Waste recycling economy gains traction in Jozi

 

The rollout of the City of Johannesburg and Pikitup’s “Separation at Source” waste minimisation programme, which is aimed at diverting recyclable waste away from landfill sites and encouraging members of the community to see waste as a treasure (a resource), is steadily gaining traction.

 

Piloted by Pikitup, the City’s waste management entity, in September 2009 at the Waterval Depot in Region B – which services areas such as Westdene, Northcliff and Rooseveltpark – the programme now covers all the City’s seven regions in six of its 11 depots.

 

The “Separation at Source” process entails residents using three separate receptacles to store their waste in until such time that it is collected. The normal 240 litre black/green refuse bin is used only for non-recyclable household waste, while the two extra bags are utilised for recycling waste. The clear, durable plastic bag is for recycling glass, bottles, polystyrene materials, cans and plastics; whereas the reusable white hessian bag is for recycling all paper, boxes and cardboard materials.

 

These bags are provided weekly free of charge by Pikitup through the cooperatives. The programme not only encourages residents to recycle their household refuse – which is ordinarily tossed away – but it also promotes job creation through the exchange of money for recyclable waste.

 

In total, more than 486 000 households in the city are covered by the programme. In the 2013-2014 financial year alone, more than 14 000 tons of recycled waste was successfully diverted away from landfill sites. Although this represented approximately 17% of residents’ participation, the City of Joburg’s Member of the Mayoral Committee on Environmental, Infrastructure and Services Department, MMC Matshidiso Mfikoe, is satisfied that Johannesburg is, through this programme, contributing to “national and global environmental objectives”. He says the City aims to increase residents’ participation to 70% by 2016.

 

“To achieve this, the City is working on strengthening partnerships with communities through the Jozi@Work programme, which will result in waste management services to households being allocated to local cooperatives,” says MMC Mfikoe.

 

Already, 24 cooperatives have been set up and 519 job opportunities created. About 300 reclaimers have also been partnered with, resulting in some of them having easier working relations with partner cooperatives, including having to travel shorter distances.” “These partnerships have, however, not been as successful as anticipated because of a number of challenges, mainly related to land and supporting infrastructure still being developed for them,” says MMC Mfikoe. 

 

One of the programme’s success stories is the Waterval Depot, where community participation has risen to approximately 48%. Twenty-five waste removal trucks have been allocated to cooperatives working in different areas of the city. This has increased the number of community partnerships and given a big boost to the private recycling sector.

 

“Other highlights include reclaimers from the landfill site being formed into cooperatives in the Southdale Depot area, as well as the creation of a model to manage illegal dumping spots with community partners in Zandspruit,” says MMC Mfokoe.

 

To mark National Recycling Week, Pikitup calls on all Johannesburg residents to take part in the various recycling initiatives, to contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment by following any of the following tips:

• Before you even think about recycling, what should come to mind first is reducing waste and reusing whatever you can at home;

• If there are purchases you have to make for the household, then think pre-cycling;

• Pre-cycling is about looking out for and buying products that can be recycled;

• Buy products that use recycled materials in the product itself or in the packaging to complete the recycling loop. Only when there is demand for recycled products would there be demand for recyclables;

• Other than recycling, you can adopt other green practices, such as reducing the amount of harmful chemicals you release into the environment by switching to natural cleaners that are biodegradable and do not harm the water supply or the environment; and

• Use environmentally sound products because they do minimal harm to the environment.

 

In addition to the Separation at Source programme, Pikitup has made provision for 42 operating garden sites (recyclable waste drop off centres) where residents can dispose of all their recyclable materials including garden waste, e-waste, oil and batteries. Clean builders’ rubble can also be disposed off free of charge at any of the four Pikitup landfill sites.

 

Concludes MMC Mfikoe: “Some of the benefits of recycling are creating a clean and healthy environment, creating jobs, saving valuable landfill airspace and building a recycling economy. Recycling encourages economic activity brought about by the recycling value chain.”