SAVING OUR ENVIRONMENT BY TRASH TO CASH

Selebi-Phikwe Town Council is mandated to provide environmental Health Services through the department of Environmental Health within Council. Removal of waste from residential places and public areas is being done by Council. Private companies collect waste from their own premises and this ends up in the landfill. There are people within the community who harvest waste materials such as plastics, papers, car tyres, cans and metal scraps. These collect them from the landfill and at source. Currently there are several running projects on â € œRecycling of Wasteâ € .

These projects are found to be a good practice because they are cross cutting issue to social issues. There three groups recycling different types of waste in town. These groups include people with low income, people living with HIV and single headed families. The groups recycle and sell their products locally, nationally and internationally. Women collect cans from landfill and sell them to a company called Collect a Can which later recycles them. The project is also linked to health issues because dirt can result in diseases like Malaria and Cholera. â € œRecycling Wasteâ €  projects have increased in town and these project influences clean environments in households as well.
The recycled materials are used to make the following items for cash:

Tyres collected from landfill and illegal dumps which a later used to makes usable goods like flower pots, chairs and swing seats.

Used papers collected at source then reused for making trays and ornaments

Women collect used plastics and reuse them to make bags, shoes and mats

Waste management and waste control is on a process to re use smoke from BCL mine to make sulphuric acid.

Converting waste to such valuable products does not only create employment to the people but it also make the Town to be litter free. Recycling waste reduce the amount of waste that is taken to Landfill.