War against waste declared

Opening up the Earth Day commemoration on 22 April, executive director of Miss Earth South Africa, Catherine Constantinides, told guests that it cannot be business as usual while the environment is suffering.

Miss Earth South Africa also used the opportunity to launch their new campaign.

Welcoming guests at the celebration at 54 on Bath in Rosebank, Constantinides challenged those in attendance to be warriors for the environment and create a greener future which is sustainable. “Climate change is here and real,” she said.

“We need to be mindful of all the choices that we make in our daily lives.”

Speaking on behalf of Tsogo Sun, who are partners of Miss Earth South Africa, general manager of corporate affairs, Candy Tothil, said they were excited to work with people who cared for the environment such as Miss Earth. “It’s really great to work with this team that takes environmental education so seriously,” she said.

“They take the initiative to go out to schools and communities to talk change and also be part of making that change.”

Pikitup executive director for waste minimisation strategy and programmes, Musa Jack, used the opportunity to share the harsh reality facing Pikitup. “In nine years’ time, there will be no space to throw away waste because our landfill sites will be full and there is no other land that can be used,” she said.

With this said, Jack said Johannesburg residents had an opportunity to turns things around for the better. “If everybody does one thing differently, things will improve.”

She encouraged residents to start recycling their waste. “We must start diverting waste from waste fill sites and at the same time, we will be improving our own health conditions.”

Project co-ordinator for Miss Earth South Africa, Ella-Bella Constantinides-Leite, also unveiled their new campaign for 2016/2017. The campaign is titled #WasteStopsWithME and Constantinides-Leite highlighted that they wanted to promote and engage citizens across the country to understand the role that they play in the whole waste paradigm.

She emphasised that citizens needed to be conscious about their choices. They need to consider their carbon footprints, their environmental impact and reflect on the amount of waste they create every single day. “We so easily discard the rubbish that we generate without giving it a second thought,” she said.

“We never consider the life cycle of each item we chuck out, including food waste, the toxicity of old medicines, used car oil, electronic waste and even that old chair you took to the dump.”

She urged citizens to be more responsible about the life cycle of what they choose to purchase and consume. “Waste must stop with me, as a responsible citizen who is more consciously aware of the impacts of landfill sites and illegal dumping areas,” she concluded.