A Bellville high school is getting specialised recycling bins in a pilot project to stop waste reaching landfills.
The Bellville Zero campaign is being run by the Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) and recycling company Waste-ED to turn the suburb into a “zero-waste” area, by either recycling waste or turning what it can into compost.
As part of the project, DF Malan High School will be separating plastic, glass, metal, paper and biodegradable waste – that’s where the bins come in.
“We are working towards a system where none of our waste ends up in landfills,” said GTP chief executive, Warren Hewitt.
“We will begin by donating the bins to DF Malan, and hopefully within a year, that school can claim to be a zero-waste school, and then we will be looking to do the same at a school in a smaller community. We are thinking about perhaps a school in Bellville South.”
Waste-ED’s Candice Mostert said 20 stations around the school would each have five bins.
“The bins will be for compost, glass and metal, paper and cardboard, hard plastic and waste to be used for the construction of eco-bricks.”
Ms Mostert said the school had been sending 65% of waste to landfills.
“After the workshops, we then worked our way to better the school’s landfill waste,” she said.
The school had also researched various recycling companies in the area.
“Now the school can even make a profit from their recycled waste. They were able to locate a company that converts their old cooking oil into diesel, so that is more profit that the school has made from their recycing initiatives,” said Ms Mostert.
The recycling bins are due to arrive in mid-May.