Upcycling is a fun and creative way to transform old products and packaging into something with a new purpose. According to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA)’s Waste Management Hierarchy, upcycling, which in the most basic sense is ‘reusing’ waste, is the second most preferred waste management option after ‘reducing’ your waste. Have you ever used an old glass … [Read more...]
Putting a new spin on waste: green is the new gold
South African non-profit association, the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), aims to change perceptions and encourage more people to consider waste as a valuable resource. The institute’s Eastern Cape branch hosted its regional waste conference, titled ‘Green is the new Gold’ at the World of Windows in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium last week. “Our … [Read more...]
African Marine Waste Conference highlights need for more collaboration
The 2017 African Marine Waste Conference took place from the 9th to the 13th of July in Port Elizabeth, and was attended by approximately 200 delegates from 9 African states and a further 10 countries from other continents. The inaugural African Marine Waste Conference was managed by the Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) under the leadership of Dr Tony Ribbink, CEO of SST, and … [Read more...]
Annual clean-up competition urges schools to recycle
Schools around the country stand a chance to once again win big prizes in Plastics|SA’s annual schools competition, entitled “Let’s do it … Let’s Clean-Up South Africa!” According to Douw Steyn, Director: Sustainability at Plastics|SA, the aim of this national competition is to educate and encourage schools, communities, businesses and organisations to play their part in … [Read more...]
Collaboration to create jobs and support SA waste collectors
Earlier this month, a helping hand was extended to local waste collectors in Johannesburg and Somerset West. On Tuesday, 18 July, Boxmore Packaging and PETCO, the organisation responsible for fulfilling the South African PET plastic industry’s role of Extended Producer Responsibility, partnered to sponsor and handover waste recycling trolleys to five local PET (Polyethylene … [Read more...]
iThemba Tower combines art, recycling and community
Officially opened in July 2016, the iThemba Tower is a community art project made with over 7 000 recycled plastic drinks bottles decorating a decommissioned 20m high cellular tower. The tower, in the garden of the Spaza Art Gallery in Troyeville, Johannesburg, has become a point of pride for people living and working in the area. https://vimeo.com/226310331 The project … [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...]
Fishing Line Recovery Programme aims to spread responsible fishing
The Fishing Line Recovery Programme, aimed at preserving South Africa’s marine heritage, has extended to now boast 360 bins along the coast. DPI Plastics has been involved with the initiative for the past four years, supplying the pipes and fittings for the manufacture of the specially-designed fishing line repositories, explains Marketing Manager Martine Goodchild. The … [Read more...]
Joburg Mayor joins Miss Earth SA for World Environment Day street clean-up
One hundred street and park clean-ups formed part of the World Environment Day celebrations for the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership programme in partnership with the City of Joburg and Pikitup. From the 1st – 5th June, 100 Miss Earth SA regional finalists have been hard at work connecting with their communities across the country. Under the banner of the international … [Read more...]
Cape Town issues critical warning on dire water shortage
The City of Cape Town has issued a “critical warning” to its residents to only use water for drinking‚ bathing and cooking. This comes after its usable dam water levels reached 11.2% this week. The city has also applied to the mayoral committee for the application of level 4 water restrictions. “This communication serves as a critical warning to all water users in Cape … [Read more...]
Moth-eaten: plastic-eating caterpillars could save the planet
Most scientific research follows a logical progression, with one experiment following up on the findings of another. Every now and then, however, serendipity plays a part. Such is the case with a paper just published in Current Biology, which reveals to the world a moth capable of chewing up plastic. The experiment behind the paper was inspired when Federica Bertocchini, an … [Read more...]
What to do about our plastic-chocked oceans
Imagine an area 34 times the size of Manhattan. Now imagine it covered ankle-deep in plastic waste — piles of soda bottles and plastic bags, takeout containers by the mile, drinking straws as far as the eye can see. That’s a total of about 19 billion pounds of garbage. And according to one of the best estimates available, that’s how much plastic waste ends up in our oceans … [Read more...]
New landfill regulations aim to minimise pollution and protect health
Waste disposal norms and standards have been implemented at South Africa’s 876 in order to minimise pollution and protect the health and safety of residents by correctly containing the waste. Jan Palm, President of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), discussed the importance of having these regulatory mechanisms in place to ensure that the … [Read more...]
