Recycling Pilot Project success gives hope for the future
Published: February 07, 2022<< BACK TO NEWS
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality's Mayoral Committee Member for Public Health, Councillor Thsonono Buyeye, has called on the residents of the City to support the City’s efforts to divert waste away from landfill sites.
This call was made following the success of a recycling pilot project called the 'Separation At Source' Pilot Project that was launched last year. The project was launched to promote a culture of recycling and make residents aware that the City could run out of landfill space in the near future if we do not adopt a culture of minimising the waste disposed at landfill sites.
According to the National Environmental Waste Act, South African cities must work hard to inculcate a culture of re-use, recycle and recovery to alleviate pressure from landfill sites. This culture talks to households (waste producers) separating their waste from their homes for the purpose of re-use and recycling. By doing this, the amount of waste that ends up at our landfill sites decreases, extending the lifespan of our landfill sites and inculcating a culture of sustainable livelihoods.
Another reason for the launch of the 'Separation at Source' Pilot Project was to establish the volume of recyclables in NMB and to test ways in order to find the most cost-effective way to achieve our targets.
"The project, has given us the satisfaction of knowing that the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay are buying into this noble idea. We are excited about the progress that has been made so far in this pilot project. Preparation work has already started to take this project to other wards across the City,” said MMC Buyeye.
"We must commend all stakeholders, especially the participants for how they have come together to make this pilot a success,” he added.
The project commenced on 1 October 2021 in Ward 9, which covers the Westering and Linton Grange areas, with just a handful of households participating. However, the number of participants has since grown to 393, and the Municipality collects on average 330 bags of recyclable materials on a weekly basis, totalling 4 374 kg of recyclable waste for the first two months, October and November.
Residents of Ward 9 who want to be part of the project can visit their Ward Councillor’s office, where they will be required to complete a registration form. They can also register on the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality's website at www.nelsonmandelabay.gov.za.
Issued by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Communications Office.
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