Recycling project success

Posted on 14. Apr, 2012 by Cara in Archived Issues, Current Issue, Home, Volume 2 Issue 6

Recycling project success Many residents in the Separation at Source pilot project are coming to the party, dividing their waste into recyclable and non-recyclable material.

NEARLY 2 000 tons of recyclable waste had been diverted from Joburg’s landfill sites through Pikitup’s Separation at Source pilot project to June.

The project began in November 2009 and by June this year, 1 837 tons of recyclable waste had been collected.

The bulk of the recyclables is paper, says Pansy Jali, the communication manager at Pikitup, which makes up 63 percent, followed by glass amounting to 24 percent, plastic at 8 percent, cans at 4 percent and TetraPak, the packaging used for beverages and food, at 1 percent.

She adds, however: “The amount diverted from the project area is minimal compared to the amount disposed to the landfill sites because the separation and collection of green waste in the project area and other recyclable waste generated from flats and complexes are not included as part of the pilot project, hence that particular waste ends at the landfill sites.”

A participation rate of 50 percent was reported, with participation in high income areas about 78 percent; low income participation was reported to be less than 22 percent, says Jali.

Pikitup’s project was the first of its kind in the province. It attempts to encourage residents to sort waste materials into recyclable and non-recyclable, so reducing the pressure on landfill sites, which are rapidly filling up.

Jali explains that the purpose of the project is to explore and find new ways to implement Separation at Source throughout the city. “The pilot project has yielded some useful data which will be used to determine the best way to implement Separation at Source citywide.”

Meanwhile, Joburg’s waste removal entity, Pikitup, is continuing to service the suburbs in and around the Waterval Depot through its Separation at Source pilot project.

This project was initiated in October 2009, during which Pikitup distributed litter bags to residents in Parkview, Fleurhof, Fairland, Victory Park, Emmarentia, Linden, Bosmont, Forest Town, Berario, Westcliff, Richmond, Greymont, Montroux, Greenside, Mayfair, Triomf and Martindale.

The area covered includes 35 000 standalone houses, but excludes townhouse complexes and flats.

Each house received a clear refuse bag for recyclables such as cans and bottles, an orange Mondi Ronnie bag for paper and cardboard, to add to their 240-litre black wheelie bin for wet and dry non-recyclable material. All the waste is collected by Pikitup on the same day as the usual refuse collection.

The Separation at Source pilot project began with an educational campaign in September 2009. It was established so that residents could separate various types of waste such as glass and paper, making recycling easier, says Jali.

With residents knowing little about the values of separating, the utility employed and trained youth, who visited homes in the catchment area to educate residents about the pilot project.

Education being the emphasis, the first collection was in November 2009 for the suburbs serviced by the Waterval Depot.