Do you know what the footprint is of the restaurant you support? Launched last year as a first for South Africa, the Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award acknowledges a restaurant that brings its customers seasonal, local and responsibly produced food. “We launched the award to acknowledge the inspiring work that is already being done in the hospitality sector, and to … [Read more...]
Awarding SA’s PET recycling champions
The extraordinary contributions to PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) recycling in South Africa during the course of 2016 by 10 individuals and companies were celebrated at an awards ceremony as part of the PETCO Annual General Meeting, held today at the Radisson Blu Sandton Hotel in Johannesburg. The PETCO awards are designed to recognise individuals, organisations and … [Read more...]
Entries now open for 2017 Recycled Plastic Product Awards
South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) is inviting entries to this year’s Recycled Plastic Product of the Year Awards. SAPRO is proud to announce the sixth prestigious competition, with the aim of acknowledging the wide variety of products that are locally manufactured using recycled materials. The Recycled Plastic Product of the Year Awards were held for the … [Read more...]
How to save water and recycle grey water in your home
With level four water restrictions now in place, dam levels currently at 19.6% (with only 10% available as usable water), and the Western Cape now declared a disaster zone by Premier Helen Zille, Capetonians need to do all they can to conserve the province’s precious resource. Even though the Western Cape is gearing up for heavy rainfall, we can still do our best to conserve … [Read more...]
Are South Africa’s shopping bags really being recycled?
Despite many claims to the contrary, the shopping bags of most SA retailers are not actually being recycled because of one additive. In spite of wording on their plastic shopping bags such as "Recycle me - set a trend" (Woolworths), "Reduce, reuse, recycle" (Pick 'n Pay & Shoprite) and "We love our country, please recycle" (Spar), these bags are not being recycled … [Read more...]
Success at the inaugural Fish Hoek community recycling expo
Recently, the community of Fish Hoek held a Recycling Expo, which – with over 300 attendees – proved quite successful. Here’s a little more on what went down... The Fish Hoek town hall was a bustling hub, with exhibits from 16 recyclers and composters, including the Green Guerrillas, art from waste crafters, False Bay Primary who make eco-bricks for a building project, … [Read more...]
Toxic chemicals in children’s toys exceed proposed hazardous waste limit
A new global survey finds that recycling plastics containing toxic flame retardant chemicals found in electronic waste results in contamination of the world’s best-selling toy along with other children’s products. Ironically, the chemical contaminants can damage the nervous system and reduce intellectual capacity but are found in Rubik’s Cubes – a puzzle toy designed to … [Read more...]
Environmental Affairs to probe recycled bag claims
The Department of Environmental Affairs says it will probe reports that some plastic supermarket carrier bags, which claim to be recycled, are allegedly not. The department has noted with concern an article in the Sunday Times recently which claims that "millions of branded plastic supermarket carrier bags claimed to be recycled are not". The article further alleges that … [Read more...]
2 billion plastic bottles recycled in SA last year
Over 2 billion PET plastic bottles were recycled in South Africa last year. Plastic bottle recycled tonnage in SA has grown by over 800% since 2005. PETCO has announced their 2016 recycling figures. These indicate that the annual PET recycling rate has grown from 52% of post-consumer bottle PET in 2015, to 55% in 2016, exceeding their expected target. An additional 22% of … [Read more...]
Living on water: are waterborne cities more resistant to climate change?
By the year 2050 about 70% of the world's population of 10 billion people will be living in cities, according to the United Nations. The question is, will there be enough land to go around? Not according to Jason Pomeroy -- founder of Singapore-based green architecture firm Pomeroy Studio -- who believes that due to climate change and rising sea levels, humans will be forced … [Read more...]
Rich booty of waste collected at 2017 SA navy festival
The SA Navy Festival in Simonstown delivered a big variety of waste, which was carefully sorted and sent for recycling. The Plastics|SA Clean-Up crews were once again in action at this year’s SA Navy Festival that took place at the Simonstown harbour from the 17th to the 19th of March. According to John Kieser, Plastics|SA’s Sustainability Manager and coordinator of the … [Read more...]
Global protests push Samsung to finally recycle Galaxy Note 7
How to recycle smartphones in an environmentally friendly way? This needs to be figured out. Samsung finally officially published its plan to deal with the 4.3 million Galaxy Note 7 devices produced and recalled worldwide following battery faults. This major win comes after nearly five months of campaigning and global protests addressing the environmental impact of the … [Read more...]
Changing lives through recycling in Ngwelezane Township
Two years ago, Nokubonga Mnyango was dreaming about making a better life for herself and her family. She noticed the need for litter collection in her small community of Ngwelezane. After doing some research, she learned that some of the waste that was present in the township actually had value. More than this, she learned that there are businesses who would pay for this … [Read more...]
