The amount of waste created by humans has a detrimental effect on the environment.
According to South Africa’s 2018 waste statistics, Stellenbosch’s landfill is in danger of reaching its capacity. In addition to recycling, Ecobricks are a vital way of ensuring we maintain space in our landfills.
An Ecobrick is a plastic bottle filled with clean and dry non-recyclable materials like chip packets, straws, fruit and vegetable carrier bags.
This is according to Waste-ED, the non-profit organisation, which explores the concept of zero-waste.
Candice Mostert, founder and director of Waste-ED, started the organisation in 2014 after working alongside local community structures in the Overberg area to reintroduce the concept of value into wasted resources.
“I never even thought about where my waste ends up when I throw it away. I started making Ecobricks because I wanted to build my own house. But later on, it became so much more than that. It actually empowered [us] to build with our own material,” Mostert says.
Waste-ED’s waste management strategies rely heavily on community participation. PHOTO: Facebook.
Since building on that concept in South Africa, Mostert says she was shocked by the exponential growth in the use and production of Ecobricks.
“I’ve definitely seen a change in people’s attitudes. I’ve never seen Ecobricks take off like that, especially in South Africa! I’ve been completely surprised to the extent that I had to change the organisation of Waste-ED.”
EcoMaties, a student-run sustainability society at Stellenbosch University (SU), aims to advance sustainable practices on and around campus. According to Jaime Gray, the society’s secretary, they follow the mantra ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ on a hierarchical basis.
“Our first priority is always to first lessen the amount of waste we produce. Thereafter, to reuse any waste we have made. Things that absolutely cannot be reduced or reused are only then recycled. And then finally if the waste we have produced could not be reduced, reused or recycled we put it in an eco-brick,” she says.
Gray believes that Eco-bricks play an integral role in lessening the demands on landfills and has noticed an increase in the number of students and residents making use of Ecobricks in Stellenbosch.
“The idea of eco-bricking is becoming a more common phenomenon. More students understand what eco-bricks are and how to make them. The fact that there is an eco-brick drop off point in Stellenbosch speaks to its rising popularity.”
MFM radio station is an Ecobrick drop-off point in Stellenbosch. Left: Samantha Futter. Right: Lee Davidse. Front: Candice Mostert. PHOTO: Facebook.
Emma Cloete (21), a BA Humanities graduate at SU and radio presenter, was introduced to Ecobricks while attending a sustainability talk in Cape Town. Following this exposure, Cloete decided to start making Ecobricks in 2017.
“I’d always seen it at festivals but didn’t really know what it was about. But I heard about it from Candice; the founder of Waste-ED.”
Cloete believes Ecobricks is an important concept because it allows you to monitor the amount of non-recyclable plastics that you use.
“It’s a way of responsibly disposing of your single-use plastics and your smaller plastic packaging. It’s a way that you are in control of where it ends up and you are almost guaranteed that it will end up somewhere it will be useful. And it will actually make a difference.”
Cloete says although Ecobricks is a great concept, you still have the option to not use single-use plastics at all. Photo: Facebook.
Cloete encourages everyone who would like to start making Ecobricks to still monitor their plastic usage.
“[You] shouldn’t use Ecobricks as an excuse to continue using single-use plastics or unnecessary plastic packaging. Start easily with a 5-litre bottle with a big hole that you can throw the plastics in. Make sure that when you make your Ecobricks, the base of the bottle is very solid because otherwise, the brick will be ineffective,” Cloete adds.