This year, from 14 to 19 September, South Africans from all walks of life will once again be encouraged to clean-up and recycle in their environment as part of National Clean-Up and Recycle Week SA.

 

According to Douw Steyn, director of sustainability at Plastics|SA and chairman of the National Recycling Forum (NRF), all packaging streams, as well as oil and e-waste recyclers, will use this week to spread the message about the importance of looking after the environment and ensuring that everybody takes responsibility for recycling where they work, live or play.

 

“The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved,” Steyn says. For the past 20 years, Plastics|SA (the mouthpiece of the local plastics industry), has been coordinating clean-up events around the country.

 

Background

“The first International Coastal Clean-Up was held in 1996, as an initiative of the plastics industry and KZN Wildlife, to remove the most visible plastics litter from the coastal area. Since then, it has become an annual, countrywide event which is supported by the glass, cans, paper and board industries, as well as oil converters, recyclers, brand owners, retailers, Brand SA, KZN Wildlife, Tuffy Manufacturing, Pick n Pay, Garbie (East Rand Plastics) and the Department of Environmental Affairs”, Steyn says.

 

Between 14 and 19 September, various clean-up projects will take place in cities, towns, communities and schools as individuals are encouraged to pay attention to the problem of waste around them, and get their friends, neighbours or colleagues involved with recycling.

 

“Plastics|SA and our partners in this project will be sponsoring 250 000 bright yellow refuse bags which will be donated for clean-up projects around South Africa,” Steyn says. Highlights of this week will once again be National Recycling Day on Friday, 18 September and the annual International Coastal Clean-Up Day on Saturday, 19 September.

 

Concludes Steyn: “The local plastics industry has set itself an aspirational vision of Zero Plastics to Landfill by 2030. Mother Nature supplies us with the food we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. If our environment isn’t clean and healthy, neither are we. We therefor urge all South Africans to clean-up and recycle the environment in order to give future generations a hope for a sustainable future”.

 

For more information on clean-up initiatives, drop off sites, the competition or hints and tips on how to recycle, visit the following websites: www.plasticsinfo.co.za; www.cleanup-sa.co.za ; www.recyclingday-sa.co.za ; www.mywaste.co.za .

 

Clean-Up and Recycle “Selfie-Competition”:

1. Take a “selfie” of yourself and your friends cleaning up and recycling in your environment.
2. Upload or post the picture, a caption and #CleanUp #Recycle on the Plastics|SA Facebook page (www.facebook.com/plasticssa ) and get your friends to like and share your pic.
3. Plastics|SA will announce weekly finalists in the run-up to the final week of September, when we will announce the winners of the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime Smartphone.
4. Visit www.plasticsinfo.co.za for more information, competition rules and T&Cs.