The secret world of waste on the Tygerberg Campus
We all throw away waste, but do we know what happens after it lands in the bin? Here on the Tygerberg Campus we have three waste streams: recyclables (in clear plastic bags), non-recyclables (in black bags) and food waste (in green bags). All bags are taken from the bins to four sorting areas on campus.
In 2015, by implementing the three bin system on the campus grounds and in the student residences, the waste sent to landfill sites was reduced to just 20% of the total waste produced on campus and the recyclable waste was increased to around 80% of the total .
1. Green bags:
At the sorting rooms the content of the green bags (food waste) are transferred to the Bokashi bins. The anaerobic Bokashi system uses bran impregnated with microbes to break down the waste into pre-compost. When these Bokashi bins are full, they are emptied into trenches in the compost heap at the back of the sports fields by the landscaping company to finish the composting process.
2. Clear bags:
The content of the clear bags (recyclables) are sorted into the different recyclable groups and picked up by the Wasteplan trucks to be distributed to the different recycling centres. When wet material or food waste end up in these bags, all the recyclable waste is contaminated and unusable. This means it will go to the landfill sites.
3. Black bags:
The content of the black bags (non-recyclables) are also sorted, just in case some recyclables were misplaced. The content is then placed in black wheelie bins that are collected by the municipal waste trucks and taken to the landfill sites. This waste contributes to greenhouse gases and to the excessive amount of waste in our overburdened landfill sites.
The three bin system will be implemented in the faculty buildings in 2017. Contact Ms Christine Groenewald at clgroenewald@sun.ac.za if your department would be keen to participate in this project.
Please help to maintain or even improve our recycling and composting of waste. Are you placing your waste in the correct bin?
THINK BEFORE YOU THROW.
