectors. On the topic of how to enable the recycling industry, the report taps into a wide network of stakeholders across the value chain to seek answers. Among the issues identified in the report are problematic food packaging, poorly informed consumers, poor design of plastic packaging, an unstable supply chain and a lack of cooperation between brand owners, producers and retailers. Food packaging is a particular challenge for several reasons including food-contact and safety standards, along with the fact that post-consumer recyclate is often more expensive than virgin plastic resins. While there is potential for meaningful, systemic changes, there is a “general inertia” in the value chain as outlined by some of the key players, says De Kock. The virgin polymer suppliers

The call is for brand owners, retailers and producers to step up and help stop plastic ending up in landfills by being conscious of what they are sending out PI C TURE LA URAJAMES / PEX ELS

T’S TIME for big business to step up and take some of the responsibility for the overfilled landfills where most plastic packaging ends up, suggests a new WWF report titled “Plastics: From Recycling to (post-consumer) Recyclate”. South Africans, it found, are lagging behind in recycling and the fault lies not only with the consumer but also brand owners, retailers and producers. The call is for these groups to step up and help stop plastic ending up in landfills by being conscious of what they are sending out, and to stop laying the full responsibility for plastic recycling on the consumer. At present, most plastic products and packaging consumed in South Africa are sent to landfills or open dumps when discarded. While recycling rates in South Africa have increased steadily since first reported in 2011, over

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P I CT URE SA I NDU R ENVI R O / U NSPL A SH

The use of non-plastic, organic shopping bags is gaining popularity as an alternative to harmful plastic bags.

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN PLASTICS PACT’S 2025 TARGETS Target 1 Elimination of problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging through redesign, innovation or alternative (reuse) delivery models Target 2 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable* by 2025 (*applicable only in closed-loop and controlled systems with sufficient infrastructure available or fit-for-purpose applications). Target 3 70% of plastic packaging effectively recycled. This is the only target that is not under the direct control of individual members. The target of a 70% recycling rate for all plastic packaging put on the market in South Africa means that the South African Plastics Pact commits to engage and collaborate with key players beyond its membership. Target 4 30% average recycled content across all plastic packaging.

(producers and suppliers of new plastic raw material) are heavily invested in manufacturing fossil fuel-derived polymers. For them to invest in new infrastructure to chemically recycle post-consumer plastic is a big ask and their profits are not guaranteed. When it comes to the converters (or the packaging manufacturers), there is a mindset that recycled materials are inferior to virgin plastics and will impact on operational efficiencies and potentially reduce profits. The general view is that the most influential sector within the value chain is brand owners and retailers. They hold the key to change as they place the orders for packaging and specify what they want – but they are not doing enough to drive change. Very few have a packaging policy which includes recycling design criteria, such as the inclusion of post-consumer recyclate and procurement from suppliers who also support circular packaging. And then there are the consumers who, for the most part, are at sea when it comes to what 1 2

can and can’t be recycled. For them to make informed choices and to recycle at source, there needs to be credible and clear labelling and more communication.

ome of the recommendations are the need for the “drivers” of the chain to make voluntary collective commitments, such as through the SA Plastics Pact. Another is for retailers and brand owners to make use of post-consumer recycled content mandatory, not only for non-food packaging, but also in items such as trolleys, totes, crates and bags. The use of standardised “on-pack recycling labels” on all packaging would also help consumers navigate this complex environment. Recently, the South African government introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations which is a positive development. These require those who put products into the market take responsibility for what happens to them at the end of their life cycle. The

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intention behind this is to drive up recycling rates and to reduce the leakage of plastic waste into the environment. Municipalities, industry and the producer responsibility organisations hold the potential to work together to meet the targets set in the new EPR regulations. Local and national government also have enormous power to stimulate the circular plastics economy by including recycled content requirements in their public procurement policies. To increase recycling rates and accelerate the use of post-consumer recycled content, each stakeholder in the plastics value chain is dependent on others also stepping up to overcome the barriers and to work together to enable an effective recycling industry. For far too long the problems of plastic waste seeping into the environment and low recycling rates have been laid at the door of the consumer alone. As the report highlights, it will take coordinated planning and action, involving all sectors, to arrive at a meaningful solution, concludes De Kock.

NO TIME TO WASTE TO GET A

CIRCULAR ECONOMY GOING

This concept embraces keeping materials in circulation as long as possible to reduce our need for new raw materials. More than just recycling, it is a multi-sectoral approach that is about the impacts and outcomes of changing the way we deal with waste

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BY CHRIS WHYTE

WASTE AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

OMPANIES, governments and organisations around the globe are latching on to the concept of the “circular economy” as the future solution to all the woes of the world. As a term, the circular economy has been entrenched for the past decade or so, but it was first coined in 1990. In a nutshell, it is about changing humankind’s take-makedispose destructive consumerist past to a more restorative and regenerative future. This would see technical and biological materials kept in circulation as long as possible to reduce our need for new raw materials. Essentially, it is based on the premise that in nature there is no waste and the world has an

incredible ability to heal itself. Then came man… A lot of the hype around the circular economy is about waste. The principles of circular economy are about changing this trajectory through embracing the 7 Rs: rethink, reduce, re-use, repair, refurbish, recover, recycle. Unfortunately, this often gives the impression that circular economy is just another buzz phrase for recycling. This could not be further from the truth. Circular economy is a multisectoral approach that is more about the impacts and outcomes of changing the way we deal with waste. This means we do not talk of recycling as the focus; we talk of the positive impacts and outcomes in the sectors of energy, water, wastewater, agriculture,

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manufacturing, infrastructure, health, education, nutrition, tourism and the benefits to environmental remediation and social upliftment. So, circular economy is really an all-encompassing, holistic approach to changing our destructive path to a more sustainable one. To unpack all this in a short article is impossible, so let us focus on one waste that is top of many people’s minds – plastic. Plastic litter is everywhere. It is in our towns, our rivers, our beaches and has even been found in the deepest parts of our oceans. Plastic is public enemy number one, and the reality is because this is the most visible waste we see and social media has entrenched this. Personally, I am more aware

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Circular economy is an allencompassing, holistic approach to changing our destructive path to a more sustainable one

Don’t use plastic bags when you do your shopping.

sector and even space travel. But then there is the bad news – the world’s corporations and governments would have us go on doubling and redoubling plastics production, where current projections show a four-fold increase in production by 2050. Globally, the recycling rate for plastic packaging is a paltry 14%, so it’s little wonder we have a problem.

of the other waste we do not see as clearly. These are the wastes that end up in our water and these are the ones which are killing us – agricultural nutrients, herbicides and pesticides; industrial waste and chemicals; sewage; mine water contamination, and the big one that most people do not know about, “forever chemicals” or PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Look it up – that is the really scary one.

But back to plastics. First, we need to put it into context and understand that plastics present a good news/bad news scenario. Globally, we are producing around 400 million metric tons of plastic a year – a billion kilograms a day. In South Africa, plastics production is just short of 2 million tons, less than 0.5% of global production – so if you think we have a problem, we can see the 1 6

global issue. Our economic manufacturing prowess has managed to double global production of plastic in less than two decades. Plastics have so many benefits that they have undeniably changed our lives for the better in so many ways, from reducing food losses, to the phone or computer you are reading this on, to improvements in the medical

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o, are we all going to drown in plastic waste? Hopefully not. About 60 000 waste pickers in South Africa earn an income collecting about 90% of the plastic waste in the country, comprising a recycling rate of 45% of our local plastics production and this feeds into about 300 formal recycling companies, or processors, in the country. The contribution to the economy is significant but not enough. We need a change in narrative as, realistically, “recycling” has been a global failure. Circular economy principles change this narrative, and they are gaining traction globally and locally. Reduce and redesign are elements being challenged all over the world, and now locally, with the advent of policies and regulations that place the responsibility back with the plastic producers through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR regulations were promulgated in this country on May 5 giving clear directives to empower the informal sector and generate value in waste; drive the economic opportunities to increase the infrastructure for processing plastic waste and drive the demand; focus on problematic plastic streams and address designing for recyclability, as well as implement innovative applications in plastic waste processing.

