Going green with Pikitup at Joy of Jazz

The festival, taking place on 22-24 August in Newtown, will provide 60,240 litre bins for the duration of the event and recycling stations placed throughout the event. All bins will be clearly marked with stickers; Paper, Glass, Cans and Plastic.

This is not the first event under the waste management company's supervision, but one of many. It has provided services for major events such as the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Both events were a great success. Apart from presenting a clean and hygienic city to Johannesburg's international guests, it got the opportunity to display and refine its strategy by ensuring that the influx of visitors did not have an adverse impact on waste meant for landfill sites.

Promote recycling

Events of this scale often create large amounts of solid waste leading up to, during and post the actual event. This is no different with this event that generates thousands of tons of waste each year. "The company is happy to work with the event as such events are always an ideal forum to promote recycling and to show people that this is a lifestyle wherever you are. We also continue to seek ways of educating people on the economic and environmental benefits of reducing the amount of waste going to landfills by recycling," says Pansy Oyedele, company spokesperson.

"While the company has accepted custodianship of the city's cleanliness, the city's residents also have a vital role to play. Unfortunately, a pervasive mind-set among Joburg citizens tolerates littering and illegal dumping. The negative consequences of this mind-set extend far beyond the visible blight of unhealthy illegal dumps."

It costs the city of Johannesburg (CoJ), R170 million per annum to clean up street littering and illegal dump sites alone - money that could be far better utilised on 7,350 RDP houses, 588 new ambulances or any number of projects that could bring the city up to world-class standards. The company's ongoing 'Project 100 Spots' campaign is not only dedicated to cleaning up illegal dumping sites, but also informing communities about the hazards of illegal dumping, encouraging citizens them to take stewardship of these sites.

Special applications

CoJ has a special application process for big events planned within the city. A variety of issues is taken into account, ie: safety, route access and waste management. A committee comprising of all the relevant departments within the CoJ is responsible for reviewing such applications.

Specific requirements relating to waste management may include separation at source and regular collection of waste during events. The organisers of such events can elect the CoJ to undertake such services or may utilise private contractors, as long as proper waste management best practices are recognised and followed.

"We hope to see more of these 'green events' in the city, as it is all about making better choices; using alternative products; adopting healthier habits; and changing our decisions when planning and attending an event. We encourage people to always reduce, reuse, recycle and most importantly rethink," concludes Oyedele.