Cape Town: The city has generated enough waste to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Putting light on this, the City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management Directorate commemorated International Zero Waste Day. They also shared tips with the public to reduce the waste, so that they can collectively help to protect the environment.
The City of Cape Town has currently managed about 2.1 million tonnes of waste annually with 31.53% of the waste to currently divert from landfill.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Urban Waste Management – Alderman Grant Twigg said that all of them has generated waste by the products to buy and use. So they all working together and doing what they can, staying wherever they are helping to protect the environment by reducing waste that ends up at landfill.
This includes waste from food, electronics and packaging. It is helping them to free up the space at landfill and reduce the carbon emissions that is in their hands. They all are improving the relationship with waste by using the provided tips, said Grant Twigg.
Some of the tips they are considering right now are:
Shopping Tips
- Buy only what you need. A shopping list and a budget can help prevent impulse buys.
- Buy in bulk and cut down on products with lots of packaging, refills and concentrates generally require less packaging.
- Choose durable products that won’t need to be replaced often.
Reduce Packaging Waste
- Check for recyclable packaging on boxes and opt for these items instead.
- Consult the material ID codes to avoid packaging made from type three or seven. These are seldom recyclable, if ever.
- Reuse boxes or sort them for recycling.
- Store paper and cardboard inside to avoid it getting wet. Wet cardboard is not ideal for recycling.
- Use the City’s Think Twice recycling collection service, and see if you qualify.
- Take recyclables to municipal drop-off sites or private buy-back centres. The city has a waste recyclers map listing private recycling initiatives.
Dispose of E-waste
Anything that has a plug, cable or battery qualifies as e-waste. Small electronics such as outdated cell phones, cables, USB keys, card readers, game consoles, tablets and other gadgets are the most frequently ‘forgotten’ items.
Other common e-waste includes, among other things, old CRT televisions, LCD/OLED and plasma televisions or monitors, computers, VCRs, DVD players, printers and radios. Light bulbs are also another common form of e-waste. For this, they are looking forward to:
- Take the outdated, damaged or broken devices that have a plug, battery or cable to the drop-off locations of the City of Cape Town, that accept e-waste so that components can be safely recycled and disposed of. See which sites accept e-waste from a residential source here. The sites do not accept e-waste from businesses.
- Take batteries and CFL or LED bulbs to the household hazardous waste drop-offs at Athlone and Bellville Refuse Transfer Stations, or retailers that offer take-back services. As Normal City drop-offs that do not accept these items.
- Contact private companies to collect or purchase e-waste. See this list on the updated waste recyclers map. Companies that need to dispose of e-waste can also find service providers on this portal.
Reduce Food Waste
- Plan meals and shopping lists: Plan your meals in advance and create a detailed shopping list. This way, you can avoid overbuying and ensure that you only purchase what you need.
- Buy locally and seasonally: Support local farmers and reduce the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation by choosing locally-grown and seasonal produce.
- Proper storage: Store food correctly to extend its shelf life. Ensure refrigerated items are kept at the appropriate temperature and use the first-in, first-out method when organising your pantry.
- Think about fridge or freezer capacity when stocking up on fresh fruit and vegetables, to minimise unnecessary spoiling of unused produce.
- Portion Control: Be mindful of how much food you cook and serve. Start with smaller portions and allow guests to serve themselves second helpings if desired.
- Be creative with re-using leftover food: get creative online recipes to turn leftovers into new and exciting dishes to enjoy, rather than just throwing them out.
- Composting at home: Composting food scraps reduces landfill waste and creates nutrient-rich compost that can be used to nourish plants and gardens.
- Businesses should have waste management plans, including their waste minimisation plan to dispose of organic waste, not via landfill.