A call by President Cyril Ramaposa for a clean and safe environment is receiving attention from the Eastern Cape. The Good Green Deeds programme, which will be launched in East London, is aimed at promoting sustainable waste management practices such as recycling.
Government has called on citizens to work with government to clean up the country and contribute to solving the global and national environmental challenges. #GoodGreenDeeds pic.twitter.com/iJo1Kw5hTt
— SA Gov News (@SAgovnews) March 7, 2019
A factory in Mdantsane is making waste pay by collecting plastic materials for recycling purposes.
The Department of Environmental Affairs on Thursday took members of the media on a tour to showcase one of the Operation Phakisa Chemicals and Waste Economy initiative, in Mdantsane, ahead of the official launch by the President. #GoodGreenDeeds pic.twitter.com/WJIEQkdMUN
— SA Gov News (@SAgovnews) March 7, 2019
Littering, illegal dumping and other forms of pollution all have harmful effects on the environment both on land and at sea. Citizens are encouraged to view waste as something that can be recycled.
CEO of Afro Waste Group, Phumeza Ceshemba from Mdantsane, saw a gap in the market and made collecting plastic her everyday business.
The initiative has created much needed jobs.
“We’ve got lots of contracts, mostly in East London; they convert what we doing, which is pellets, and into oil. There is a huge demand for pellets…One day I would love to be able to produce one of the products. The recycling industry does not end where you do the pellets, if I can be able to produce one product even if it’s a jug.”
WATCH: AfriWaste Plant CEO Phumeza Ceshemba talk about the work that is done at the plant #GoodGreenDeeds pic.twitter.com/HQ6X9trNzZ
— SA Gov News (@SAgovnews) March 7, 2019
Employee of Afro Waste Groups, Nonkosi Nazo, says the job has changed her life financially.
“My life has changed financially because I’m able to support my five year old girl and I’m able to buy things at home and pay for transport.”
The Department of Environment Affairs has pledged to assist towards the growth of the factory.
Surprise Zwane, Technical Unit Manager for chemical and waste at the department, says that they are happy to assist.
“For me, it’s to say ‘how do we assist her to get to the next level and assist her to lead with other big players because waste is quantity?’ Same if you show capacity, we view her as one of the people who are already at runway ready to get to commercial stage.”
President Ramaphosa is expected to officially launch the Good Deeds programme on Friday.
[Watch] Let us all do our part to promote the use of recycling bins and “Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Recovery” of waste to make South Africa a cleaner place to live in. #GoodGreenDeeds https://t.co/iLlxnkDlF2 pic.twitter.com/f5nOsvaPi7
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) March 7, 2019
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