Two recent tours of the Kraaifontein Waste Management facility, one with the Grade 6 learners at Kasselsvlei Primary School and another with a group of participants from the Western Cape Government Year Beyond Programme, have inspired the youth to be more conscious of the waste they produce and how to manage it.
The Kraaifontein Integrated Waste Management facility is the first of its kind in South Africa, according to Grant Twigg, Cape Town Mayco member for urban waste management.
“It is the benchmark in our country for an integrated waste-management facility, where waste is segregated, transferred, sorted, treated, recovered and disposed of in an integrated manner, with an emphasis on minimising waste that goes to landfill and maximising resource efficiency. Thousands of tons of waste are processed at this facility daily.
“Huge volumes of waste enter the facility with a sheer scale of waste minimisation that takes place there.
“It is the perfect facility to inspire our youth to get involved in recycling and waste minimisation,” said Twigg.
“It shows that waste minimisation at a huge scale is possible, and it is worth making the effort to participate in waste minimisation programmes and systems.
“Seeing the mountains of waste that are being sorted and processed also encourages visitors to think much more carefully about how they shop and consume to reduce this waste.”
The first group comprised participants from the Western Cape Government Year Beyond Programme, also known as “Yeboneers”.
This programme aims to provide meaningful work experience to youth while encouraging a culture of service to communities.
Twigg said he hoped the tour motivated the youth to increase their efforts to recycle and take the recycling message to their communities.
