UWC lauds Good Green Deeds initiative
AS AFRICA’S Greenest Campus, UWC welcomed the launch of South Africa’s Good Green Deeds Programme (GGD), a groundbreaking environmental awareness campaign to promote environmentally-conscious practice.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s launch of the national Good Green Deeds programme on Friday will promote sustainable waste management and environmental awareness – two things that UWC holds in high regard.
“Urban waste management is one of the major challenges facing cities – particularly in developed countries,” said UWC’s Professor Catherina Schenck, who holds the DST-NRF SARChI chair in Waste and Society.
“This is a threat to human health, the environment and the well-being of urban residents – and to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This national call-to-action has the potential to enact real and muchneeded change.”
The focus of the GGD programme will be on promoting sustainable waste management practices, such as recycling, and on galvanising society to change their behaviour around waste, pollution and the environment.
“The Constitution guarantees the right of all South Africans to an environment that is not harmful to their health and well-being. Littering, illegal dumping, pollution and other harmful activities have ill-effects on the natural environment as well as the quality of life and health of communities,” said the Presidency.
In South Africa, 54 425 tonnes of waste are generated every day – of which only 10% is recycled and the remainder goes to landfills or illegal dump sites. Nearly 40% of the waste is dumped illegally and/or burned, and this has major implications for health, environmental degradation, and the well-being of people.
“Waste generation is a human activity, but people tend to distance themselves from waste by their actions and interactions. People tend to see waste management as a technical operation, but it is a socio-economic issue. As people generate waste, their health is affected by the waste – and they can create livelihoods around waste and recycling,” said Schenck.
Diverting waste from landfills will promote environmental health, and social, economic and environmental opportunities, including job creation and enterprise development.
UWC is also leading efforts to deal with the direct consequences of waste.
Professor Leslie Petrik of UWC’s Department of Chemistry is leading research to prove that fly ash, the residue from burning coal at power stations, can provide a cost-effective alternative to cement.
“This is the single largest form of waste being generated in South Africa. Every year, 36 million tonnes of fly ash is produced by burning coal for power, and most of this goes to designated waste-disposal sites.”
UWC is the chair for Higher Education Campus Sustainability, and has thrice been elected national Green Campus of the Year by the Association of College and University Housing Officers International, Southern Africa Chapter.
Its Green Campus Initiative chapter consists of more than 2 000 student volunteers who participate in campus clean-ups, create vegetable and indigenous gardens at residences, participate in formal green talks and debates, and host green awareness-raising activities.
“Going green means making greening part of our daily lives. It’s not just about special green projects and academic research and special technologies. It’s about the way we eat, the way we travel, the way we shop and live. Adopting a green lifestyle means thinking of the future – and that’s something we could all benefit from,” said UWC Green Campus initiative leader Njabulo Maphumulo.
UWC will host the eighth Green Campuses Conference from June 30 to July 4, themed “Enhancing Green Campuses Innovation in Southern Africa” and focusing on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.