Finding clever and effective ways to reduce, re-use and recycle waste will save schools money and help create a waste-wise generation of children.

As the new school year approaches, the City of Cape Town would like to call on all students, parents, teachers, and governing bodies to consider how they can reduce their school’s waste burden. Fostering waste-wise attitudes in the future leaders of our country is crucial to changing our society’s relationship with waste.

Implementing the following advice can make a big difference to the amount of waste that is sent to landfills:

1) Avoid buying products with lots of packaging.

2) Reduce packaging by buying in bulk and buying refills and concentrates.

3) Buy products that are made from recycled or recyclable materials.

4) Don’t buy single-use products such as paper plates for school events, rather promote a culture of students bringing their own containers.

5) Buy your child a returnable cooldrink container and lunch box (or two), and reward them for bringing it home each day, rather than purchasing single use drinks or food containers.

6) Consider setting up a compost heap, or composting container, and potentially a food garden which uses the compost at your school.

Furthermore, for schools who would like to go the extra mile, and possibly create an additional income stream, there are some options to implement recycling programmes. The City drafted various guidelines for schools who would like to set up a recycling programme. These include guidelines for auditing the waste generated by the school, setting up a waste management committee, staffing and infrastructure for a recycling centre, and promotion of recycling in the local community. The City’s original guide is available on the City’s website, and some more recent information, including ways to compost the schools organic waste, is available here for those who are interested in exploring this.

Moreover, since 2021, producers of paper and packaging waste, electronic waste and lighting waste have, by law, had to take more responsibility for recycling the waste they produce. A number of producer responsibility organisations (PROs) have been set up to do this, and many of these PROs assist schools in various ways to recycle their waste, for example by providing recycling containers. Schools can contact the PROs and explore how they can partner to make recycling a reality in their schools. A list of PRO websites can be found here.

‘When you look at the thousands of tonnes of waste produced in the City of Cape Town on a daily basis, it becomes difficult not to experience waste disposal challenges. Although the waste is stored in specially designed landfills that can contain the waste safely, this is not a sustainable solution. Our society needs to come together to reduce waste, reuse products, and recycle on a much greater scale, and I believe that schools can lead the way.

‘The National Waste Management Strategy of 2020 has set an ambitious target of 70% reduction in the waste that is sent to landfill by 2035, and is eventually aiming to achieve a zero waste society. With advances in technology this is becoming more possible, but not without the buy-in of residents. Ensuring the proceeds of recycling are directed into education by setting up recycling programmes at school is a very good way to achieve this buy-in,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.

Source: City Of Cape Town