Reduce, reuse and recycle – everyday
JOBURG - It's the annual National Clean-Up and Recycle Week again, so do your part to help the environment.
National Clean-Up and Recycle Week runs from 14 to 19 September and it is a week to spread the message about the importance of looking after the environment and ensuring that everybody takes responsibility for recycling where they work, live or play.
“The only way forward if we are going to improve the quality of the environment is to get everybody involved,” said Douw Steyn, director of sustainability at Plastics SA and chairman of the National Recycling Forum.
“For the past 20 years, Plastics SA has been co-ordinating clean-up events around the country.”
Importantly, International Coastal Clean-Up Day takes place on 19 September, and the South African National Bottled Water Association and its members are firmly behind both initiatives.
The association’s executive director, Charlotte Metcalf, added that every day was an opportunity to recycle.
“Arming ourselves with the knowledge of what recycling could mean for our country is one way to keep motivated to make recycling a part and parcel of our daily routines,” she said.
Additionally, Petco, the industry organisation that promotes PET (a certain type of plastic used to bottle water) recycling in South Africa, has several tips for making recycling a part of people’s everyday life and lists collection points on its website.
“All told, over 1.4 billion PET bottles were recycled across South Africa in 2014,” said Metcalf.
“That’s close to four million bottles recycled every day. The challenge, now, is to do better.”
Details: www.sanbwa.org.za; www.petco.co.za
