Your hot shower or bath uses 15-30% of your household’s total energy, second only to the heating and cooling of air. https://theconversation.com/if-our-hot-water-heaters-ran-off-daytime-solar-we-would-slash-emissions-and-soak-up-cheap-energy-242705
Author Archives: EcoImpact
The Environment Agency (EA) is appealing for information following a series of incidents involving the dumping of trailers packed with shredded or baled waste, which it suspects could be linked to an organised crime group. https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/environment-agency-investigates-crime-links-to-waste-trailers/
Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, Mr Sello Seitlholo, says the state of municipalities’ Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) has contributed hugely on the widespread pollution of the water courses in Gauteng province. He was addressing the representatives of Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane, Johannesburg metros and Mogale City at Centurion Lake Hotel, in Tshwane on 11 November 2024.https://infrastructurenews.co.za/2024/11/12/gautengs-wastewater-treatment-plants-are-the-main-polluters-of-the-provinces-water-courses-says-deputy-minister-seitlholo/
Plastics SA has recently released the country’s latest polymer production and recycling figures for the year ending December 2023, showcasing a positive upward trend in PVC recycling across the country. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/south-africas-pvc-recycling-reaches-new-heights-in-2023-16-recycling-rate-achieved-2024-11-11
THE City of Cape Town is taking significant strides in plastics recycling through the establishment of its materials recovery facilities (MRFs), and initiatives aimed at reducing plastic waste and promoting a circular economy.https://www.cbn.co.za/industry-news/recycling-waste-management/cape-towns-commitment-to-recycling-how-plastic-waste-comes-full-circle/
The Western Cape is home to two global biodiversity hotspots, the Cape Floristic Region and the Succulent Karoo, but biodiversity and ecosystem health is declining across the province with about 102,057 hectares of habitat lost over just five years. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-11-05-state-of-the-environment-report-biodiversity-across-the-western-cape-in-decline/
As technology proliferates today’s society, e-waste has become one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world – and South Africa is no exception. https://it-online.co.za/2024/11/06/vodacom-partners-with-circular-energy-to-reduce-e-waste/
South African government investigate spate of food-borne illnesses, encourages food safety practices
South Africa has recently experienced outbreaks of food-borne illnesses that have led to the tragic death of a number of children and numerous hospitalisations across Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free.https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/government-investigates-food-borne-illnesses-encourages-food-safety-practices-2024-11-05
Plastic packaging and recycling company ALPLA has opened a new 90 000 m2 recycling plant, following an investment of €60-million, in Balito, KwaZulu-Natal. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/alpla-opens-60m-recycling-plant-in-kzn-2024-11-01
Up to 40%* of all landfilled waste takes up unnecessary space, as it is actually both organic and biodegradable. This so-called “organic waste,” which includes food, garden, and agricultural waste, makes up a significant portion of municipal solid https://infrastructurenews.co.za/2024/10/29/how-south-african-municipalities-can-turn-organic-waste-into-a-resource/