Responsibility for Waste created by us rests squarely on our shoulders.

Waste is an issue for all of us. We all create it and that means we are all responsible for what happens to it. Waste needs to be dealt with in the safest way possible and minimal amounts allowed to go into landfills.

The objectives of recycling are to save resources as well as reduce the environmental impact of waste by reducing the amount of waste disposed at landfills.

Even as householders, we have responsibilities for waste. Usually this means putting our waste and recycling out for collection by our local council, or by waste collection services contracted by our local council. Largely as householders, we deal responsibly with waste, so it doesn’t harm the environment, by dealing responsibly in separating waste into glass, cans, plastic and paper.

Glass, Cans, Plastic Paper Recycling Bags.The objectives of recycling are to save resources as well as reduce the environmental impact of waste by reducing the amount of waste disposed at landfills.

Organic Waste for Composting

Compost created in an Upcycle Bag that can be placed on the patio.

Any establishment that creates the organic waste has a responsibility to decompose that waste into compost and not allow it to go into the landfill where it is environment unfriendly and also creates methane gas.
Organic waste includes branches, dead leaves, lawn clippings, animal or poultry manure, vegetable and fruit peels, crushed egg shells, newspaper, cardboard boxes. Assemble it into a container,  preferably an Upcycled Compost Bag (cost R80) of not less than .92cm that can be closed and is not smelly or unsightly.
Shred all waste and then make layers, alternating between carbon ( woody, brown or paper waste, dead leaves, and nitrogenous green ( lawn clippings, vegetable peelings, weeds ) add manure between layers if available.
Water layers so the pile is damp. After 2 weeks during which time the compost should become hot, turn over and mix the layers and reassemble into the bag again.

Once the bag is full (which will take approximately 2 months, empty it into a hole 1 square m in the garden or lawn. This compost will be ready to use in as little as 6 weeks to 6 months depending on climatic conditions and materials used.
It is ready when it has a pleasant earthy smell and the individual components are no longer recognisable. Worms are a good sign that the compost is mature.

Re-use the Upcycled Compost Bag for the next batch of compost to be made.
It is estimated that the value of this compost is about R100. Use it or sell it the community.
Flats, apartments, townhouses, small businesses need a plan to capitalise on composting materials

Businesses all create waste that needs collecting and taking away for onward disposal, treatment or recycling. This includes the manufacture of  Cloth and Polyvinyl Chloride (pvc) for Banners, Posters and Billboards.

This material should not be recycled as it can take hundres of years to decompose in landfills.

A most useful product is sleeping bags for homeless people to keep dry and warm. 

There are many Upcycle Organisations like upcycle.co.za who have found innovative and practical solutions for making upcycled products which we have found to me most useful in the process ofr recycling waste.

Trevor Webster of Doorway to Dignity, an NPO working with homeless and destitute people, handed Kensingtong B Randburg 16 trolleys to be handed out to our trolley-preneurs. We now recognise them with dignity by their names, presented them with a new trolleys designed to give them a safer, more robust and capable of transporting larger loads. They accepted the reflective Conti suit with a smile and immediately got the feeling of being recognised as part of our community.

Kensinton B Recyclers Jacob, Frans, Gavin … recognizable in their reflective Conti Suits by our community

Creating employment through upcycling corporate waste.
Create jobs at upcycle.co.za by upcycling corporate PVC waste heading for landfill that could take 1000 years to decompose.

Sleeping Bag Folded for Trollytrepeneur’s warm and dry stay outside somewhere.

SUMMARY

Community must rise to meet the challenges of recycling and upcycling.

Action the recycle plan now regardless whether you in a household or a business.

1. Recycle

   • Separate glass, cans, plastic and paper into separate bags for  recycling. 
   • Each community needs to take resposibilty to get these bags to a recycling depot.
   • Job creation and poverty alleviation should be at the forefront of the hearts and minds of every South African community.
   • The trolleytrepeneurs provide the required service of getting recycled bags from Kensington B Randburg to a recycling depot.

2. Compost

   • Each community needs to take resposibilty to compost shredded branches, dead leaves, lawn clippings, animal or poultry manure, vegetable and fruit peels, crushed egg shells, newspaper, cardboard boxes
   • Compost uses for establishments with gardens is relatively simple.
   • A solution for establishments,without gardens, is under consideration.

3. Upcycling – Upcycling is the practice of creating a useable product from waste or unwanted items or adapting an existing product in some way to add value.

   • PVC material used in manufacturing advertising items like billboards and posters must not be allowed to go into landfill as it  can take up to hundreds of years to decompose.
   • Each business needs to take responsibility to ensure that their PVC material is upcycled and not allowed to go into landfill.

Contact Details

1. Andrew Sharp – Kensington B  Ratepayers (KRA) Chairman  – 073 322 5822
2. Trevor Webster – Doorway to Dignity – 065 147 9552
3. Winnie McHenry – Upcycle.co.za 082 780 3673