REDUCE YOUR WASTE FOOTPRINT

Separation at source is key to reducing waste, and is a simple practice of sorting waste in the home, at schools or businesses before it gets collected and recycled. Instead of throwing everything into one bin, separate items into different categories such as:

* recyclables (paper, plastic, glass, metal, e-waste);

*organic waste (food scraps, garden waste);

*non-recyclable waste (things that can’t be re-used or recycled such as certain plastics or dirty packaging).

PAMSA, the Paper Manufacturing Association of South Africa, is an industry body that oversees the pulp and paper manufacturing sector, as well as the interests of paper recycling mills. It estimates that approximately 1.3 million tonnes of paper and paper packaging were collected from a pool of 1.8 million tonnes of waste deemed recoverable for recycling.

Recycling tips from PAMSA:

*educate yourself on the types of paper that can and cannot be recycled;

*invest in a sturdy container to keep your paper recycling separate from wet, organic and non-recyclable waste. Keep it in the kitchen or outside the back door. If placed outside, it should be covered. Also keep smaller recycling bins around the home;

*place recyclables in a box or bag on your pavement for collectors, who sell these items at buy-back centres. This means you are not only reducing your waste footprint, you are also supporting the livelihoods of others. You can also take your recycling to collection points;

*recycle items such as plastic, cans and glass, compost your organic or food waste, collect bottle tops and bread tags and recycle polystyrene, which is mixed with cement to make light bricks.

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