Clean–Up and Recycle Week SA activities 14 - 19 September 2020

Introduction and background

Clean-up and Recycle SA Week is an annual initiative by the local plastics industry, supported and endorsed by the various packaging and retail streams and retailers. Each year, close to 120 000 volunteers participate in these clean-up activities that take place along roadsides, rivers, schools, residential and illegal dumping areas. The initiative is supported by Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), Provincial governments, Local municipalities, Environmental organisations, Businesses, Schools and Communities with the intention to promote and unite the world’s approach towards clean-up campaigns initiatives.

DEFF has been celebrating the Clean-up and Recycle Week SA through awareness raising activations to encourage the communities to know the benefits of keeping their environment cleanand diverting their waste away from the landfill sites through innovative means either through reduction, reuse, repurpose, recycle or upcycle of their waste materials.

Objecives of the SA Clean-Up and Recycle Week

The Clean-up and Recycle Week SA’s objectives are clearly aligned with those of the Good Green Deeds (GGD) Programme as it seeks to highlight the importance of active citizenry in the protection and management of natural resources and pollution in the neighbourhoods they live in, rivers, the oceans and the role they play in the life of all South Africans.

During the launch of the GGD, the president made a call to all citizens to start taking pride in their neighbourhoods and open spaces making the initiative an active platform for the citizens to lend a hand in responsible environmental protection, management and beneficiation. In that manner, the department gets to continue with awareness raising through different activities and mediums as it seeks to assist municipalities to accelerate its work on education and awareness raising thereby empowering communities to take charge of their spaces and identify opportunities for work and business in the environment sector.

Theme and message

Spring time is clean-up time. This is the ideal time to turn attention and efforts to cleaning up our environment. Every piece of plastic that is carelessly discarded, eventually makes its way down rivers and streams to our oceans. As the weather warms up, head outdoor and make a difference where you live, work or play. Even the smallest action makes a difference. "Keep our country clean. Throw trash in the bin".

DEFF celebration of SA Clean-Up and Recycle Week

In light of that, the DEFF in partnership with various stakeholders such as PlasticsSA will be embarking on various activities from 14th to 19th of September to encourage communities to keep their environment clean, separate their waste at source whilst diverting the waste from landfill. In showcasing such, the DEFF has identified a couple of activities to celebrate the Clean-up and Recycle SA week. Activities are as follows:

Minister Creecy hosts Circular Economy Dialogue Webinar

Date: Monday, 14 September 2020
Time: 09:00 – 13:00

The department organised the dialogue in order to provide all stakeholders from government, civil society organisations, businesses, academia and other stakeholders an opportunity to deliberate on circular economy implementation in South Africa and in Africa.

The webinar will bring together government and the private sector to deliberate on South Africa’s approach to sustainable, inclusive economic growth and development in the waste sector while reducing the social and environmental impacts of waste.

The dialogue is arranged as part of the SA Recycling Week activities aimed at raising awareness to consumers and businesses on environment and climate impact of waste, promoting clean and sustainable waste management practices that minimize environmental impacts by adopting and transitioning to new innovative means that assist in reduction, reuse, repurpose, recycle or upcycle of waste material

With the theme “Advancing Circularity and Sustainable Consumption”, the dialogue is intended to provide stakeholders an opportunity for a discussion on diversion of waste from going to the landfill sites, through innovative means such as reduction, reuse, repurpose, recycle or upcycle of their waste materials.

National Recycling Week event in partnership with Pickit-Up.

Date:       Friday, 18 September 2020
Venue:    Linbro Park Landfill Site
Time:      08:00 – 10:30

The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Barbara Creecy and the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Cllr Geoff Makhubo will convene a certificate-awarding ceremony to six co-operatives whose recycling efforts are preserving and protecting the environment. The award ceremony is undertaken during a significant week in South Africa’s Recycling Calendar, the South African National Recycling Week (14 to 19 September) and to acknowledge six co-operatives that are championing the separation (of waste) at source programme and are also assisting the City of Johannesburg and Pikitup to divert waste away from landfill sites.

