On 22 April people around the globe celebrated Earth Day, calling for better global ecological awareness. Ahead of this year’s event, Western Cape MEC for environmental affairs and development planning Anton Bredell called on South Africans to do even more to save the environment.

“Climate change and global warming are the result of the planet’s ever-increasing population and industrial growth, which ultimately increases waste production. Lots of people are already striving to do their part, but we must all do even more,” he said.

“We need to shift our thinking and habits to reduce, reuse, and recycle as far as possible, or else our inaction will result in further endangering species and degrading our natural habitat,” Bredell said.

Bredell went on to laud the waste management sector as a growing industry that will not only help change the way people live, but contribute to the economy through job creation.

“We will certainly, from a provincial government side, do our part to support the development of this industry,” he said.