Recycling seminar empowers residents with business acumen

TRASH can become a treasure and put food on the table. This message was imparted to Clairwood residents on Monday, November 29 at the Khalid Shah Community Hall.

South Durban Basin Area Based Management (SDB ABM) partnered with ward 32 councillor, Protas Ngonyama, the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA), Environmental Health and Business Support for the event.

Irene Chetty of the SDB ABM said the turnout was excellent and the SDB ABM was pleased with the response to the workshop.

She said the programme is the council’s way of responding to the area’s notoriety of illegal dumping and litter.

“It degrades the environment and surrounding areas,” she said. “Illegal disposal of bottles is commonplace in Clairwood and poses a danger to the environment and the community at large,” she added.

She said the area has about 13 informal settlements of which most of the residents are from rural areas who came seeking employment. While most have not secured stable employment, a small percentage is informally employed.

Chetty said the large amounts of bottles generated in the area, coupled with the lack of education about waste management methods, among other environmental issues, result in stormwater drain inlets block ups.

“This project’s aim is to empower the community by encouraging people to recycle and become champions of their areas. This will generate income as all collected glass will be sold to a glass recycling company.

“It will also benefit the environment and improve the lives of the community. Residents will be encouraged to collect glass and sell it to the recycling company while keeping the environment clean and reducing the rate of the lack of income,” said the manager at SDB ABM, Eurakha Singh.

The main speaker at the event, CSIR NCPC-SA’s Pearl Thusi said the project was a way to break the poverty cycle while empowering residents.

“Your children will not inherit picking waste but will gain the business you will start by doing so,” she told guests at the event.

“The Industrial Symbiosis Programme in KZN (KISP) was pleased to engage with glass recycling stakeholders as the engagement aimed to formalise and assist recyclers access more markets and divert waste from landfills,” she said.