The future is bright – we simply need to embrace change and the opportunities this presents

here are huge opportunities for sustainable economic development, economic transformation and skills development in plastic waste processing and not just in conventional recycling. These include mechanical recycling and chemical recycling; innovations in energy and both up-cycling and down-cycling applications. The future is bright – we simply need to embrace this change and the opportunities this presents. CHRIS WHYTE is a director in five commercial companies and three NPOs involved in sustainable applications in waste. He is a director and SA Chapter leader for the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) and co-founder of the ACEN Foundation, based in Brussels. Whyte has been driving circular economy applications for 21 years, specialising in transitioning corporations and countries to a circular economy where waste is a resource. He has received over a dozen national awards, and several global awards, in recognition of his contribution to the sector. He is currently focused on pan-African CE development and EU-Africa collaboration. 1 6

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RE-USE AND REDUCE IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY: ACTION YOU CAN TAKE

ASTE is inevitable but we have to take a circular, rather than a linear, approach to dealing with it. The circular approach would see us re-using waste, repurposing it or recycling it, however, currently as much as 90% of waste is relegated to the waste bin, mostly in landfill, with some being incinerated. In 2017, South Africa generated about 54 million tons of general waste, of which 38.6% was recycled, and 61.4% went to landfill. These relatively promising statistics look much worse when you add our 66.8 million tons of hazardous waste to the equation, making a total of 110 million to 120 million tons of waste a year – and these figures do not include mining waste. When we add general waste to hazardous waste, only 6.3% is recycled with the rest sent to landfills. Cumulatively, we landfill 79% of our waste which, in round numbers, is about 21% “recycled/recovered”. This is disastrous for an economy of our stature and maturity. Currently, 58% of our paper is recycled, 78% of our glass and 75% of our metal. The plastics figure is 43%. Microplastics are a serious threat to our entire food chain.

BY BENOIT LE ROY

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P I CT URE MA R C NEW B ER RY / U NSPL A SH

One step at the household level is to stop sending organic waste to landfill and to compost it instead The problem might seem too big for ordinary people to get their heads around but the fact is the transition to a circular economy starts when producers of goods and services are forced to adapt to what consumers prefer and purchase.

hat can we do at the basic, household level? One step is to stop sending organic waste to landfill. A total of 56% of our waste is classified as organic waste – generally garden and kitchen waste – which can have a moisture

content over 50%, so half is water. About 69% of organic waste is sent to landfill – and the percentage should be zero. Waste services need to stop collecting organics. Taking the circular approach, we need to return it to the ground, such as by composting it. Nature functions by recycling – think of fallen leaves becoming nutrients and mulch for plants The earth needs its moisture, trace elements and fibres returned to remain fertile and productive. Many of us can remember when milk and fruit juice were delivered in glass bottles a few decades ago, at night, 1 8

using battery-powered delivery vehicles so as to not wake up the sleeping population. We need to go back to this as glass is virtually infinitely reusable and recyclable. This way we can stop the demand for single-use plastics and composite packaging that is complex to recycle. Reuse is higher in the waste hierarchy than recycling and should be our first choice. After that we have to consider repurposing what cannot be reused, such as organic food waste which we can compost. The bottom line is that we must become more regenerative in our day-to-day lives. We have no choice if we are to survive.

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BENOIT LE ROY is an environmental alchemist with 40 years of water, waste and energy engineering experience. He is the chief executive and co-founder of the South African Water Chamber, established to represent the private water infrastructure sector, to collaborate with and assist the government to implement the national water and sanitation master plan. This will not only re-industrialise the water sector but also provide many skilled jobs and the opportunity to again export water-related products and expertise globally.

World trends and recycling figures around Africa:

Did you know? When it comes to individual households, Western Cape has the highest percentage (20%) of urban households that sort waste for recycling, followed by Gauteng at 12%. South Africa recycles over 70% of used steel beverage cans, while the rates for glass are 42% and plastic packaging 30%. The country sends around 95 million tons of waste to its 826 landfill sites and less than 40% of the materials are recycled.

About 80 000 waste pickers in South Africa earn an income collecting about 90% of the plastic waste in South Africa, comprising a recycling rate of 45% of our local plastics production. This feeds into about 300 formal recycling companies, or processors, in the country.

As few as 7% of South African households recycle. Globally, we are producing around 400 million tons of plastic per year, which amounts to a billion kilograms a day. In South Africa, plastics production is just short of 2 million tons, less than 0.5% of global production. Globally, the recycling rate for plastic packaging is 14%.

PI CT UR E HE R ME S RI VE R A / UN SP LA SH

South Africa recycles around 67% of all PET bottles produced – this figure was 55% in 2016.

THE POPULATION of sub-Saharan Africa was around 1 billion as of 2019 and the amount of generated waste 180 million tons at the rate of 0.5% a person a day. The amount that is openly dumped is 70% and the plastic waste generated annually is 17 million tons. Plastics recycling is a growing sector and South Africa is a leader in mechanical recycling. 1 9

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POSITIVE FEEDBACK

THE POWER OF LIFE LIVED OFF THE GRID BY SHAUN FERREIRA

Simply Green article sparks a REVOV(lution) for sustainable living couple

M This Revov battery bank ensures there is no shedding. It runs all the couple’s household appliances.

Y PARTNER Donna and I live on a remote 4 hectare piece of land in the Free Stare. We have been living off the grid as regards power and water for over a year now. We have been fortunate enough to be able to build our own home and put in a borehole and our own solar set-up. Being enthusiasts of living as self-sufficiently and sustainably as possible, we looked at, and researched, a lot on solar power. After months of investigation, we purchased our own solar gear and set it up ourselves. Our system consists of 9 x 330watt solar panels 1 x 5kW Synapse 5k+ hybrid off2 0

grid inverter/charge controller 2 x 24v 2nd Life battery bank with BMS by Revov This gives us 10.2kWh of storage power We are part of a Facebook group called Self Sufficiency and Sustainability South Africa where we get plenty of information and have been posting and sharing our journey to self-sufficiency and sustainability. Our story was picked up by Simply Green Magazine, which did a article on our energy journey published in their April edition. It was also published in an Independent Media newspaper. The Revov storage-energy company picked up on the

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article and, through Simply Green Magazine, made contact with us wanting to gift us more energy-storage equipment. On June 1, a team from Revov arrived at our homestead. They gave us one of their new R100 51v 100ah 5.1kW batteries. In addition, they gave us two new storage cabinets and installed everything for us. We were bowled over! It just goes to show what is possible and we are forever grateful for this amazing gift and experience. We want to thank the Facebook group Self Sufficiency and Sustainability South Africa, Simply Green Magazine and, most of all, the team and managing director of Revov for all you have done for us.

NO WIND OR SUN? THERE’S A BATTERY FOR THAT

SOUTH Africans joined the rest of the world in marking World Earth Day against the backdrop of an electricity grid that is under immense pressure and still dominated by coal, despite large mining houses announcing divestment in the fossil fuel. While there are positive moves in the country around renewable energy investment and generation, there is also a marked uptick in business and private investment in sustainable energy solutions to give them some level of energy independence. However, there is a need to educate the public on how energy from renewable sources is stored, says REVOV managing director Lance Dickerson. REVOV supplies first-life and second-life lithium-ion batteries in South Africa and the rest of subSaharan Africa. The company has gained widespread recognition through its second-life batteries, which are built from re-purposed electric vehicle (EV) batteries. EV batteries need to be replaced every few years. These often

end up in landfills. “We said from the beginning, what is the point of supporting something good like e-mobility if the after-effect is yet more damage to the environment? Rather re-purpose the cells to supply lithium power to the renewable energy and uninterrupted power supply (UPS) market in Africa,” says Dickerson. He says a common misconception about renewable power is that the sun constantly needs to be shining or the wind blowing for it to work. “While it is true that solar generates power when the sun is shining and turbines when the wind is blowing, it is the battery that stores this power for continued power supply,” explains Dickerson. This makes batteries vital for getting the most out of renewable energy and lowering our carbon footprint, he says. There is an array of lithium-ion batteries which, because of their chemical make-up, are good for using with renewable energy installations. REVOV has a range of first- and second-life batteries that are designed to deliver the best performance in various environments. A common criticism of renewable energy using wind and solar devices is that it is unreliable because of the unpredictability of nature. “In simple terms, a renewable energy system that relies totally on ? ?

alternative energy production, without energy storage in place, is interrupted by cloud cover or a lack of wind. The system cannot supply energy to the load, unless it is capable of augmenting the renewable supply with either some grid supply or some battery power. “To be able to power loads reliably it is important to have reliable power supplied continuously, regardless of the state of the renewable supply,” explains Dickerson. “The most effective way to do this is to store the energy in a system which will allow it to be used to supplement the irregular supply from the renewable side. So, when there is a good renewable supply, store the excess in batteries, and then when supply reduces use those batteries to supplement the supply and provide a continuous level of energy. “It is imperative for us to educate both the installers and the general public on lithium-ion and why and how it has surpassed traditional lead chemistries,” says Dickerson. There are a number of variables that go into choosing the right type of battery. These include the charging time. First-life LiFePO4 batteries, for example, can be charged up to five times faster than traditional lead batteries. The weight of the battery system, longevity and safety are also vital.

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“Every battery has a lifespan based on the number of charge and discharge cycles it can support. Again, if we use the LiFePO4 lithium-ion batteries as an example, they can go through 6 000 to 7 000 cycles compared to the 1 000 to 1 500 cycles in traditional lead batteries,” he says. “The point is, to educate both installers and the public about the performance of lithium-ion batteries, that they are not only more environmentally sound than traditional batteries but also, by being fit for purpose, they alleviate a lot of the hesitancy around investing in renewable power.” He says there needs to be an understanding that how one stores power in a renewable set-up will ultimately play a massive role in determining the return on investment. As lithium-ion becomes more well known, Dickerson hopes the public will redouble its efforts in advocating for renewable energy, both on a national level and in smaller projects in their businesses and homes. “Our planet depends on it.”

