Toby recycling advertisements

Have you seen the Toby-advertisements we place in the newspapers each month? If not, you can see them here.

Earth hour

Earth Hour 2009 is a global initiative by the World Wide Fund for Nature which acts as a worldwide call to action to every individual, business and community to take a stand against Climate Change. More information on the Earth hour website.

Footprint calculator

Worried about your impact on the environment? The way we use the planet’s resources makes up our ecological footprint. Measuring yours takes less than 5 minutes and could set you on a life-changing journey… Calculate your ecological footprint on the WWF website.

News and information for recyclers and waste management practitioners in the UK

Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is a Government Department in the UK.

The overarching challenge for Defra is to secure a healthy environment in which we and future generations can prosper.

As we build a low carbon, resource efficient economy, Defra helps people to adapt to changes, deals with environmental risks and makes the most of the opportunity we now have to secure a sustainable society and a healthy environment. This will help see us through the difficult economic times, volatile food and energy prices and a changing climate which all make us more aware that we can’t take our environment for granted.

Visit the Defra website

Electronic Waste Guide , South Africa

e-Waste for short – or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) – is the term used to describe old, end-of-life or discarded appliances using electricity.

It includes computers, consumer electronics, fridges etc which have been disposed of by their original users.

On this website – the e-Waste Guide – “e-waste” is used as a generic term embracing all types of waste containing electrically powered components. e-Waste contains both valuable materials as well as hazardous materials which require special handling and recycling methods.

This guide covers all categories of e-waste but emphasizes categories which contain problematic, scarce and valuable or otherwise interesting materials.

Examples: Computers, LCD / CRT screens, cooling appliances, mobile phones, etc., contain precious metals, flame retarded plastics, CFC foams and many other substances.

Visit the e-Waste guide website

City of Vancouver, Canada – Solid Waste and Recycling Initiatives

Official Vancouver website for recycling and garbage collecting.

Visit the Vancouver website

Overstrand Municipality (Hermanus) – Recycling Initiatives

The objective of the Overstrand Solid Waste Department is to provide all residents, businesses and visitors in the region with a high quality, yet affordable waste management service which is equitable for all and promotes the principals of integrated waste management, waste minimization and environmental responsibility.

Visit the Overstrand Waste Management website

Scotland (Waste Aware) – Solid Waste and Recycling Initiatives

Waste Aware Scotland provides you with helpful advice on how and why to reduce, reuse and recycle your household waste.

Visit the Waste Aware Scotland website

Region of Peel (Toronto), Canada – Solid Waste and Recycling Initiatives

Official Region of Peel website for recycling and garbage collecting.

Visit the Region of Peel website

Private Waste Solution Specialists in UK

easyWaste provide you with different answers and solutions that will save you considerable revenue on an ongoing basis. The equipment required to provide this effective solution will be supplied free within our facility management packages and the benefit to your company will be substantial.

Visit the easyWaste website

Paper and Cardboard Recycling in South Africa

Paper pick-up is a paper recycling company in South Africa.

Visit the Mondi Paper pick-up website

The National Recycling Forum of South Africa

The National Recycling Forum (NRF) is a non-profit organisation created to promote the recovery and recycling of recyclable materials in South Africa.

Visit the National Recycling forum

Cape Town City Council, Solid Waste Departments – Waste Crisis

In 2002/03, residents, visitors and businesses in Cape Town generated 2.3 million tons of waste – that’s almost 2 kg per person a day on average. Waste generation is growing at
almost 7% per annum – faster than our city’s population growth rate of 1.7%! Three of the City’s landfill sites are already closed and the remaining three are filling up fast.

Since the adoption of the City’s Integrated Waste Management (IWM) policy in May 2006, the Solid Waste Management Department now concentrates on preventing pollution and waste at source, instead of focusing on treating and disposing of waste once it has been generated (known as ‘end-of-pipe’ waste management).

Visit the official Cape Town Solid Waste department website

Waste Bill and the effect on the IT Industry

The ICT industry has paid little attention to the Waste Management Bill, due to be gazetted later this year. However, its current form promises to have a far-reaching impact on ICT players and users.

The Bill was tabled for general comment by environmental affairs and tourism minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk, on 12 January, allowing 90 days for interested parties to respond.

Read the full article on ITweb

Environmental news South Africa

A waste Bill, due to come into force over the next few weeks, will overhaul the way companies manage their waste, imposing heavy penalties on dirty businesses that contaminate land or dump waste illegally, notes the Financial Mail. Anyone found contravening the Act will face up to 15 years in prison or a R10m fine. It will also extend manufacturers’ financial responsibility for their products, even if they have been consumed. ‘The Bill captures the concept of a duty of care from cradle to grave,’ says Joanne Yawitch, deputy DG at the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. The private sector will now have to assume greater costs to keep the environment clean – or risk additional regulation, she adds. ‘Ideally we want industries to regulate themselves,’ says Yawitch. ‘But if necessary we can put in place waste quotas.’ Government is allocating more than R1.4bn over the next 10 years to cover the costs (mostly administrative) of implementing the Bill.

Read the full forum article

David Suzuki Foundation

Since 1990, the David Suzuki Foundation has worked to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us. Focusing on four program areas – oceans and sustainable fishing, climate change and clean energy, sustainability, and the Nature Challenge – the Foundation uses science and education to promote solutions that conserve nature and help achieve sustainability within a generation.

Visit the David Suzuki Foundation website