TREADING LIGHTLY
A Focus on African Earth Rights
African Earth Rights is a communication platform that explores ways to change behaviour around waste, water, food and energy consumption in the South Peninsula. They collaborate with existing change makers and promote education offering solutions with a view to actioning these outcomes.
Ongoing projects include Ecobrick Deep South, a collaboration with Waste-Ed and SUPA (Single-use Plastic Alternatives), to promote ecobricking as an interim measure in reducing non-recyclable plastics waste to landfill. Ecobricking is the practice of stuffing non-recyclable waste into 2 litre plastic cooldrink bottles – such as Coke and Sprite bottles. These well-stuffed bottles can be used as types of building material. Reducing the flow of plastics from the south peninsula benefits the city by reducing landfill costs and creates job opportunities in the recycling and upcycling sectors.
In late 2017, Ecobrick Deep South launched an awareness raising campaign through its “Ecobrick Designer Bench” campaign – the bench will be displayed and raffled off in Longbeach Mall in December 2017. The proceeds from the raffle will go towards covering the cost of the build and towards a new build in Masiphumelele in 2018.
African Earth Rights holds two waste workshops a year to discuss strategies for reducing overall waste flows with key stakeholders. In 2018 it will spearhead a campaign to support the banning of plastic shopping bags in the Longbeach Mall and other outlets on 9 July, to coincide with the international Plastic Free July movement.
African Earth Rights has produced three short videos focused on local changemakers working in the field of waste: Upcycling is the future; Refuse, Reuse, Recycle; and Plastics Flash Mob.
African Earth Rights also holds regular clothes swaps to encourage the active recycling of clothing, instead of disposal into landfill. These popular events act to raise awareness about clothing waste and to encourage the formation of a network of people concerned about environmental issues. Notice of upcoming swaps are posted on the Facebook page. www.facebook.com/AfricanEarthRights
It has started working in the field of food production and waste in the South Peninsula and will be hosting two workshops a year with local growers and those working in the food chain. To date, the organisation has produced two short videos focused on local growers: Einstein’s Eggs and Feed Soil, Not Landfill.
In December 2018, African Earth Rights will launch its Love Local Sustainable South Peninsula lending library. The library will focus on books related to sustainable living and work on an annual membership fee.
For all enquiries and further information please contact
Stefanie Swanepoel 0768522163
Or email stef@africanearthrights.co.za
DID YOU KNOW?
A FACT ABOUT RECYCLING
Not everything in your recycling bag necessarily gets recycled. This is not so much about what the recycling companies can and cannot recycle, but rather the market for recycled materials at any one time. For example, there might be a high demand for a particular kind of plastic and then they will recycle. But if demand drops then they won’t bother, but just send it onto landfill. So some of what we put in the recycling bags will get recycled at some points depending on market demand, and at other times not.