TIPPING POINT

A recent case brought against a KwaZulu-Natal municipality for mismanaging a landfill site highlights the threat that these pose to the environment and people’s health OUTH Africa is fast running out of landfill space and potential new sites are in short supply. Many are not being properly managed by local authorities. A document from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning says: “Waste management is mainly focused on providing guidance to district and local municipalities. Disposal at landfills is considered unsustainable as it leads to soil, water and air pollution if poorly managed.” 2 2

The department said the waste economy contributed R24.3 billion to the South African GDP in 2016. It provided 36 000 formal jobs and supported an estimated 80 000 informal jobs or livelihoods. The Western Cape Integrated Waste Management Plan for 2017 to 2022 indicated that by 2017, 93 out of 164 landfills in the province had closed, having reached the end of their natural lifespans. The City of Cape Town has three

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operational landfill sites – in Bellville South, Coastal Park near Muizenberg, and Vissershok, near Table View. According to GreenCape’s 2016 Market Intelligence report, the Western Cape generates about 7.7 million tons of waste annually. Almost half of that – 48% – comes from the Cape Town Metro. In KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg High Court judge Rishi Seegobin recently gave the Msunduzi municipality 30 days to come up with an action

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plan to deal with the disastrous New England Road landfill site. The judge found the municipality had breached several environmental laws, including section 24 of the Constitution which highlights everyone’s right to a healthy environment protected from pollution. The case had been brought by the SA Human Rights Commission after the municipality battled to manage the site. It regularly catches fire, releasing toxic fumes into the air.

P I CT URE AVI GATOR PHOTOGR A PHER

Also in KZN, a detailed report this year on the province’s landfill sites painted a grim picture, saying municipalities were failing to manage their dumping facilities efficiently. They were also failing to turn them into lucrative economic opportunities. The Department of Environmental Affairs said economic opportunities were being squandered which could be derived from proper management of waste rather than taking it to dump sites. Director for Waste

Management Noloyiso Walingo, who delivered the report, said that South Africans were consuming and then disposing, with very little recycling of waste taking place. The report established that of the nine district municipalities in the province, only two – eThekwini and King Cetshwayo – were managing their landfill sites well. Staff shortages and lack of equipment were factors contributing to the poor management of landfill sites. Some municipalities, the report said, had 2 3

South Africa is recycling poorly and economic benefits that could be derived from recycling are being lost

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unregistered landfills and there were about 339 illegal dumps across the province. Walingo says there are options like recycling and disposal of waste should be the last resort. The report also said South Africa was recycling poorly and economic benefits that could be derived from recycling were being lost, adding that people opted for disposal more than any of the other options. The report highlighted numerous challenges to do with waste management. – compiled by Vivien Horler 2 0 2 1

P I CT URE COTTONB R O

SA’S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET BY JOYCE MOGANEDI

Our water resources are under threat – not just from droughts and climate change but from waste too 2 4

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CCORDING to Rand Water, the quality of our fresh water is deteriorating because of pollution and the destruction of river catchments. There is also a general lack of understanding that the waste we dispose of may end up in the water that we drink. Informal settlements along rivers are contributing to water pollution and we need to educate communities on the threat posed by pollution and waste to our water supply. Drinking water comes from surface water (rainfall and run-off into dams or rivers) and groundwater (water collected underground). It is vital that we respect our essential water sources to ensure a secure, sufficient and sustainable supply of fresh water for all. Much of the drinking water for Johannesburg and the surrounding region is sourced from the Vaal River and the Vaal Dam which lie 70km south of the city. About 19 million people depend on the Vaal River system for drinking water and commercial use. The South African Human Rights Commission stated earlier this year that it is polluted “beyond acceptable standards” and has set up an inquiry into the river system’s problems. While the Vaal’s dire pollution problem has been caused by raw sewage flowing into it for many years, other rivers and water bodies around South Africa are under threat from different waste and pollutants. Urbanisation, industry, agriculture and failing stormwater systems are impacting the quality of water in our rivers and dams. Increasing energy demands are causing air pollution which, in turn, pollutes our water sources, while plastic waste is also a major problem affecting our water supplies. Plastic from discarded water bottles, polystyrene cups, grocery bags and synthetic clothing fibres can take hundreds of years to decompose. It breaks down into tiny pieces of plastic called microplastics, which have been found in streams, rivers, lakes and oceans around the world. They often end up in the water we drink and the fish that we eat. Plastic microbeads are an ingredient in some toothpastes, facial cleansers and kitchen scrubs and they get into our wastewater. To conserve scarce water resources, wastewater reuse is critical. While there are no technical barriers hindering the treatment of reused water up to drinking water standards, one of the challenges is the removal of poorly degradable contaminants and micro pollutants. This requires more advanced wastewater treatment technologies that consume even higher levels of energy. 2 5

BELOW:Joyce Moganedi is the sales manager of power and water at ABB Energy Industries South Africa.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP There are things we can all do to help improve the quality, and therefore increase the quantity, of water available to South Africans. We can play a role in reducing pollution in rivers and dams by taking these simple steps to preserve our precious water sources. • Stop buying products sold in plastic. Rather opt for products with biodegradable packaging • Do not buy toiletries and cleaning products that contain plastic microbeads • Recycle. Do not throw away plastics and other waste and packaging that can be recycled • Do not use pesticides and poisons • Use fabric shopping bags, not plastic bags • Reject polystyrene packaging. Rather use your own coffee cup when buying your morning brew • Do not litter • Reduce your energy consumption • Do not pollute rivers with liquid or solid waste • Make your voice heard by petitioning the government and business to prioritise our water quality and security • Speak out against organisations that are polluting our water systems.

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A F R I C A G O O D N E W S It’s not all doom and gloom on the environmental front

SOCCER FANS ON THE BALL

Building houses with discarded bottles you can build earthquakeproof homes that are 18 times stronger than those built with regular bricks and can even withstand bullets. Nigeria generates about 2.5 million tons of recyclable plastic waste each year and is responsible for 2.7% of all plastic entering the oceans. Nigeria also has a housing problem, with 24 million of the nation’s 200 million people homeless. The recycled bricks help fix these problems: they

are affordable, good for the environment and can be used to build homes for lowincome families. German firm Ecotec Environmental Solutions is working with Nigerian NGO the Development Association for Renewable Energies to expand the bottle technology project across the country. Ecotec is training people in Nigeria to use their abundant plastic bottle waste to build durable and secure homes. Vivian Warby

YOUNGSTERS in Africa are taking waste and turning it into endless hours of joy by making soccer balls from materials such as scraps, rags and plastic pieces. This has been documented in the book Amen, by Jessica Hilltout, who spent almost a year travelling through the continent photographing the magic of homemade African soccer fields. She was chatting to her dad Mark Hilltout in Woodstock, Cape Town, recently, and he said the youngsters use things like plastic bags, old socks and rags,shredded tyres and strips of tree bark, – even inflated condoms – tied up with string and wrapped in cloth and plastic bags to seal them, to make soccer balls, which are not readily available in shops in certain areas. These ingenious, improvised balls bounce like real ones and help young soccer enthusiasts stay in the game. – Vivian Warby

P IC TU RE S K IM ST ONE , S UP PL I E D

THE WELL-KNOWN Nigerian “plastic bottle” house in Yewa has been successful in turning trash into an affordable and beautiful housing material. Plastic bottles filled with sand and mud have become Nigeria’s eco-friendly alternative to traditional bricks and concrete. By packing plastic bottles with soil or sand, and then stacking and binding them with mud and string, NIgerians have shown how

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A really bright idea AMONG the many things you can do with a 2 litre plastic cooldrink bottle is to make a skylight that will bring brightness and light into your home – at virtually no cost. Across the world, people are installing these skylights, particularly in informal settlements and in places where there is no electricity. A small shack can be transformed from a cold and dark space to a more welcoming environment with light streaming in through the roof. You can even save on electricity by installing one in your garage or storeroom, in fact, anywhere where it would provide adequate

light without using electricity. You will need a clear 2 litre plastic bottle, filled with water. This is important, as it refracts light coming from the sun. Add a cap full of bleach to the water to prevent algae forming and blocking out the light. You will also need about 30cm of broad adhesive roofing tape and a pair of scissors to cut out V shapes at intervals to allow the tape to stick to both the roof and the outside of the plastic bottle. A hole, just slightly bigger than the diameter of the bottle, needs to be drilled or cut out of the roof sheeting. Choose a position in the middle

of the room, between beams, to prevent them from blocking out most of the light. Position the bottle so that the top half is above the roof sheeting and the bottom half is below. In order for the tape to bond to the bottle and the roof, cut Vs on both leading edges of the tape and seal it into place. If you have any concerns about it leaking, you can either apply a further layer of tape or use roofing cloth and roof sealer. Make sure you don’t paint it over the plastic bottle. All you have to do now is go back inside and see how you have brought light into your life. – Terry van der Walt

ABOVE This is what the skylight looks like when installed.

