 |
Frequently Asked Questions about
Waste |
Q: What exactly do we mean by waste?
A: "Waste" is any material that gets thrown
away because we consider it to be useless.
The used paper, plastic bags, tyres, bottles and cans
that end up in landfills or on our streets are all examples
of waste.
Traditionally, waste has been defined simply as useless
"stuff" to get rid of:
- waste
material or food, useless remains, refuse, scraps,
shreds (The Oxford
English Dictionary)
- useless
or worthless material; stuff to be thrown away (The
World Book
Dictionary)
These definitions do not recognize the value of waste
as a potential resource i.e. a product that could still
have a useful function. More up-to-date definitions stress
that waste is: a potential resource that has not been
safely recycled back into the environment or the marketplace.
Q: What's so bad about waste?
A: Waste is a human product: it doesn't exist in natural
systems. In nature, the output (waste) from one organism
becomes the input (resource) of another. Most of our
waste is a potential resource too, but we are producing
so much output at such a rapid rate that natural systems
are becoming overwhelmed and degraded. When waste is
not safely recycled, it can have long-term harmful effects
on people, the environment and the economy.
Learn More: Why Waste Matters
Q: Does Cape Town have a waste problem?
A: Yes, a serious one! Our waste problem is two-fold:
- We are running out of space
for legally disposed waste i.e. waste that is collected
and put into landfills.
- We are wasting millions of
rands on trying to clean up illegally disposed waste
(littering and illegal dumping).
Learn More: WasteWise
Campaign
 
Q: But even if waste is a problem
for Cape Town, isn't it one of many? With all the other
urgent issues facing us, why should we be worried about
waste?
A: Waste is closely linked to many of our most serious
socio-economic concerns. Improper waste disposal causes
environmental degradation, health hazards and urban decay;
weakens the economy by putting off tourists and foreign
investors; and robs people of jobs and housing. The money
wasted on cleaning up should be going towards solving
other problems.
Learn More: Why Waste
Matters
Q: Doesn't waste disposal create
jobs?
A: Only to a very limited extent. Recycling and reusing
waste can create far more, and money the city would
save by reducing waste could be used to create jobs
in other sectors.
Learn More: Waste
and the economy.
Q: What about incinerating
waste?
A: Waste incineration is to be avoided, because burning
wastes gives off toxic gases into the atmosphere.
Q: So if we can't bury it
or burn it, what can we do about waste?
A: We can reduce the amount of waste we have to manage
by practising the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:
Reduce =
cut down on waste generation by consuming less.
Reuse =
reuse items before discarding them.
Recycle =
get waste recycled into suitable forms for reuse.
Learn More: Learn
Your 3Rs
We can also fight illegal waste
disposal through educating ourselves and others, reporting
illegal dumpers, and picking up litter.
IF EACH PERSON IN CAPE TOWN
PICKED UP ONE PIECE OF LITTER TOMORROW, WE COULD RID
THE CITY OF 3 MILLION LITTER ITEMS!
Q: How do I find out where
to take my waste for recycling?
A: : Contact The Fairest Cape (Tel: 021 462 2060) to
find out about recycling options in your area.
Q: How do I report littering
and illegal dumping?
A: Call (021) 424 7715
|