Minister Creecy leads International Coastal Clean-Up Day (ICCD) activities in Amanzimtoti, Durban.

Date:       Saturday, 19 September 2020
Venue:    Durban, Amanzimtoti
Time:      09:00 – 14:00

International Coastal Clean-Up Day is one of the highlights of SA Clean-Up and Recycle Week. ICCD will take place on Saturday, 19 September 2020. The clean-up will be hosted in partnership with Plastics SA, Coca-Cola Beverage and KwaZulu-Natal Marine Network. The ICCD takes place every year on the third Saturday of September. South Africa has participated in the ICCD, which is the world’s largest volunteer clean-up event of its kind, which enables scientists to gather valuable data on the extent of marine pollution, since 1986.

As part of the ICCD and National Recycling Week activities, Minister Creecy will also launch the Inkwazi Isu Project. Inkwazi Isu Project is a collaboration between various stakeholders aiming to holistically address the pollution problem in the area including the coastline and between the Ezimbokodweni River and Little Amanzimtoti River with the focus being on the Amanzimtoti River and close-by surroundings.

Deputy Minister Makhotso Sotyu joins His Royal Highness Vho-Thovhele Nesengani at the clean-up campaign in Vuwani, Limpopo.

Date: Friday, 18 September 2020
Venue: Nesengani Royal House, Vuwani, Vhembe District Municipality
Time: 09:00

Deputy Minister Sotyu was invited by His Royal Highness Vho-Thovhele Nesengani to participate at this clean-up campaign initiated by the Nesengani Traditional Council. In response to this invitation the deputy minister will hand over six (6) skip bins to be placed at different areas in Vuwani. The Vuwani Environment Clean-up campaign coincides with the National Clean-up and Recycle SA Week. “The aim of this week is to increase an awareness of the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling. During this time, we encourage communities, schools and businesses to clean-up the areas where they work, live and play by collecting the litter and ensuring that it gets recycled,” said Deputy Minister Sotyu.

Schedule of nationwide clean-up activities

Since the SA Clcean-Up and Recycle Week seeks to highlight the importance of active citizenry in the protection and management of natural resources and pollution in the neighbourhoods they live in, rivers, the oceans and the role they play in the life of all South Africans. There are more communitity activities tking palce nationwide that the department may not be directly engaged in. Those are actvities led by Clean-Up and Recycle South Africa. Click the follwowing link to find the schedule » SA Clcean-Up and Recycle Week nationawide activities.

Media related content

Speeches and statements

Statement by Minister Creecy during Circular Economy Webinar in celebration of SA Recycling Week

Thank you very much for inviting me today to open this circular economy dialogue. We meet during a very challenging and difficult time when the country is currently grappling with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. We all have been affected; as a result of the pandemic there has been minimal economic activity, jobs have been lost, industries and businesses have downsized or completely closed shop. Across the world governments are working on economic recovery strategies.

Galleries and videos

Minister Creecy takes part in clean-up activities in Durban during International Coastal Clean-Up Day and launch of Inkwazu Isa Project, 19 September 2020

Minister Creecy together with Johannesburg Major Makhubo conducted a clean-up in Linbro Park, where they also handed out certificates to waste pickers, 18 September 2020

Deputy Minister Makhotso Sotyu joins His Royal Highness Vho-Thovhele Nesengani at the clean-up campaign in Vuwani, Limpopo during SA Clean-Up and Recycle Week , 18 September 2020

Video: Minister Creecy at the 2020 International Coastal Clean-Up event and the launch of Inkwazi Isu Project in KwaZulu-Natal, 19 September 2020

Video: The Minister Creecy and Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Cllr Makhubo award certificates to six co-operatives for recycling efforts that preserve and protect the environment.