How you can do your bit to help conserve our beautiful environment
Small actions add up to big effects, and we can all make a contribution to saving our natural world from increasing degradation.
When we read or hear about the scale and effects of on-going environmental pollution, many of us feel completely overwhelmed – or even completely helpless.
The truth of the matter, however, is that our individual and collective actions can have a tremendous impact on conservation efforts.
In a nutshell, always remember the “5 Rs” – Recycle, reduce, reuse, refuse and remove.
Remove
The last on the list, remove, is actually a really great place to start. Don’t litter, don’t let other people litter (“Excuse me, please pick up your rubbish and take it with you”), and join in on or even create clean-up initiatives.
Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of a few mornings’ worth of clean-up activities.
To cite an example, in 2018, about 35 members of the Fourways community volunteered their time to clean up part of Jukskei River. By the end of the day, the volunteers had collected about 50 bags of litter.
That’s not nothing.
Recycle
Unfortunately, South Africa is ranked the 11th worst country for the mismanagement of plastic waste. This means that even when we do throw plastic away in the appropriate places, a significant portion of it finds its way into the environment.
This is one reason why we have to recycle.
Recycling is hardly a silver bullet cure-all, but it helps. Separate your rubbish at home into three sections – plastic, paper and glass.
If you have a shopping centre or supermarket nearby, there’s a good chance they’ll have large recycling bins.
In certain areas there may also be a company that collects your separated waste on a regular basis – for free.
Don’t forget to support or create recycling initiatives at the office, too.
Reduce
The burning of fossil fuels is a major contributor to the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.
One of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to save electricity at home. A primary line of attack here relates to your geyser(s).
A solution multitudes of people have already opted for is a solar geyser system.
In sunny South Africa, a household could quite easily go through an entire summer without having to use electricity to heat up kitchen and bathroom water.
In winter months, when we have less sunlight, some electricity will most likely be needed – but far less than an element geyser.
If a solar geyser isn’t a realistic option for the moment, put your current electrical geyser on a timer, consider using a geyser insulation blanket, cover exposed hot water pipes with pipe insulation, and turn the temperature setting (thermostat) down – water doesn’t need to be piping hot for most applications.
In terms of behavioural changes, simply be mindful of your hot water use and reduce waste wherever possible.
Don’t take long showers, don’t overfill baths, don’t let water run when washing dishes, don’t use hot water for laundry unless necessary, etc.
Refuse and reuse
Did you know that the average use-lifespan of a plastic bag is about 15 minutes?
To put this into perspective, by 2012, we South Africans were already using somewhere in the region of 8 billion plastic carry bags per year. 96% of these weren’t recycled.
Reuse everything you can, and always refuse what you can’t reuse.
Last word
A few last things should also be mentioned: travel locally, and support SA’s national parks and private reserves. This gives nature conservation a monetary incentive.
And, of course, volunteer and donate if and when you can – there are a host of organisations out there who’d put your hard earned rands and cents to great use.
