Page 22 - Business Sense

The new waste benefication centre is a green building development. An expansion warehouse component forms of the new centre.
WASTE AS A RESOURCE

oth individuals and disposal and to develop a better providing a number of is minimised, and thermal be used to manufacture desks in
businesses generate large understanding of waste as a specialised services. efficiency maximised. a range of applications including
Bamounts of waste: from resource. in schools, offices and canteens.
food and garden waste, to old USE-IT managing director Other green elements include
clothes, furniture and appliances, USE-IT is an award-winning Chris Whyte says, “Waste rain-water harvesting, storm- “We need to identify additional
plastic bags and paper, to Durban based section 21 includes raw materials which water collection systems, energy waste streams and scale these
construction and demolition company which was established manufacturers haven’t used. By efficient hot water systems up to develop sustainable
waste, manufacturing and in June 2009 to identify waste encouraging reuse, recycling and and the construction of an businesses. Through each
industrial waste, sludge, … the beneficiation opportunities in resource recovery in businesses, engineered wetland or bioswale incubation recycling project
list continues. Much of this waste the eThekwini Municipal area. we can reduce the amount of on site all have positive effects four to five new jobs are created
goes to landfill sites or when not An overriding goal of the waste that ends up in landfill. In on the environment. Funding as well as numerous indirect
handled correctly pollutes the non-profit organisation is to addition, reducing a business’s for the centre was secured from and informal jobs which have
environment. There is a need help divert waste from landfill waste can save money, and the Green Fund. an enormous impact on wealth
to challenge people’s mindsets sites and to create employment benefit the environment. Any The Centre comprises offices, creation,” commented Dube.
to change their traditional in the green economy through waste material can then be a meeting area, a training area The Centre will create organic
methods of dealing with waste collected, and people upskilled
to take advantage of these and a retail area to showcase farming applications on the lower
resources through utilising waste and sell the products to be portion of the site that will result
beneficiation technologies.” manufactured at the site. A key in local vegetable production but
component is the 10 incubators also address local food security.
Further to this process, waste which have been established to A nursery for indigenous plants
collection and skills training can accommodate community-type is planned on the site to grow
be funded through enterprise projects in waste beneficiation, and supply commercial markets
development funds or through waste to art and up-cycling with maintained and serviced
CSI funds to gain BBBEE points. production areas. planters that will promote our
natural species, whilst educating
In order to ensure a practical Dube said, “This centre local schools on the value of
uptake on recycling opportunities, will play an important role indigenous plants as a resource.
USE-IT has constructed a in providing the opportunity
waste beneficiation centre in for recycling projects to have A tenant for the expansive
Hammarsdale and partnered application in the real world. warehouse component is also
with Impilo Yesibili (Pty) Ltd as Throughout the value chain required.
the commercial implementing the waste stream has the
agent. Impilo Yesibili manager potential to create sustainable “There needs to be a paradigm
Thabiso Dube says, “This project is jobs for entrepreneurs shift in how we look at the
extremely exciting and is a first for and their employees.” Of environment,” says Whyte.
the African continent.” note, the Centre has been “There is a lack of understanding
developed in consultation with about the value of waste. A
The new centre is a green Hammarsdale community better understanding of the
building development, which members as part of developing importance of recycling needs
has been constructed using the local township economy. to be developed and this can be
Compressed Earth Blocks as achieved through partnerships
the main building material. The initial project focus will be between government, business,
USE-IT has developed a means on using recycled wood pallets industry and social responsibility
to compress waste soils and and other waste wood that could championed by NPOs.” n
construction rubble to create
blocks for building green,
sustainable housing.
USE-IT has incorporated
as many natural resources as
possible in their construction
and through using natural light
and feature walls with glass
bottles the reliance on energy
Thabiso Dube and Tim Bettany

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