Get active with National Environmental week

National Environment Week is an annual campaign that takes place in the first week of June.

In South Africa about 18 000 tons of general waste is dumped illegally every year in road reserves and open spaces. Environmental week highlights the issue of pollution, waste management and littering.

“Make an effort to clean up, whether it’s your backyard, street, school or park. You deserve to live in a clean environment and working together as active citizens, we can all make it happen,” said Lead SA.

It is up to every citizen to play their part in waste management, recycling and cleaning up our communities. Recycling and re-using can start off small around the house with just a few simple tips:

• Bring reusable bags and containers when shopping, travelling, or packing lunches or leftovers.
• Choose products that are returnable, reusable, or refillable over single-use items.
• Avoid individually wrapped items, snack packs, and single-serve containers. Buy large containers of items or from bulk bins whenever practical.
• Be aware of double-packaging – some “bulk packages” are just individually wrapped items packaged yet again and sold as a bulk item.
• Purchase items such as dish soap and laundry detergents in concentrate forms.
• Compost food scraps and garden waste. Food and garden waste accounts for about 11 per cent of the waste thrown away in most cities. Many types of food scraps, along with leaves and garden trimmings, can be combined in your backyard compost bin.
• Reduce the number of unwanted mail you receive.
• Shop at second-hand stores. You can find great used and unused clothes at low cost to you and the environment. Buy quality clothing that won’t wear out and can be handed down, whether to other people you know, or to charity. Re-purpose clothes by adding buttons, leather or lace.
• Buy items made of recycled content, and use and reuse them as much as you can. For instance, use both sides of every page of a notebook before moving on to the next clean notebook. Use unneeded, printed-on printer paper for a scratch pad.
• Also, remember that buying in bulk rather than individual packages will save you lots of money and reduce waste! Packaging makes up 30 per cent of the weight and 50 per cent of trash by volume. Buy juice, snacks, and other lunch items in bulk and use those reusable containers each day.