Repurpose Schoolbags creates bags from billboard material and plastic bags for schoolchildren in need G R E E N P E A C E H I G H LI G H T S T H E S E W I N S : In South Africa, the non-profit USE-IT works on a holistic approach to solid waste management through recycling programmes. Polyco, also in South Africa, has set up a mobile kiosk where people can bring in polyethylene plastic in exchange for cash. All Women Recycling makes Kliketyklikbox – an eco-friendly gift box recycled from plastic cooldrink bottles. This initiative up-cycled over 500 000 plastic bottles in 2016. Repurpose Schoolbags creates bags from billboard material and plastic bags in South Africa and gives them to schoolchildren in need. The bags have a solar panel that can be

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used as a desk lamp at night. In Ethiopia, SoleRebels creates fair-trade footwear using recycled tyres and handloom techniques. Similarly, Ocean Sole in Kenya collects over 400 000 discarded plastic slipslops annually and recycles them into art. Ecopost in Nairobi encourages people and businesses to collect and sort their waste in return for points on an app that can be redeemed for products. Ecopost collects plastic waste and agricultural waste, such as rice husks, wheat bran and sawdust, to create lumber that can be used for fencing. This helps reduce deforestation while creating jobs.

P I CT URE CL A U DI O SCHWA R Z PU R ZL B A U M, SU PPL I ED

A F R I C A G O O D N E W S

WHAT A WASTE BY TERRY VAN DER WALT

Within a time frame of 10 years, urban residents have gone from generating about 0.64kg of municipal solid waste per person per day to generating 1.2kg per person per day. Just how big is the solid waste problem in Africa? data and estimate waste generation to 2030 and 2050. “Solid waste management is the one thing just about every city government provides for its residents. While service levels, environmental impacts and costs vary dramatically, solid waste management is arguably the most important municipal service... As the world hurtles toward its urban future, the amount of municipal solid waste, one of the most important byproducts of an urban lifestyle, is growing even faster than the rate of urbanisation. “Ten years ago there were 2.9 billion urban residents who generated about 0.64kg of municipal solid waste per person per day (0.68 billion tons per year). “This report estimates that today these amounts have increased to about 3 billion residents generating 1.2kg per person per day (1.3 billion tons per year). By 2025, this will likely increase to 4.3 billion urban residents generating about 1.42kg/capita/ day of municipal solid waste (2.2 billion tons per year).” Although we are seeing improvements in solid waste management globally, it is a complex issue and one that we need to take urgent action on, says the World Bank’s Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez in his opening remarks in the paper cited above. Those most affected by the negative impact of poorly managed waste are largely

society’s most vulnerable – losing their lives and homes from landslides at waste dumps, working in unsafe waste-picking conditions and suffering health problems.

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oo often, the environment also pays a high price. In 2016, the world generated 242 million tons of plastic waste – 12% of all municipal solid waste. Plastic waste is choking our oceans, yet our consumption of plastics is only increasing. “Cities and countries are rapidly developing without adequate systems in place to manage the changing waste composition of citizens. “Meanwhile, an estimated 1.6 billion tons of… greenhouse gas emissions were generated from solid waste management in 2016. This is about 5% of global emissions.” More sanitary landfills are being built in the region, however, the number of new disposal facilities is not meeting the need, given the growing quantities of waste. Key challenges in sub-Saharan Africa include overuse of facilities and continued disposal, even after capacity has been exceeded; residents’ resistance to placement of waste facilities near their homes; land scarcity and high urbanisation and sprawl.

P IC TU RE E M ME T / PE X E L S

FRICA, the continent with the highest population growth rate, has a poor record of managing waste. According to the UN, only 10% of rubbish reaches dumps, while the rest is left to rot in communities or burned in bonfires. Eighty percent of plastics have little or no value at the end of their life. Pollution from this sector has a huge impact on fisheries, which employ over 12 million Africans and is a potential threat to food security. In 2010, annual mismanaged plastic waste in Africa was at about 4.8 million tons. According to Greenpeace, by 2025, this could be as high as 11.5 million tons. Add to that consumer waste, which forms 93% of plastic marine debris globally, and you have an ugly picture. The expectation is by 2050, the world will generate about 3.4 billion tons of waste every year. Simply put, that number will have grown by 2 billion tons from today’s figure. Five African countries – Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and Morocco – are among the top 20 contributors to plastic marine debris in the world. In their Urban Development Series Knowledge Paper in World Bank Publications, “What a Waste 2.0: a Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050”, authors Daniel Hoornweg and Perinaz Bhada-Tata, aggregate solid waste

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BREAKING POINT R Ever get the feeling that things just don’t last any more? BY VIVIAN WARBY

Professor Dr Dr Bruce Watson

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EMEMBER buying, say, a washing machine in the 1980s? It was likely to be around for at least 20 years. But this is less true now, with society becoming increasingly accustomed to having – and often wanting – to replace big-ticket items regularly. This is particularly true of laptops, computers and cellphones. Sadly, the proliferation of digital devices is an environmental disaster. Every year almost 50 million tons of technological scrap is generated and less than 20% of it is recycled. Not only do tech items not last more than two to three years these days, but consumers have become complicit in this, expecting regular upgrades or replacement of

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functioning devices. “Because of this you can’t even give your old cellphone away as its battery has either died and cannot be restored or it is incapable of uploading the latest apps. These are the subtle ways the consumer is being pulled along the stream of obsolescence,” says Watson. This trend does not only apply to laptops and phones – manufacturers of washing machines, driers and fridges have also taken advantage of the consumer mindset that expects items replaced every few years.

e are in a trap, says Watson. “Globally, companies don’t necessarily want something to last forever and this leads to designing (by accident) for it to break down at a point. “It is not exactly that they are being made to break but certainly

non-robust design techniques and parts – and at a lower immediate cost to the consumer – are being used, which leads to things falling apart after two or three years, with the upside for the company being that the consumer has to replace the item. “And, funnily enough, the consumer is not annoyed by this. Psychologically, it feels roughly right to replace something after this cycle because the consumer has lost a feel for the long-term robustness and endurance of things. “After three years, consumers have a gut feel that it is okay to replace the item – although, of course, it is not okay.” Most people have only to look in their own drawers to find an old cellphone which they can’t even give away. Cellphones and laptops that cannot be repaired are one of the disasters of our “made to break”, throwaway world, says Watson.

DID YOU KNOW: E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams on the planet. Everything from smartphones to fridges – in fact anything that runs on electricity that you’ve decided to dump – is electronic waste. Electronic devices are made of a complex mix of materials which include gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium, lithium and cobalt. They are also full of toxic heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium, polluting PVC plastic, and hazardous chemicals, such as brominated flame retardants, which can harm human health and the environment. When electronics are mishandled during disposal, these chemicals end up in our soil, water and air. These toxic elements pollute rivers, lakes and seas and release gases into the atmosphere which disturb ecosystems. When dumped incorrectly into landfills that have not been properly sealed, the items crack and contaminated rainwater then seeps into groundwater.

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PI C TURE JOH N C AMERON / UNSPLASH

devices, says Professor Dr Dr Bruce Watson, head of Stellenbosch University’s Department of Information Science and research professor at the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and the School for Data-Science and Computational Thinking. According to MarketWatch, in 2018, consumers replaced cellphones every 15 months. The “made to break” mindset is certainly not good for the environment, with a UN report estimating annual electronic scrap was projected to reach a massive 120 million tons by 2050. “It is, in a way, a self-inflicted injury. Consumers are offered something twice as good every two years and they have now become addicted to looking for and buying the next-best version,” says Watson. Add to that the ever-changing software and you have created the “worthlessness” of fully

P I CT URE R A CHEL CL A I R E /PEXEL S

HOW WE GET DRAWN IN The most common way for a product to become

contrived durability

obsolete is for it to be replaced by something

software updates

new. Companies use various strategies to

perceived

make a product seem undesirable, useless and

obsolescence and prevention of repair

unwanted. Here are some ways:

E-waste can pose a pollution hazard.

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P I CT URE MA R KU S SPI SKE /U NSPL A SH

REMEMBER THIS CASE? One of the most famous instances of planned obsolescence came from one of the biggest companies in the world, Apple. Under French law, it is a crime to intentionally shorten the lifespan of a product. As a result, Apple had to pay a $27million fine. Apple admitted that older iPhone models were slowed down through software updates, though they claimed that this was because of diminishing battery performance rather than the software. Many iPhone users shared details of their phones being too slow to use. Apple slashed the prices of its replacement batteries so the phones would speed up with the new software and pledged to do more in the future to ensure that the phones did not slow again.

