Learning about recycling to conserve communities

RECYCLING organisations have joined forces with the Inchanga community to help conserve their environment.

Nathi Africa, Use It, DSW, and Monteseel Conservancy hosted a recycling awareness campaign that saw the Inchanga community gather on Saturday at Monteseel Park to learn about the importance of recycling.

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Explaining the initiative, Nathi from Nathi Africa said the initiative is one of many programmes that are set to take place in the Inchanga and Hillcrest communities.

“These are the kind of communities that care about nature, and waste management is key to them. We have been working with them for a few months, and this day is a result of that work.

“We decided to have this day so residents can come in today and bring their recyclable materials they consolidated at home. The aim of this initiative is to teach the community what materials can be mixed with what – what is separated at source. Then we bring the material to the collection point, which is here today, and as recycling companies, we take that material and process it,” he said.

Nathi said they agreed with the community on a day – every third Saturday of the month – to host a drop-off centre for the community to drop off their separated waste. He said by doing so, the community will be developing itself into one of the responsible communities that can separate materials from source.

Use It said they joined the campaign because it aligns with their strategy to develop partnerships to grow and succeed within the green economy. Use It is an NGO that facilitates innovation for waste beneficiation with the aim of diverting waste from landfill.

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“At our site, we have people who use old discarded pallets to produce furniture, we have people who use old banners to produce bags, and we have some people who use plastic to produce hats, jackets, mats, bags and a lot more. In this creation, we work with a company that processes the materials.”

The organisations said the campaign is set to be rolled out to other communities, as well.

“We are also rolling out the campaign throughout Hillcrest, and we are already collecting from certain estates in the area. We are collecting the orange bags where residents put their recyclable waste. As the unit we have here today, we will be going to different communities to promote the campaign and bring in more communities to the initiative,” they said.

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