Three industry leaders in organics waste organisations will participate in the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship South Africa Food Waste Innovation Challenge 2021 Ignite Programme. BiobiN South Africa, Nambu Group and Organic Waste to Energy along with 7 others will work with the Centre to solve many of the complex challenges faced by the food waste sector in South Africa, … [Read more...]
Diversification to ensure sustainable packaging
South Africa’s legislation has moved from voluntary to mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) amid increasing consumer and governmental pressure on brands to ensure end-of-life solutions for their products beyond consumer use. With that in mind, South Africa’s PET plastic Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), PETCO, has announced that it is diversifying into … [Read more...]
Time to do waste in a whole different way
South Africans are no strangers to overcoming adversity and challenges, with the ability to rise from whatever is thrown their way, often becoming global role models. Just three years ago the nation was on the verge of the Day Zero water crisis, but through rapid interventions were able to change the way our resources were handled and make the most of a dire situation. What … [Read more...]
Reusing waste crucial for improving water quality
Waste generation is threatening biodiversity and the planet as a whole. With the global population expected to significantly exceed nine billion people by 2050, of which some 2.5 billion will be living on the African continent, biodiversity is shrinking, even as the waste generated by billions of people grows exponentially. The loss of biodiversity across the globe is a … [Read more...]
Research study reveals food safety-environment dilemma
A global research study has revealed that food safety and sustainable packaging are major issues for society. More than two-thirds of respondents listed food safety as their top concern, just ahead of environmental sustainability. Concern for the environment remains strikingly powerful, pointing to the dilemma in consumers’ minds as they seek to balance the critical … [Read more...]
Local tyre manufacturers drive more sustainable practices
With our increasing driving population, the demand for local tyres has grown. The South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC) and its members Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear and Sumitomo Rubber SA are leading the way in improving the industry’s impact on the environment. The industry is currently focusing on four main areas of improvement: proper mutilation and … [Read more...]
Annual beach clean-up aims to preserve ocean life
Clean-ups happened across the country this month for World Environment Day. The theme of this year’s World Oceans Day was “Ocean: Life and Livelihoods” and this annual event helps to shed light on the wonder of the ocean and how it is our life source, supports humanity and every other organism on Earth. Plastics|SA supported this good work by sponsoring plastic bags, as … [Read more...]
Community programme educates learners about recycling
Packa-Ching, an innovative community recycling collection initiative is on a mission to improve South Africa’s recycling rate by mobilising schools and their learners. Started by Polyolefin Responsibility Organisation NPC (Polyco) in 2017, Packa-Ching mobile units are now operating in six areas across South Africa. Residents have so far been paid out over R2.5million for the … [Read more...]
Government wants to capitalise on the plastic waste trade
According to a leaked document, the South African government plans to reject a proposed new global treaty on plastics. The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries is afraid that the plastic ban will make it harder for the country to, among other things, capitalise on the plastic waste trade. This is despite South Africa being the third worst offender on the … [Read more...]
Restoring our ecosystems one change at a time
Life on earth is symbiotic; each component within the ecosystem plays a significant role. The decline of the bee population and its effect on food systems is a timely reminder of just how interconnected everything really is. However, as urbanization, intensive farming and resource extraction increases, so we are witnessing the fragmentation of the environment even further. … [Read more...]
Make-a-Difference Week beach cleanup a great success
The 5 to 13 June 2021 was Make-a-Difference Week, a worldwide effort to reduce negative environmental impacts. The Cape Town Environmental Education Trust (CTEET) team kicked off the nine-day commitment with a beach cleanup from Sunrise Beach to Muizenberg on World Environment Day, which was also the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. There was … [Read more...]
Protecting natural ecosystems with landfill technology
One of the greatest environmental challenges of our time, is the waste that we generate. When our waste is not recycled, repurposed, or treated, it can have devastating environmental impacts on the environment. For a country that relies heavily on its natural ecosystems and landscapes for our tourism sector, it is incredibly important that the South African waste management … [Read more...]
Restoring natural landscapes through waste clean-ups
Since the start of the pandemic, South Africa has seen a significant increase in the volumes of medical waste and discarded personal protective equipment (PPE). While most parts of the country receive an adequate waste management service to discard medical waste and used PPE, some towns and communities are afflicted with piles of this waste stream from illegal dumping. “It … [Read more...]