Planned obsolescence – the idea that big international manufacturers are selling us products designed to last only a few years – upsets many. But companies deny this is happening. And, as we dump apparently obsolete devices and machines, we are creating a colossal mound of e-waste.

ut while it is important to change the consumer mindset, says Watson, it is ultimately the manufacturers who should not be making items to break. When items are not made to last a lifetime, it does mean price wise they are more accessible. Also phones with thin, glued-in, unreplaceable batteries are smaller and easier for the consumer to carry around. Watson says not many people are trained to repair e-waste. It needs highly qualified technicians who have often been trained by the manufacturer. Frequently, consumers simply don’t have the option to repair. The worldwide Right to Repair movement says even if you are able and willing to repair your electronic device, you might be stymied because 3 2

your product’s software is subject to copyright. The copyright often forbids consumers to tinker with or reverse-engineer the device or use an unauthorised repairer. But not all is lost: “I believe there is some hope – but it will call for a consumer mindset change, and for them to be mildly re-educated to be willing to have an older device.” Watson adds: “If we could persuade software companies to give more life to older devices this would also enable relatively rich people to give away still usable older devices. “Software and hardware companies work hand in glove to make it difficult to get a new version of an app and new software often needs a new phone, meaning we are often forced to upgrade. If software companies came to the party this would enable a whole secondary market where devices can be given away and have a second life.” Watson believes with buy-in from smart governments and consumers we will be able to make greener and smarter choices. Meanwhile, how can you do your part? Before you buy a new product, ask yourself if you really need it.

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HANDLE WITH CARE Tips for recycling e-waste Due to the hazardous materials contained in e-waste, dismantling of equipment should be left to the experts. Handle CFLs and florescent tubes with care to prevent breakage. Be careful with TV screens and computer screens. In old cathode-ray tubes the glass contains lead and LCD screens contain mercury. Take batteries and mercury-containing lamps, such as CFLs and florescent tubes, to collection points at Woolworths, Makro and Pick n Pay (usually there are special containers at the stores’ entrances).

WHAT LOCALS ARE DOING TO TURN THE TIDE ON TRASH 3 3

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DISCOVER THE TOOLKIT THAT’S IN YOUR TRASH

HE CONCEPT of “going green” is often described as a journey. First, we must become aware of our impact, and then we must equip ourselves to take action. We do this by educating and upskilling ourselves to make a positive impact. When we think about “saving the planet”, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and disempowered by the urgent need for largescale change. But the journey begins with a single step. Fortunately, we are not alone. There are people whose journeys we can learn from and who can inspire us. Upcycle.co.za provides alternative waste management strategies for corporates and trains communities and individuals to see value in waste and value in their own lives through crafting. Everybody and everything has value. You harness value by giving it an opportunity to flourish and time to grow. I discovered there was a toolkit in my trash and I grew it into a business. We do workshops on setting up your home recycling system. We teach people how to do a waste audit, design a waste area and set up a composting system from discarded materials. We inspire and show people how to take their home’s waste management to the next level. Often we are too quick to jump in the car to go buy something new. Lockdown taught us that we can turn challenges into opportunities and we challenge people to change the world by changing the way they see it. If you look in your dustbin, there is a craft kit waiting to be transformed into something amazing.

BY WINNIE McHENRY

You can also use your garbage to create something of value by rethinking your waste problem and transforming it into a craft solution

U P - C Y C L E T I P S T O S AV E T H E P L A N E T 1 Know your impact: Calculate your ecological footprint (www. footprintcalculator.org/). Audit your consumption and waste in your home (www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uCD8wuHLoBM). 2 Change your mindset: Educate yourself about where the products you buy come from, how they are made and if the waste they produce can be recycled through your local recycling centres. Not all centres accept the same materials, so send them only what they can process. This will make you aware of the challenges involved in recycling. 3 Take the first step: Even starting by simply separating at source can have a big impact on

the environment and community. By placing different recyclables in separate bags you save informal waste pickers time and help prevent health hazards associated with mixed waste. Use your leftover grey water to wash your recyclable materials before adding them to the bin. 4 Try something new: You can find a host of ideas that you can craft in your home at (www.upcycle.co.za/initiatives/ projects). Spending time crafting with your children, family, friends or community helps teach the value of waste and inspires creative problem solving. 5 Show your work: Share your “amazingness” with the world – we need to see the good things 3 4

that are happening to inspire more action. Post your creation and get more inspiration on our Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/Upcycle.co.za. Winnie McHenry (below) is the owner of Upcycle.co.za, which creates green solutions for your waste by reinventing it and giving it a new purpose, as opposed to recycling it.

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Hello tyres! Upcycle innovator Winnie McHenry discusses a plan to turn tyres into chairs during a workshop at the Orange Farm Recycling Centre. Upcycle helps women to crochet a shadecloth awning for a nursery school in Gauteng.

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P I CT URE F U R KA NVA R I / PEXEL S

1) REFUSE 2) REDUCE 3) REUSE 4) REPURPOSE 5) RECYCLE These 5 simple rules could stop us from drowning in our own waste

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INVISIBLE HEROES Waste pickers critical to SA recycling efforts BY DOMINIC NAIDOO

Waste reclaimer-turned-filmmaker Aphiwe Koti has made a film titled STREETDOGS which highlights the unrecognised role of waste reclaimers. See page 39.

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VERY DAY in South Africa, thousands of people traverse neighbourhood streets and municipal landfills in search of items that most of us regard as worthless. These individuals pick through our waste in search of valuable recyclable materials which they collect, clean and sell to recycling companies. This critical, yet thankless, work is vital to waste management systems, not only in South Africa, but all over the world. This is their livelihood; they are waste pickers. Sandile M picks out mostly cardboard, the occasional aluminium can and sometimes food in a Durban neighbourhood. When I chat to him he thanks me for putting my cardboard and tins into a separate bag and not mixing them with the general waste. Sandile is one of Durban’s thousands of homeless residents who have resorted to informal waste picking to support themselves. Sandile says he usually gets around 50c per kilo of cardboard and around R12.50 for a kilo of clean aluminium cans. Considering that it takes an average of 71 cans to make 1kg, I was curious as to how much money can one person possibly make from this. Sandile says: “On a good day, I make maybe R30 to R40. It keeps me from going hungry.” The South African Plastics Recycling Organisation says 70% of recyclable plastics came from municipal landfills, with most of this being sorted by informal waste pickers.

Niven Reddy, campaigns researcher at groundWork, a non-profit environmental justice service, says “waste pickers are critical to recycling in SA”. “They divert thousands of tons of recyclable material from municipal landfills and free up landfill airspace, so reducing the number of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. “Waste pickers are not seen as heroes by many people but they are champions in the fight against climate change. And they are creating their own livelihood. “Money made from waste picking puts food on the table. They work through some of the most difficult situations, like being based at a landfill or on the streets.” Reddy believes municipalities should be doing more to assist “these vital cogs of our waste management systems”. “Pickers should be provided with space where waste can be dropped off and sorted instead of the pickers having to walk kilometres every day in search of recyclables. Any residual waste can then be dropped off at a landfill. “The government could compel households to separate waste at home. This would make the recycling process more efficient and safer as recyclables would not be contaminated by the general household or hazardous waste.” The City of Johannesburg has come under the spotlight recently for wanting to expand its waste management company Pikitup’s operations, while excluding informal waste pickers. The city currently picks up household waste that has been

Aphiwe Koti collects recyclable materials in a scene from his film STREETDOGS.

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overnments do not pay attention to these informal economies, often going into situations like this and acting as if there is no system already in place. “Nobody recognises the impact this is having on the waste reclaimers and their lives. These people do so much and yet

they are deeply and profoundly exploited,” says Samson. Waste pickers were also some of the hardest hit when the country went into lockdown due to the Covid outbreak last year. Pickers were not able to move around, and all recycling buy-back centres were closed. In November, the UN Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) stepped in to assist waste pickers to get back to work safely by providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to members of the South African Waste Pickers Association at sites in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. Unido says 60% of the waste pickers at the four participating sites are women. The donation of PPE and equipment was sponsored by the Japanese government and is part of a larger programme to support South Africa to make the transition from plastics to environmentally sustainable alternatives. Simon Mbata, chairman of the South African Waste Pickers Association, says: “The donation of PPE has brought dignity to waste pickers, who now have the respect of their communities as recognised workers in the waste recycling system. It lays the foundation for future development.” Waste pickers are vital to the functioning of our waste management systems. They stop recyclable waste from entering landfills and they provide employment for themselves and, indirectly, to the recyclers that buy their collected waste.

Aphiwe Koti says waste pickers are often treated badly, despite the vital role they play.

Governments do not pay attention to these informal economies, often acting as if there is no system in place

P IC TU RE S KHA NY I SI L E Z ONDI, LA URAJAMES / PEX ELS, STIJN DIJKSTRA / PEX ELS

separated at the source. It is then transported to and sorted at public-private facilities and sold to recycling companies. A recent study conducted by Dr Melanie Samson, a senior lecturer in Human Geography in the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies at Wits, found there were several negative consequences to the city’s ambitious waste management programme. The model had the unintended consequence of side-lining Johannesburg’s approximately 8 000 waste pickers who rely on this waste for their income. After collection by the city, pickers had fewer and fewer areas where they could obtain recyclables, reducing their income. “It also led to increased harassment as reclaimers were accused by residents and security of ‘stealing’ Pikitup’s bags. “And the pilot also made life harder for reclaimers in other ways. They had to start sleeping in suburban parks to get to the materials before the private recycling trucks arrived, as otherwise there would be nothing to collect, and their children would go hungry.

