Some symbols just encourage recycling but don’t give any information about the material and how it should be recycled. Some just mean things like “our company supports your recycling efforts”.
Think of plastics, which mostly do bear symbols and coding these days. The code tells us that it’s PET or PVC or whatever, but somebody has to then have a process for recycling the material (downcycling in the case of most plastics).
So irrespective of markings on the pack, somebody had to develop a process to deal with tetrapak. And, of course, that process has to be financially viable. Which, I suppose, means that somebody is willing to buy the output(s) of that process.
There is a different process that happens here. There some desparately poor people who will dig through rubbish bins in my area looking for discarded food
I’m being too hasty and thus unkind. Tetrapak are saying that they have reduced the plastic and aluminum content and increased the fiber content, and so their packaging is now more attractive to recyclying businesses.
I hear you — lithium batteries definitely need to be handled carefully when disposing of them. In Cape Town, there are a few options for responsible disposal:
Local recycling centers – Some e-waste or battery recycling facilities accept lithium-ion batteries. Examples include the EnviroServ branches or recycling drop-off points listed on municipal websites.
Battery retailers / installers – Some solar or battery suppliers accept old batteries for recycling. It’s worth checking with Pylontech distributors or local solar installers.
Hazardous waste collection events – Occasionally, the City of Cape Town or private recyclers host collection days for hazardous materials.
Make sure the terminals are insulated (taped over) to prevent short-circuits during transport.
Even if there’s some salvageable value, disposing of them safely protects both you and the environment.
Hope this helps — anyone else in the forum have a preferred drop-off spot in Cape Town
The suburb that I live in is hostile to these souls. I believe it’s selfishness on the resident’s part but I haven’t made a stand about this yet. (They insist that it’s illegal!)
Food waste in large shopping centers is where the amount justifies some system to deal with it. However the idea of getting the restaurants to sort their waste hasn’t been adopted due to them paying the rent and thus being in a position to do what they like..
Many suburbs, or Neighborhood Watches at least, have stats from before and after the “souls” where around and then not around on trash days.
In our street a single elderly lady was murdered few years back. She was known for giving food to the trash vagrants on trash days, doing her Christian duty it is said. Murdered by a vagrant that came regularly to her house. Or so we are told by the neighborhood watch.
Risks are everywhere. No need to increase the risk factors.
Homeowners are asked to only put trash out on trash collection days and not the night before.
Or leave bins overnight outside.
It improved the situation also ito beak-ins, as our and other neighborhood stats show.
I can’t see how it can be illegal. If it were then all the recycling pickers would have been run out of town by now.
This is a difficult subject. Our RA wants us to give money to charities but not directly to homeless people. They also don’t want anybody feeding them. Let them go to a shelter and you donate to that shelter.
Our security companies are saying that SOME homeless people are spying on behalf of burglars, and since you don’t know who is who then they must all go, or at the very least not be encouraged.
There’s no getting away from the fact that somebody digging through waste bins for a pizza crust or some discarded fries is in a pretty desperate state.
Some local charities do manage to take in some of these people, help them get IDs (the metro police like to confiscate these documents), get a SAPS clearance and start finding work for them. It’s very difficult, there is lots of red tape. We are asked to contribute boxes of toiletries, but no razors! They can be used as a weapon.
I have some experience interacting with homeless people in my part of the world. There has never been a problem. I ask them to all stand in line and each take their turn and they do exactly that, and always show good manners. The only time they don’t all wait their turn is if one of them is sick, then somebody will say “OK, we two will share, please give that one there double because he’s sick.” They look out for each other.
Mostly.
But there’s some who really need to be in care. Every now and then one of them will start shouting at the traffic. Then the whole neighbourhood gets alarmed for their safety.
Yup. And after a while, you start to recognise the regulars.
I am amazed at how early in the morning these guys show up “for work”. The security camera, with its “AI” recognition of things, report some of them on their way to “work” as early as 4:30AM. These guys make the Amish look lazy. Those guys are still putting on their socks at that point…