There is a strong movement towards the immediacy of reducing the effects of climate change as so adequately echoed in young Greta Thunberg’s recent UN speech, underpinned by the sentiment - Right Here. Right Now - and as she tackles issues of magnitude in this regard – the question has to be asked, what role does food waste play in the plight against climate change?

September marks Heritage month and as we celebrate culture, diversity and traditions, it’s critical not to forget mother earth. Interwaste has committed to commemorating environmental Zero Emissions (ZeDay) as well as National Clean-up and Recycling Day for the month of September, as we believe that this subtle alignment gives us the opportunity to focus on how we drive and support zero emissions, the role that recycling plays, what these observations mean for our country’s heritage, and the environment as a whole.

Putting excess waste to good (re)use

Cipla Medpro South Africa (Pty) Limited (“Cipla Medpro”), South Africa’s fourth largest pharmaceutical company in the private sector, working through their waste management partner, Interwaste, has donated approximately 10 000 reusable ice packs to sporting fraternities and the local paramedic association in the Cape Town area.

Q1: In your opinion, what is the status quo of the environmental sector in South Africa?

The environmental sector in South Africa is evolving daily and is an extremely exciting industry in which to work.There is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to education and changing mindsets as well as managing the array of environmental issues that affect our country

Today, 22 August 2019, local legislation bans all liquid waste from landfill – signalling a massive shift in South African waste legislation and placing significant importance on the effective management of such waste by waste producers and the waste industry alike. The question is – is South Africa ready to manage this and what is it going to take to do so?

AS PUBLISHED ON SECHE ENVIRONMENT NEWSLETTER

Regulation requires that landfill storage cells be monitored for 30 years after they have been used, as such, the cells from the end of the 20th century will, in the coming years, be confronted with the question of their future. Should we keep them as they are? Or should we / could we reuse the space?

Preoccupied with anticipating this problem and providing long term and responsible solutions, Séché Environnement is investing in a promising solution: landfill mining.

There has been mass production of plastic waste across the globe, driven by the need for food preservation solutions, customer convenience and attractive marketplace packaging. Therefore, we are seeing approximately 8.3 billion metric tons being produced annually. What’s worse however, is that 91% of this waste is not being recycled and, if we continue on this downward spiral, by 2050 there will be over 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfill each year.

Research from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that seven million people die each year from air pollution, where nine out of ten people breathe in polluted air each day. “This is a staggering number and, this World Environment Day, we encourage all South Africans to strongly reflect on the role everyone has to play in this and, more importantly, what proactive steps can be taken to combat air pollution,” says Jason McNeil, CEO at Interwaste.

South Africa is experiencing an energy crisis that requires the public and private sectors, along with households to work together. Fundamental to this is embracing innovative technology that provides more efficient ways of managing the country’s energy.

The exploration of alternative energy sources and projects has been all the ‘buzz’ again, particularly in response to challenges Eskom continues to face and the looming reality of further loadshedding across the country, as we head into the winter months.