HOW YOU CAN HELP Do not mix your recyclable materials with your everyday garbage. Keep cardboard and cans clean and dry and put them out separately on your designated waste-collection day. 3 8

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P I CT URE S KHA NYI SI L E ZONDI , MA GDA EHL ER S, SA MER DA B OU L / PEXEL S

A RUBBISH FILM Starring the crucial waste reclaimers and told by young film-makers BY DEBBIE MATTHEE

I’M AN informal waste reclaimer, a street hustler or a street dog – whatever you can call me.” These are the opening lines of STREETDOGS, a 20-minute documentary about the crucial, but unrecognised, role of waste reclaimers in dense urban environments. They are spoken by Aphiwe Koti, 23, a DOCi (Documentary Institute of South Africa) student who makes a living as a waste reclaimer, recovering recyclable 3 9

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materials from bins and dumping grounds, carting them over great distances, and selling them to buy-back centres for minimal amounts. “There are two kinds of waste reclaimers – those who collect for drugs, and those who are collecting to make a living. The reason why I started this job was to bring change.” Koti’s optimism and genuine care for the environment drives the film as it follows a typical day in his life: waking J U L Y

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P I CT URE A MDA D HOSSA I N / PEXEL S

The results are brutally honest documentaries about people surviving – and sometimes thriving – in some of South Africa’s harshest living conditions

up in Samora Machel township, catching public transport to visit various dump sites, all the while picking up waste and filling a bag he carries on his shoulders. During Youth Month, 18 young students used the film to shine a light on what human rights mean in the face of stark inequalities at the Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival, from June 10 to 20. Sponsored by the US Embassy in South Africa, the students – many of whom come from extremely underserved communities – have participated in the DOCi Emerging Filmmakers Programme, a 12-week, hands-on course, equipping them with the technology and skills to turn a human-rights lens on their own lives. The results are brutally honest documentaries about people surviving – and sometimes thriving – in some of South Africa’s harshest living conditions. While there are no accurate statistics on the number of informal waste reclaimers in South Africa, it is thought there are more than 80 000, and the film introduces some of them. A homeless mother of several children, a reformed gangster, an unemployed woman trying to make a living... all of them dependant on the pittance they earn from selling recyclable waste. The film makes it clear that life as a waste reclaimer is not simple. After a day’s work, Koti’s bag of plastic waste does not reach the required weight for minimum payment and he is kicked out of the buy-back centre, insulted, chased away… “like a dog”. Attempting to highlight the incongruity of this treatment, Belinda

WAT C H T H E T R A I L E R H E R E :

https://youtu.be/rrE8IS2ZvAI

Caption to come Do, efactor atus senicasdam etiqui condi peremquo videa

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Langehoven, deputy director of waste policy and minimisation at the City of Cape Town, says: “Waste reclaimers save municipalities a lot of money because landfilling waste is becoming an expensive exercise.” The amount saved by municipalities, due to waste reclaimers diverting recyclable materials away from landfills, is estimated to be between R300 million and R750m a year. And the costs to waste reclaimers like Koti are often overlooked, especially in times of crisis such as when the government implemented a national lockdown in March last year and reclaimers were locked out of landfills and excluded from all forms of government support.

ut not all is lost and Koti’s journey ends at a church where he reveals yet another aspect of his tenacious character: “Music – it releases stress, it calms me when I get disappointed. Like earlier today, at the scrap yard, I left there feeling hurt but look now, I’m in front of the keyboard. I can say my soul is relieved.” Koti’s love for the authentic “kasi life” (township life) is evident in the upbeat score, featuring original gospel and kwaito tracks. His commitment to sustainable living and hope for a better future is infectious. Try to catch this one-of-a-kind documentary, which is doing the circuit at international film festivals, telling the important story of how waste reclaimers might just be salvaging our future.

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D e fe c a t e t o d e s i c c a t e

L ou is F our ie in the bat h room fitte d with his DIY b io logica l toile t.

MY HOME - GROWN ECO - FRIENDLY LOO WITH A VIEW

AVING grown up in Bronkhorstspruit, I had a couple of small businesses in Pretoria and thereafter left the rat race looking for something more meaningful and sacred in life. For 15 years, I have lived in Transkei, close to Magwa Falls. I have found “the sacred path” through meditation. Now, I guide people deep into meditation to connect with themselves. Breathpleasure meditation helps you create joy inside your body. During these past 15 years, I have built off-grid accommodation in Transkei Nature which allows visitors to enjoy Magwa Falls, Mzizangwa Falls and Waterfall Bluff tours. While basking in the beauty of the Eastern Cape, I applied my mind to the water preservation, waste management and hygiene challenges faced by South Africans across the land every day. I came up with a brilliant invention for an eco-friendly toilet that uses no water, while it nourishes Nature. I noticed my property’s long-drop toilet was a smelly breeding ground for flies and mosquitoes – and spiders around the inside of the seat and rats at the bottom, sometimes. Our visitors loved the soil-building and gardening workshops but had bad experiences with the loo system. I had to come up with a better toilet solution because the standard long drop didn’t go down so well... This is what we did. On a slope, we bolted pillars into the rock to get to an old 4x4 chassis level. We used recycled planks for the floor. Then we cut two toilet holes into the floor – one in front of the other. In the space under the chassis, we hung two shade-cloth hammocks under the holes to catch the “deposits”. This way the airflow would help dry them

out. We covered the bottom sides with removable shade cloth, so we could empty the hammocks easily and to keep animals out. Next, I built a wooden box with a toilet seat on it and cut out the bottom of a 5-litre bottle. I connected a pipe to the screw lid side and mounted it inside the box, so it could catch urine. The end of the pipe diverted the liquid into a drum and that liquid waste was used for nitrogen on compost heaps. To tweak the toilet design, I fixed a box over the first hole and put a removable lid on the second hole. I placed poles around the walls at floor level and made a door and roof out of recycled canvas sheets, poles and planks. All wood was treated with old diesel engine oil. And the front was left open for the forest view, of course. A layer of grass went into the hammock first and then… Ready, steady, test drive it! What a nice outdoor experience, with forest birds singing, fresh air and a great view. A bit of ash and dried grass was added after each “deposit” to dry it out and keep the visuals kind for the next user. Six months later, I moved the toilet box to the hole above the second hammock. After another six months, all the harmful pathogens in the first hammock were gone and the contents of the whole hammock were used in a compost heap for the fruit trees. Benefits are that there is almost no more smell, no flies, no mosquitoes, no spiders and no rats. It’s a friendly and educational experience for guests – and lots of good nitrogen for compost heaps. We used recycled planks, poles, plastic, chassis, shade cloth and old oil to recycle our human waste into our garden to get healthier soil and food! Facebook: https://web.facebook. com/Louis-at-Magwa-Falls 4 1

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Focusing on the methods of our forefathers, Louis Fourie has used his knowledge and experience to design an eco-conscious toilet which saves water and feeds into a sustainable vegetable garden. He created his dream space as far away from the ‘money’ world as he could, in nature.

This is his journey

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TIPS TO PASS ON TO YOUR COMMUNITIES Each flush of water you save immediately reduces the strain on our overloaded sewer network. Use natural, environmentally beneficial solutions to unblock your drains instead of those bottles wrapped in plastic bags marked ‘toxic’ or ‘harmful’. Your toilets and your drains are not dustbins. Your grey water flows into our rivers with last night’s dinner from the dirty dishes. Rather collect your kitchen scraps and food waste for composting. Look at your family’s environmental footprint and choose to switch from using harmful products to natural solutions that help restore the polluted water. UBUNTU FLOW DANCE – River education video Helping to heal our rivers and shift behaviour to protect our environment. https://youtu.be/yZI6jR43haE

BY KYLE ODGERS

SAVING FRESH, CLEAN WATER

Kyle Odgers, director of Kleenhealth – KleenUP Water, Sanitation and UPliftment Initiatives. www.kleenup. kleenhealth.co.za

A Cape Town school is helping to turn the tide on the wastewater problem by using a simple spray in a bottle which breaks down urine crystals, treating odour and saving water in a hygienic way

ONCERNED about how polluted our rivers and other waterways are, Kleenhealth, where I’m a director, came up with a solution for wastewater management using nanotechnology to reduce the amount of fresh, clean water used for sanitation – mostly flushing toilets. People use toxic, harmful chemicals and “blue blocks” to counteract the strong urine smells from toilets and urinals but these just mask the foul odours and they pollute waterways. And switching off the water that helps flush away the smells only amplifies them. When Camps Bay High School in Cape Town decided to save water by turning off the water in their urinals before the 2010 Soccer World Cup, we jumped at the opportunity to help solve the toilet odour problem and put our technology to the test. Victor Van Heerden, the estate manager 4 2

at Camps Bay High School, tried a new model. By utilising nanotechnology, we developed long-lasting anti-bacterial sprays to target and breakdown urine crystals thus treating two major ongoing problems – hygiene and horrible smells. The toxic chemicals used to mask odours are potentially to blame for pollution in our rivers and so treating the toilets with these natural, harmless microbes helps reduce harmful chemicals in sewage waste. Helping to naturally break down the waste reduces the huge volumes of noncompliant wastewater circulating through our wastewater treatment plants, polluting river water which flows into our oceans. The poster in Camps Bay High’s boys’ toilets, aimed at educating the children, sums it up beautifully by saying, “Hello, I’m a waterless urinal. You and I could together save up to 44 000 litres of water S I M P L Y G R E E N

