World Environmental Education Day is observed annually to highlight the link between a clean, healthy environment and human well-being. The day encourages education, community action and personal reflection on how our everyday habits impact the environment.
The City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management Directorate is contributing to this effort by educating young people and encouraging active citizenship through guided educational visits to the Kraaifontein Integrated Waste Management Facility. Waste collected via the City’s Think Twice recycling programme is sorted at this facility, the first of its kind in South Africa, for resale to industry.
The Kraaifontein Integrated Waste Management Facility (IWMF) tour provides a holistic, practical experience. Visitors directly observe the sorting and separation processes at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and witness waste transfer operations at the Refuse Transfer Station (RTS), a critical mid-way point before material is transported to landfill.
With the huge volume of waste that enters the facility and the sheer scale of operations, it is the perfect location to inspire visitors to get involved in recycling and waste minimisation. It shows that recycling at a large scale is possible in our country, and it is worth making the effort to participate in recycling programmes and systems. Seeing the mountains of waste being sorted and processed also encourages visitors to think much more carefully about how they shop and consume in order to reduce associated waste.
‘Learners are encouraged to see the mountains of recyclable waste generated by all of us in the city and to reconsider how much we buy, where we can cut down and how we can reuse more mindfully to reduce waste,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Grant Twigg.
The tour includes a discussion about our comprehensive drop-off area, which accepts a wide range of materials including motor oil, clean builder’s rubble, paper, cardboard, cans, metals, bottle glass, plastics, polystyrene, e-waste and hazardous household waste. This segment demonstrates the dedicated sorting and storage protocols for these diverse waste streams.
Furthermore, the tour provides practical insights into our garden waste chipping facility for composting and our buy-back centre for purchasing reusable items.
Groups interested in arranging a tour of the facility can contact the City at wastewise@capetown.gov.za. Please keep in mind that tours are dependent on capacity and will be approved on a first-come first-served basis.
Why is recycling important for environmental health
• Prevents waste and plastics from entering rivers, wetlands and marine environments where they can leach harmful chemicals into the environment.
• Conserves natural ecosystems by encouraging recycling and reuse instead of raw material extraction
• Lengthens the lifespan of existing landfills and reduces the need for future landfills.
‘We encourage residents to take the World Environmental Education Day message beyond today and implement small, practical changes that reduce waste in our city. Whether it’s composting food scraps, donating unwanted clothing, or choosing products with less packaging, everyone can play a role,’ said Alderman Twigg.
Participate in recycling
Residents can check if they fall within an area that benefits from the think twice recycling collection service on the City’s map viewer. To view Think Twice Recycling Collection Beats, use the layer list and tick the relevant box, located under Basic Services and Infrastructure, Solid Waste Management.
If the Think Twice programme is not available in your area yet, consider recycling through:
• Private service providers: City’s waste recyclers map or
• Taking recyclables to City drop-offs
