How to make something cool out of nothing at all

Children and their parents learn how to see waste as a useful resource, rather than plain trash

AIDEN Heerden, 8, was thrilled to show off his Rain Robot at an Environmental Fun Day hosted by the Waste Group in Bon Accord, Pretoria North.

He explained his invention captured rainwater and filtered it so it could be used to water plants.

The Rain Robot comprises a bottle fitted with a filter.

Aiden enjoyed making his design out of waste material, and confidentially said he was sure his was the best idea of the day – and he hoped he’d won a prize.

“I simply love taking care of plants so when this idea just came to mind it was nothing bizarre.

“I think with a little tweaking it can become a bigger invention,” the youngster said.

The Waste Group, a waste management company, organised the event to celebrate the end of Sustainability Week hosted by the capital city, and attended by experts in the field.

Parents and their children participated in the fun day and paid the entrance fee by donating a bag of recyclables. Whoever made the best recyclable artwork stood the chance of winning prizes.

Chief executive Dirk van Niekerk said children should understand from a young age the value of recycling and take this lesson home with them.

The participants could be creative with recyclables or even start a small business and make some money out of recycling.

The event took place at Bon Accord, so children and their parents could see a landfill, and learn more about waste management.

“What we’re trying to do in Tshwane is to involve schools in experiencing waste and recycling,” said Van Niekerk.

This time the idea was for pupils to bring a bag of recyclables as their entrance fee, and if parents wanted to attend, they also had to present a bag.

“Then they had to make something out of recyclables and present it to the judges and win prizes.”

Another fun way children at the event learnt about waste management was when recyclables were put on a table in their different commodities to make them understand the various types of products that can be recycled, such as glass, paper or steel.

Van Niekerk and the company wanted to see a future where the school curriculum included recycling as a subject.

“There is no formal education on recycling at school level, so we would like to start with our children as part of our social contribution to our community,” Van Niekerk said.

“The public should start to think differently about what they throw out, and see it as a commodity, not something that ends up on a dump site. Most household waste can be reused or recycled and yet in South Africa we do not sort but simply throw it away.”

Marking the end of World Environment Week, Van Niekerk said: “What we have found out over the years is that a traditional dump site or landfill site is old fashioned.

“We need to change our thinking so waste becomes a resource instead of a problem for communities. The mentality must change.”