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a year, now that I am waterless, but, I need your help. Please use the spray bottle provided to give three or four sprays of a wonderful product that kills germs and will help me smell (and feel) fresh all day. Thank you for your contribution in helping us make this building more green and leaving our toilet in a clean state.” This simple and effective initiative saves water, reduces the volume of wastewater in the grid and takes the pressure off our overloaded sewer network and congested pump stations. This action of turning off the water to the urinals empowers the children daily in a small, but compounding, way. Each time the urinal isn’t flushed it saves many litres for when it actually does need to be flushed for solid waste. At the end of the school term, each child has individually saved many hundreds of litres of fresh, clean water not used for a daily liquid-waste flushes.

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PART from vegetable waste that went on to the compost heap, and items like yoghurt tubs and small cardboard boxes that could be used for craft projects, all the rubbish from The Birches Pre-Primary school in Sarnia, Durban, used to go into bags for municipal collection. We recycled newspaper and, in 1994, we started collecting cans. Then, working with Durban Solid Waste and Imagine Durban, we started recycling more. After paper and cans, we began to collect something new every year. We recycled oil, batteries, plastic and printer cartridges. We established a community recycling centre for cans, paper and glass. We sort and divide our coloured paper, white paper and cardboard. Cans are sorted into tin or aluminium. Our recycling used to realise up to R30 000 a year in prizes and proceeds. However, this has dropped significantly as Collect-a-Can and others no longer hold school competitions. Since 2000, our school has had a Sustainable Living Map and a One Planet Ethos in terms of which we see our school as a self-contained island. We manage all our own waste. We now have four compost heaps and a worm farm. We keep chickens and use their manure and the compost on the gardens. We collect eggshells to keep the snails away and dried teabags for our compost heaps. We have a chipper to make mulch from trimmed branches and shrubs. We collect our own seeds and cuttings and have a nursery using our own compost, potting soil and mulch. Seedlings are planted into containers or plastic bottles. Nothing goes to waste. Even our farm stall has been built out of the frame of an old plastic collection receptacle and wood from pallets. We use very few black bags. Rain water is collected and used on the gardens. We also have a grey-water system from our bathroom basins. There is an eco-loo in the Sustainability Centre, where grey water passes into the cistern to be flushed away. Recycling is a way of life. We encourage our wider school community to do the same recycling at home as they do at school. Scilla Edmonds is principal of The Birches Pre-Primary.

NEVER TOO YOUNG TO SAVE THE WORLD

A Durban pre-primary is on its way to becoming a zero-waste institution, writes Scilla Edmonds

TOP: Eggshells ready for use in the garden. ABOVE: Giving eggshells a purpose, kids at The Birches Pre-Primary school in Sarnia scatter them among the strawberries to keep snails away. RIGHT: Scilla Edmonds, the driver behind getting young minds aware of self-sufficiency, off-the-grid living, food gardening, recycling and entrepreneurship at The Birches.

I HAVE LEARNED you need an easy system that works. At my home, which is in a complex, I have a compost heap and a worm farm. I use potato bags with a gauze front, hanging on hooks, to collect egg shells. Tea bags dry on a rack and then are transferred to another bag when they are dry. I have shopping bags for egg and cereal boxes etc. I use neatly partitioned bags for glass bottles. Orange bags take the paper and plastic and I use blue bags for what can’t go onto the compost heap.

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PLOGGING FOR THE PLANET

Bringing together exercise and picking up trash, Ploggers are keeping themselves fit and helping to keep the planet clean 4 4

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LOGGING is a combination of an outside physical activity – usually jogging – and picking up litter. It got its name in Sweden where the Swedish words plocka upp (pick up) and jogga (jog) were combined to make up plogga. It began as an organised activity in Sweden in 2016 and soon spread to other countries, following increased concern about plastic pollution. As a workout, it provides variation in body movements by adding bending, squatting and stretching to the main action of running, hiking or walking. Plogging is positive both for the body and for the environment and an estimated 2 million people – including many South Africans – plog daily in 100 countries. The #plogging and #plogga hashtags are used by all kinds of people, including runners, walkers, hikers, cyclists and paddle boarders, who combine exercise with picking up trash.

CHRIS VON ULMENSTEIN , a civicminded Capetonian, combines her daily walks with picking up litter on the beach front at Camps Bay. She has also started beach cleanups in the area. She says: “I may not be a jogger but still qualify to be called a plogger with walking in Camps Bay daily and collecting litter. “I wanted to walk in a litter-free environment and wanted to prevent Chris von Ulmenstein plastic bottles, food and drink containers, broken glass, masks, earbuds, soiled nappies and more from being blown into our Atlantic Ocean. “While angry, initially, that picnickers could be so

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inconsiderate to the environment in leaving their litter on the local tidal pool lawn, I soon saw it as a blessing to me to pick up litter, as it is as good as touching my toes a number of times a day, keeping me stretched and supple. It also gives me a tremendous sense of satisfaction to do something good for our community. Sadly, there are few ploggers here in Camps Bay.” l Von Ulmenstein picks up anything between one shopping bag of litter a day and 10 garbage bags a week and clocks up 60 000 steps a week.

RAVIN MAHARAJ is another plogger working to save the planet. “I cringe with disbelief when I see people buying plastic bags to take their groceries home. It’s difficult to accept that educated, professional people make a conscious choice to add to the plastic pollution burden on the planet. “Armed with my own shopping bags when I visit the shops, I chat to people about their habits. Most give me looks, some smile grudgingly. Like a thief in the night, I also started examining the bin collections in my neighbourhood. The majority had plastic, wine bottles and beer cans. It seemed that very few were recycling. “With this in mind, I decided to do my bit to initiate change in my neighbourhood. First I researched the subject and I joined a global online movement called Adidas Runtastic (https://www.runtastic.com/blog/en/how-toavoid-plastic-waste/). This encourages ordinary people to run and exercise while collecting plastic bags. Using an app, one tracks mileage and fitness metrics. Runtastic estimates that most plastic bags are used for an average of just 12 minutes before they are thrown away. “My activity involved a run or a brisk walk at Umdloti Beach in northern KwaZulu-Natal, shortly after sunrise every day. Armed with bags, I collected litter. I’m always dismayed by the sight of bottles from sunset drinks or picnics S I M P L Y G R E E N

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that have been left strewn across the shore. I collect litter whenever possible. This activity is my small contribution to a plastic-free ocean. It also energises me, improves vitality and promotes a general sense of wellRavin Maharaj being. Runtastic posts useful, practical articles on how to make small, regular improvements to daily practices, for example, making small, daily efforts and not trying to change the world in a day. “I currently live in Macau, in China, but I have been home in Durban during the lockdown. Macau, where I have been for the past few years, is much stricter on pollution and there are hefty fines for breaching the laws. There is a strong sense of community about keeping the environment clean and I participate in local clean-up activities. These are not regular as the streets are generally clean. No one would dare throw a beer can or take-away packaging on the street. “I’m more determined each week to educate my immediate circle about the horrors of plastic pollution. “Plastictides.org is a not-for-profit organisation focused on derailing the plastic movement. Responsible behaviour, education and being proactive can help us save 1 460 bottles when switching to reusables and prevent 1 500 pieces of plastic from being eaten by turtles.” https://www.runtastic.com/blog/en/ploggingfitness-trend/ https://www.runtastic.com/blog/en/how-toavoid-plastic-waste/ https://www.runtastic.com/blog/en/recyclerunning-shoes/

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INTRODUCING A NEW KIND OF RECYCLING

Curbside collection for organic kitchen waste Himkaar Singh picks up people’s perishable scraps and gives them back enriched vermicompost to grow fresh food in their gardens

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Himkaa r Singh, wast e-to -co mpost entreprene ur and enginee r.

DID

YOU

Although food waste is biodegradable, when it degrades anaerobically (in the absence of free oxygen) in landfills, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas. A bunch of bananas

KNOW? costs about R30 and one-third of the weight of a banana is peel. This means you are paying R10 for peels. When you throw the peels into the garbage, they go to landfills and release

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methane, which means you are actually paying to increase climate change. We should rather compost them aerobically to prevent this – and to recover the value lost in buying the peels.

