Waste

Human activity produces waste. It is vital to address and properly manage waste to prevent environmental damage, health risks and the development of unsightly and undesirable areas. Reducing, reusing and recycling waste are key priorities for sustainable human development.

Waste is produced daily by people going about their day-to-day activities. It is also produced from industrial and economic activities. Waste comes in many forms, it can be organic such as food and garden waste but can also be in the form of chemicals, plastics and metals which can be toxic to the environment. The scale and rate at which waste is produced can overload the natural environment making it uninhabitable. That is why waste must either be reduced or technologies must be used to process it.

Throughout Johannesburg ‘PikitUp’ is municipal-owned entity that cleans streets and collects waste from individual black bins or larger communal bins (used by most flats). Most waste ends up in landfills as, according to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), only 11% of all of South Africa’s waste is recycled and only 7% of the country’s hazardous waste is re-used or recycled. As rubbish is not sorted at source, people at the landfill site pick through the rubbish in search of recyclables and other items of value. This is incredibly hazardous.

In the urban areas of Makers Valley, waste is a developing issue, with the majority of waste ending up in landfill or being illegally dumped in public spaces. Do you have any ideas for this waste to be dealt with safely and sustainably?

9. Sorting waste

Bins to store sorted waste are limited and recycling facilities are not common. Can you suggest ways to improve these facilities for households and popularise their use throughout Makers Valley?

10. Reducing landfill impacts

Even if items of potential value are sorted from the waste, there is still residual waste which ends up in landfill. Can you propose any ideas for treating this residual waste so that the impacts are reduced?

11. Plastic problems

The growth and permeation of plastics is a significant issue. Can you come up with ideas for either reusing or recycling these items?

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