Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, has urged all South Africans to participate in nationwide Clean-Up and Recycle Week activities.
“Litter is a serious problem in South Africa, and most of the littered waste materials can be recycled and thus diverted from landfill. By participating in clean-up and recycling activities in both our rural and urban communities, we are contributing to a cleaner environment that will contribute to a healthier society,” the Minister said on Tuesday.
Nearly 120,000 volunteers engage annually in a variety of clean-up operations near roadways, waterways, schools, residential areas, and illegal dumping sites.
These projects are supported by provincial governments, local municipalities, environmental organisations, corporations, schools, and communities. This year’s events will take place between September 12 and September 17.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment will conduct its activities under the auspices of the Good Green Deeds Programme, which emphasises the significance of active citizenry in the protection and management of natural resources and pollution in their neighbourhoods, rivers, beaches, and oceans.
To preserve South Africa litter-free, the Minister has urged all communities, schools, businesses, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to clean up their neighbourhoods.
It is important that any garbage that is collected be recycled or put to another use whenever it is possible to do so.
“We would like to see a society where all of us are recycling, encourage reuse and reduction on the amount of waste we generate. We strongly stand against illegal dumping and littering. A week such as this is an ideal opportunity for all to start regular community activities to clean our environment,” Creecy said.
As an intervention to address garbage collection concerns in unserviced regions, unauthorized dumping, and landfill operations in selected municipalities across all provinces, the government has established the R44.5 million National Waste Collection and Landfill Management Fleet.
The municipalities have also increased their cleaning efforts, particularly those that have benefited from the revision of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant Policy by acquiring the required yellow fleet.
According to the agency, the historic expenditure of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees by different manufacturers in 2022 has led to an increase in packaging and electronic device recycling.
These EPR fees are now utilised to enhance the collection of recyclables, compensate garbage pickers, and enhance recycling overall.
Diverse producers and Producer Responsibility Organizations have filed interim trash recycling performance reports by the 30th of August 2022, detailing their recycling activities in comparison to the 2022 goals.
Clean-Up and Recycle Week is an annual campaign of the local industry, backed and sponsored by the packaging and retail streams and merchants.
Polokwane and the hamlet of Nobody Ga-Mothiba in Limpopo, Umbongintwini on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast and along the Entshawini River in KwaDukuza, Emathafeni and Elandshoek in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, and Roodepoort, Gauteng, will host community awareness and clean-up events.
Additionally, cleanups will occur at Dakota Beach and Scottsburg, Blydesdale, Zinkwazi, Ballito, and Tugela beaches in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as Alkantstrand beach in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape, and Groot Brakrivier and the Tegniet and Reebok beaches in Mossel Bay, Western Cape.