Recycling initiatives make economic, environmental sense

And, the Financial Mail notes, SA industry has a long way to go to meet government\'s goals, which include a 50% reduction in the volume of hazardous waste generated and 25% reduction in volumes of landfill waste by 2012, with a zero waste situation by 2022. Enviroserv, SA\'s largest hazardous waste management group is tackling the problem strategically, with the company and its largely industrial customer base learning to view waste recycling as a big part of the solution. Enviroserv’s role is to analyse a company\'s waste stream and extract raw materials such as metals and chemicals either for reuse by the company or to sell on. Another approach is the use of waste to generate energy. Full Financial Mail report

Staying with waste recycling initiatives, the CSIR and Key Structure Holdings have signed a contract with Anglo Coal to build a demonstration plant for the recovery of products from waste gypsum. Business Report notes that Anglo Coal SA section hydrologist Peter Gunther said that mine waste was not only an environmental problem but has measurable economic value as well. Anglo Coal head of joint ventures and new business development, Riaan Van Der Merwe, said: ‘Anglo Coal sees this as an exciting opportunity to solve the waste problem by converting a mining environmental liability into a sustainable asset. Full report in Business Report

The City of Cape Town could make substantial money out of waste, says Glenn Ashton, of the Noordhoek Environmental Action Group, in a Cape Argus report. He said that the group’s recycling depot runs at a profit, provides employment and reduces the local waste stream by nearly 30%. Earlier this month, city councillors and officials attending the Cape Town Waste Minimisation Summit said the city would be unable to manage its escalating tons of waste in future. A similar operation to the one in Noordhoek is soon to be opened in nearby Masiphumele thanks to a R35 000 council grant. Full Cape Argus report

Rethink the way you treat your rubbish, SA’s leading waste management experts warn. A report in The Mercury notes that ccording to research, South Africans had a habit of illegally dumping waste in open areas, creating health hazards, robbing communities of space and costing the country millions of rands in clean-ups. Full report in The Mercury