Solid Waste Disposal - The Need for Recycling

Focus – “The need for recycling”

Through past initiatives, the different coloured recycle bins have been placed throughout the school and the boarding houses.

Solid waste is solid or semisolid, non soluble material such as farming, industrial, demolition waste and general rubbish.

“Dumpsites for rehabilitation and prevention of soil and water pollution.” – City of Cape Town (https://www.capetown.gov.za/en/SolidWaste2/Pages/default.aspx)

Dumpsites are building up exponentially and will continue to negatively affect the environment. These dumpsites can pollute soil and water if not maintained properly. This can be prevented by removing recyclables. Dumpsites can also be used to benefit us by using the methane produced for heating and lighting.

The City of Cape Town are responsible for solid waste management like waste collection, cleaning and waste disposal in the Cape Town municipal area. The City of Cape Town aims to minimise the effects of waste on the environment and humans.

Recycling facilities are available to the public and business sectors.

“The need for recycling” - City of Cape Town (https://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Solidwaste2/Pages/Recycling.aspx)

Recyclable materials can be recovered and reused while having less impact on the environment. The City of Cape Town implements recycling centers throughout the region to assist this endeavor. Shops like Pick ‘n Pay and Woolworths have recycle bins for the disposal of compact fluorescent lights and batteries.

The City of Cape Town incentivizes recycling to businesses and complexes they can indirectly pay less for collection.

“In terms of incentives, currently in Cape Town, if a business or complex has more than 1 wheelie bin, they pay for each one, and if they minimize their waste they can reduce their number of bins to be collected and thus have a lower monthly bill.”

                

 “Use of methane from dumpsites for domestic use” - http://www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-info/

These dumpsites are some of the largest sources of methane emissions. It is possible to utilize this gas for electricity, heating and fuels. 

“Safe disposal of nuclear waste” – South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (http://www.necsa.co.za/Necsa/Nuclear-Facts/Nuclear-Waste)

In South Africa radioactive waste is produced by the nuclear fuel cycle. Koeberg nuclear power station is located 30 km north of Cape Town. Low level waste produced by the power station is transported by road in steel and concrete containers to a rural disposal site in Vaalputs, 600 km away in the Kalahari.