Fungi could be the key to winning the war on plastic, leading scientists at Kew Gardens has said. The first ever report on the state of the world’s fungi has today revealed that if the natural properties of fungus can be harnessed and developed, plastic could be broken down naturally in weeks rather than years. Kew Gardens and a team of over 100 scientists from 18 … [Read more...]
IDC boosts young rural entrepreneurs
Siyabonga Tshabalala and Nomuntu Ndhlovu took the decision to leave their corporate jobs in Gauteng and go back home to their rural village of Steenbok in Mpumalanga, to start a business. Both aged 27, the pair now run SiyaBuddy, a recycling and waste management company that has now created 18 direct jobs and 541 indirect jobs in their community in the Nkomazi Local … [Read more...]
Popular food store trials recycling vending machine
Imagine an intelligent reverse vending machine for depositing your waste, which identifies it for you as recyclable or not. This is now a reality. In line with its recent announcement to achieve zero packaging waste to landfill by 2022, Woolworths has now launched a customer trial of an integrated reverse vending machine in its flagship green store in Claremont. “It might … [Read more...]
Africa’s largest PET recycler unveils expansion plans
Africa’s largest PET plastic recycler has announced plans to inject R200 million into the struggling economy to help South Africa meet its recycling and job creation targets for the next five years. The recent announcement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by BRICS ministers of environment, during the 10th BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg last … [Read more...]
Turning plastic waste into owl houses
Owl Rescue Centre, a registered non-profit rehabilitation facility in Hartbeespoort concerned with the well-being of all owl species in Southern Africa, has come up with a genius use for recycled plastic that benefits the birds, as well as raises funds for a much-needed cause. The organisation’s founders, Brendan and Danelle Murray, recently decided that, moving forward, all … [Read more...]
Using yesterday’s mining techniques to recycle today’s batteries
Researchers at Michigan Technological University are using century-old mining techniques to recycle lithium-ion batteries at low cost. It helps that Lei Pan, an assistant professor of chemical engineering, has a graduate degree in mining engineering. Pan had a suspicion the techniques used in the mining industry 100 years ago to separate metal from ore might work for recycling … [Read more...]
How to reuse silica gel packets
We find them everywhere, popping out of all sorts of packaging, lurking like an ugly bug in vitamin bottles and new shoes. Working freight at my store, I touch dozens of silica packets each day and have often wondered what I can do to recycle them. Couldn't we collect them and send them off to a manufacturer for reuse? Silica gel is a desiccant, a substance that absorbs … [Read more...]
Small recycling businesses in Boksburg receive welcome boost
Recycling SMMEs received support from the PET recycling sector earlier this month in the form of equipment that will enable their effective participation in the mandatory recycling programme launched by the City of Ekurhuleni this month. This follows concerns from small industry players and informal waste collectors that they could be sidelined by the new … [Read more...]
Turning the tide on plastic waste
Cheap and versatile, plastic is used for everything. The problem is, it's also indestructible. As a result, it piles up in landfills where it leeches toxic chemicals into soil and groundwater, or ends up in the ocean affecting wildlife and getting into food chains. Approximately 268,000 tonnes of plastic float in our oceans - that's five trillion individual pieces. If … [Read more...]
The pros and cons of plastic alternatives
On the 3rd of July, citizens throughout the world celebrated Plastic Bag Free Day. This, hot on the heels of Environment Day and World Oceans Day, both celebrated a few weeks earlier. On all three these days, and throughout the month of Plastic Free July, consumers were encouraged to #beatplasticspollution and join the challenge to “choose to refuse” single-use … [Read more...]
Come join us for Plastic Free July
On a whim I do my first trip out after surgery. Sudden deep need for fish and chips. I can’t find my son I intended to take along. It’s getting dark. Had googled best fish and chips in the Helderberg and ordered. I end up at the wrong place. My phone’s battery is about to die. On the last bar Maps get me to the right place. Nobody else around. Hungry folk begging. Dash in … [Read more...]
Gauteng polystyrene collectors help ensure recycling success
South Africa’s success with the collection and recycling of post-consumer polystyrene continues to grow thanks to the combined effort of collectors and recyclers around the country. Despite its label of being “difficult to recycle plastic”, polystyrene recycling figures have continued to grow over the past eight years. “The applications and uses for recycled polystyrene … [Read more...]
Africa’s pollution crisis warning: step up to avoid environmental disaster
As the second most polluted continent, Africa must take both the responsibility and opportunity to pioneer world-leading waste management methods to avoid an environmental and socio-economic disaster, experts warn. This was the message from environmental scientist Dr Tony Ribbink, who was speaking at the annual general meeting of the PET Recycling Company (PETCO) at the … [Read more...]