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N 2017, South Africa experienced major water scarcity issues, so I left the country to study for a Master’s in Water Management in Germany, Vietnam and Jordan for five months to get different perspectives from each on what the solution could be. I found we needed to repair our damaged soil’s ability to hold water by returning organic matter to soil. I thought the best way to do that was through a business model. I returned to SA to start a food waste recycling business with the larger vision of regenerative agriculture, which would eventually lead SA to water security. In 2019, I started The Compost Kitchen which collects food waste from households on an e-bike every week, for a monthly fee. The waste is recycled into vermicompost using thousands of earthworms. We give the compost to the customers at the end of the month to use in their vegetable gardens to grow food again. The Compost Kitchen completes the cycle of organic waste by giving back compost to the customers who gave food waste. This way, the public can be certain their waste has been recycled properly, which builds trust in the recycling industry, making them feel comfortable with paying for the service. These are some benefits that come from circular economy thinking. Our customers were willing to have their food waste recycled but there was no system which served them the way they wanted – simple, convenient, trendy and well-priced. There were no other curbside food waste

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P I CT URE JONATHA N KEMPER / U NSPL A SH

recycling services – ours was the first to offer all of these. We provided customers with a convenient way to take action on diverting food waste from landfills and we have received great support for this. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, we were required to halt operations. Graciously, our customers offered to continue paying, even though we weren’t able to collect their food waste. In return for this, we gave them seedlings and vermicompost, so that they could grow food in their gardens. We consider this our biggest success because it shows that the business plays an important role in people’s lives and it shows that we are on the right path. We have made food waste recycling super trendy, which makes customers share it and talk about it on social media themselves. They are proud to be part of it and they encourage their friends to join. I structured the set-up in such a way that every second spent on the business makes meaningful impact. We use thousands of earthworms and, when we give the vermicompost back to the customer for free, we do it in a box with a vegetable plant growing in it so they can grow more food.

ur organisation recently won a big UN award and we were voted one of the Top 300 Best Sustainable Practices at the 5th Global Entreps Awards held earlier this year. This is the Oscar awards for sustainability. We have grown faster during the time of Covid-19 than at any other time, which proves that a business started with “lean” principles is flexible and resilient – and can navigate challenges in the future.

4 WAYS TO COMPOST FOOD WASTE: Collection service: The easiest option is a collection service that collects your food waste and does the composting for you. Vermicomposting: Produces biologically rich compost. It is mainly good for raw, vegan waste. It is a great educational opportunity but it needs care. Bokashi: This is a precomposting process, which is mainly advantageous for cooked food and animal products. Add food to a compost pile with garden waste: This needs to be at least 1m high to generate enough heat. Note, pets might be curious to investigate.

Himk a ar Singh with the e -bike he uses for f ood wa ste c ollectio n.

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BY TERRY VAN DER WALT

RECYCLING TIPS TO HELP HEAL OUR PLANET

How you can keep the plastic, glass paper and metal items you discard out of landfills

EVERYONE has their own idea about what really makes a difference in efforts to clean up the mess humans are making of our planet. However, they all agree that plastic, especially single-use plastic, is clogging up our rivers and oceans, ending up in landfills and creating an environmental catastrophe. Some of these plastic items can take hundreds of years to break down, and that in itself creates a new problem... microplastics. These microplastics are the tiny fragments of plastic that end up in the ocean where they pose a danger to sea creatures and even end up in our food chain. Apart from the pollution caused by plastic, the manufacturing of plastic containers uses much more energy than those made of cardboard. By recycling your plastic, you can make a difference. However, it is not perfect, since the process requires lots of energy and much of it still goes into landfills. You can make a bigger

impact by cutting your use of plastic by adopting these tips: Use your own cloth carry bags when shopping. Choose reusable bags for produce that needs weighing. Carry your own reusable water bottle with you. Use a flask for coffee when you go out, instead of buying it in disposable containers. Choose products that are in cardboard containers, rather than those in plastic. Ditch your habit of using disposable plastic razors. Swop your bottled shampoo for shampoo bars. Stop using body gels and face scrubs that contain microbeads. Ditch your glitter (yes, you!) and find biodegradable alternatives. Find eco-friendly products to replace food wrap and plastic bags for storing food. Stop using disposable nappies and go for biodegradable ones or washable cloth ones. Stop using plastic straws. Rather get your own reusable (metal or glass) straw. 4 9

Plastic policy Ditch your glitter and your disposable plastic razors. Plastic products not only take hundreds of years to break down but fragments of plastic also end up in the ocean – and then move up our food chain, so that we literally swallow them when we eat

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P I CT URE CHU TTER SNA PH / U NSPL A SH

See it through Begin recycling at the office, not just at home, and encourage your child’s school to participate or start a recycling programme of their own. Did you know that all glass bottles (whole and broken) and jars (green, amber, clear) can be recycled? Plan trips to bottle banks to fit into your daily schedule, so they become part of your plan, rather than a chore. Take your children along and show them how it works and where to put the bottles.

P ort ia Mbau in her garden.

TIPS FOR COLLECTING AND RECYCLING GLASS: Purchase a sturdy bin to house all your recyclable glass before depositing it in a glass bank. If delivering the waste glass can’t be accommodated into your daily routine, contract the services of a waste-removal company to collect it. Reuse old glass containers. They are great for storing things like, crayons, buttons and rulers. Don’t recycle at night to avoid disturbing the surrounding communities. Take refillable bottles back to the retail outlet where you purchased

them and get back a “returns” deposit. Broken glass cannot be recycled to its previous state. If you recycle a broken bottle, the resulting glass will probably not be made into a new glass bottle, however, it could still be used as an additive in fibreglass or tiles. Don’t combine non-container glass with container glass when recycling. Glass which is used for windows, mirrors etc is typically treated with chemicals and therefore has a different melting point. Some recycling haulers require that you separate glass by colour. If yours 5 0

does not, this is called single-stream recycling, meaning that all glass products can be combined in one bin and the material will be separated later. Not all recyclers, however, offer single-stream recycling. Why does colour matter? Because glass can be recycled over and over, it is important to maintain its original colour as much as possible as mixing two different colours of glass will result in a different, and possibly unwanted, colour of glass. Many recyclers ask you to clean your glass before recycling it. If the

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glass has residue – such as oil, milk or sugar – it becomes sticky and can attract insects. This also applies to glass containers used for food and beverages. Glass is usually cleaned during the recycling process but upfront cleaning makes for a more seamless recycling system. To find a glass bank near you, SMS “Glass” and the name of your suburb to 32310. SMS costs R1. Or visit www. theglassrecyclingcompany.co.za. If the glass bank you visit is full report this to The Glass Recycling Company on 0861 2 GLASS. (45277).

South Africa’s landfills are filling up, so change your mindset. Most paper and cardboard can be recycled. Many think recycling is complicated, too much of a mission, and time consuming. It’s not. We need to make recycling a routine to save the environment.

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T I P S F O R C O L L E C T I N G A N D R E C Y C L I N G PA P E R : Get a separate, reusable container for your paper waste. Separate your paper waste from your other waste by placing it in the container. Keep your waste paper clean and dry – quality is important for a good product. Buyers will not accept wet paper. You can recycle newspapers; magazines; long-life milk and juice cartons; white paper; envelopes; phone directories and cardboard boxes. Styrofoam, polystyrene and cardboard egg cartons are not recyclable. Place them in the trash. You also cannot recycle paper coffee cups; plasticised paper; laminated paper; photographs and overheads; waxed and greaseproof paper; carbon paper; adhesive tape; toilet tissue; sanitary towels and serviettes (for hygienic reasons).

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P I CT URE POL I NA TA NKI L EVI TCH / PEXEL S

Paper cuts

P I CT URE DAVI D HOF MA NN / U NSPL A SH

Money for metal Did you know that iron cannot be got rid of – unless you let it rust? So, recycling scrap metal is a great way to help save the environment. By doing this you can prevent items from ending up in the landfills and reduce your environmental impact. You probably already have heaps of scrap metal materials around your home and in your yard, which can be recycled. You just have to know where to look and what to do with it once you find it.

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T I P S F O R R E C Y C L I N G M E TA L S : Anyone collecting scrap metal should wear protective clothing, eye goggles and thick gloves. Keep steel and aluminium cans separate (steel cans are magnetic). You will get paid a lot more for aluminium cans. Cans don’t need to be washed but it does help if they are rinsed. You will get paid more for cans if they are not rusted. Once you have gathered your scrap metal, don’t just take it all to one junk yard. Spend some time separating different kinds of metals. For instance, instead of selling a whole kitchen appliance to one junk yard, separate the aluminium and steel from it and sell them off separately. Separating metals will mean you will make more profit. You can sell copper wire and electric motors separately to places that offer better prices.

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Simply Green - The Waste Issue - July 2021

Articles inside

SA’S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

TIPPING POINT

THE POWER OF LIFE - LIVED OFF THE GRID

Did you know?

RE-USE AND REDUCE IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY: ACTION YOU CAN TAKE

NO TIME TO WASTE TO GET A CIRCULAR ECONOMY GOING

MAKE THE CIRCLE GREENER

What a load of RUBBISH

FROM THE EDITOR