“Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. But I’d like to add a third certainty: trash. And while some in this room might want to discuss reducing taxes, I want to talk about reducing trash.” – Ruth Ann Minner This quotation got me thinking – are death, taxes
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The words “waste management plan” invariably conjure up an image of a thick document and a lot of cost. But it doesn’t have to be. At its simplest a waste management plan is something a homeowner can create on the back of a serviette while watching TV. Waste management plans have developed an image of
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The H1 figures are due out shortly. Even if the economy is not in recession we are teetering on the brink. Recycling can help a business survive the tough times. Waste is all about volumes – the more we produce, the more waste we generate. During normal or good times we tend to consume more
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‘Recycle at source’ is one of the mantras of recycling. But what does it mean and does it serve a purpose? It is a little bit like unscrambling an egg – once it is broken it is almost impossible to fix. Recycling is a volume driven business based on low margins – especially since China
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Very often when organizations decide to start a recycling program the first thing they do is buy new recycling containers. Which is all good-and-well – but, if they don’t change their culture first they are wasting their money. The container – be it a wheelie bin, office bin or specialized recycling bin – is necessary
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Whilst South Africa’s waste industry is massive in terms of job creation the recycling industry will soon be bigger. A mere twenty years ago there was no recycling industry. Now it appears that, in terms of employment, it will soon be bigger than the waste management industry. Few people are aware of the difference between
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Organic waste is set to be the next big waste stream to be attacked. In its drive to clean up the environment the South African government has targeted organic waste. In addition to agricultural and garden waste this includes abattoir waste, sewerage waste and food waste amongst others. Organic waste is bad because it decomposes
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A lot of us think that fresh vegetables come in little Styrofoam trays and packets from the supermarket, with neatly embossed recycling icons. What we don’t see is how they are produced and there are some things the producers don’t want us to see. Take commercial farming; at most stages of growing a crop the
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We seem to be winning some battles but have we already lost the war? If one believes the pilot of a mini submarine the plastic waste is now lying on the bottom of the ocean. Apart from the environmental damage this is causing, the danger is that nano-plastic particles are now in the food chain.
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Most recycling materials are simple and some are just plain difficult. Cardboard, paper, plastic, tin and glass are easy to recycle – just put them in a bag and away they go. Other materials including ewaste, tyres and laminated products are more complicated. That is why they tend to hang around in ever growing piles.
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