“The focus of waste management in South Africa is changing. No longer is the emphasis on the disposal of waste, but rather on avoiding its generation and minimizing and recycling the waste stream wherever possible.” This was the key message conveyed by Lisa Parkes, Marketing Manager of PETCO, at a workshop held during Wastecon in Somerset West this month. “The law … [Read more...]
Country leads the world in plastic recycling
No less than 280 000 ton of plastic was recycled and diverted from landfill last year. That is 20 % of all plastics manufactured in South Africa. Results were released during Clean-Up and Recycle SA week. This equates to a 4.1 % increase on the previous year’s figures. Of all the recycled plastic, 220 400 tons were derived from packaging, resulting in a year on year increase … [Read more...]
SA’s green economy transforms bottom lines
South Africa's fast emerging green economy is driven by factors such as radical cost savings, brand differentiation, sustainable futures, skills attraction and retention. Driving its uptake is business, particularly multinational companies (MNCs), which – through its global nature and the interconnectedness of markets – is harnessing green principles to do good and boost … [Read more...]
3 Litres of burned oil for one printer cartridge
Did you know that the manufacturing process involved in producing new printer cartridges requires the burning of fossil fuel, specifically oil or natural gas? It takes on average 3 litres of burned oil to create just one cartridge shell. In SA there are more than 70 million cartridges produced annually. About 75% of used cartridges end up in the landfill, with resultant … [Read more...]
Directors become personally liable for environmental care
Directors of companies will soon be personally liable for any negative impact, damage, degradation or pollution of the environment, with fines of up to R10 million or up to 10 years in prison. Amendments introduced by the National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Act, (NEMLAA) are due to come into effect on 2 September 2014. South African businesses should note that … [Read more...]
Monitoring energy consumption leads to savings
Business can use the National Energy Barometer Survey as an opportunity to calculate their energy consumption to make improvements. This is what The Clicks Group did when they used the National Energy Barometer Survey (NEBS) as an opportunity to collate energy use information for the entry. This enabled them to see what the Group’s energy baseline was, in order to improve … [Read more...]
Painting a colourful picture of our energy future
The discussion around the future of Eskom has reached a new high with the parastatal reporting on its dire situation culminating in a R225bn shortfall. Many articles published in the past week laid out arguments as to what Eskom should do next. As a young South African I believe someone should share a youth perspective on this subject. It is interesting to read that many of … [Read more...]
Carbon Footprinting Guide reaches over 53 000 downloads
Who would not like to read and consult a free Carbon Footprinting Guide to help tweak your life and business? Well, this is probably why this online guide has achieved more downloads than any other SA publication of its kind to date. Historically, such guides at best registered a few thousand downloads per annum, and the Guide is clocked over 53 000 six months after … [Read more...]
Archbishop Tutu joins students’ call for fossil free UCT
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has endorsed a campaign amongst staff, students and alumni at the University of Cape Town calling on the university to freeze and phase out its fossil fuel investments, to help stop dangerous climate change. The Archbishop’s call came 10 days before the formal launch of the UCT campaign during a public meeting on 30 July.. His statement … [Read more...]
Defy the rules and change the world
“Don’t accept no for an answer. Defy the rules! It’s the only way we’re going to make the change.” This was the opening statement by Prof Gunter Pauli, Blue Economy entrepreneur from Belgium, who was the keynote speaker at the international Student Environmental Network summit hosted by the Stellenbosch University. He has written 20 books, published in 34 languages, … [Read more...]
Get help to change the world
Do you think you have a plan for changing the world? It’s time to make it a reality! There is a course tailored for those who already have an idea for a start-up and want to learn from seasoned experts about all the areas you need to think of before starting-up. Muhammad Yunus, Scilla Elworthy, Jean-Remy von Matt and 34 other leaders share their secrets to success in the … [Read more...]
R10 million towards zero plastic waste to landfill
Zero plastics to landfill by 2030 is the ambitious target for caring companies in this country. One of the new kids on the plastic recycling block is Polyco, working on the recycling of Polyolefin plastic. Addressing Polyco members and the media during their AGM, Jeremy Mackintosh stated that Polyco has already succeeded in carving out a name for itself since it was created … [Read more...]
Fossil-free investment portfolios soared 50%
The number of investment managers offering fossil-free portfolios to clients increased by over 50% in the past year, demonstrating a growing interest in divestment among investors. In a survey completed by 587 investment professionals, 36% indicated that they now offered investors the option to explicitly exclude the fossil fuel industry from their investments – up from 22% … [Read more...]
