Radio Islam News Team – 03/02/2016

“Throwing the wrong things away in a rubbish bin can endanger people and the environment”

You’ve probably decluttered your home as part of your 2016 New Year resolution, but the job is really only completed once you’ve actually moved undesirable items completely out the house.

When throwing away electronic waste –

E-waste is of concern because of the toxicity of some of the components if they are not processed properly.
The accepted international definition of e-waste is ‘anything that runs on electricity’. This includes computers, entertainment, electronics, mobile phones, household appliances and batteries or battery operated toys which have now been disposed of by their owners.

Batteries-
Disposable batteries are not recycled, because the material recovery rate is too small to make recycling economically viable.

Batteries should not be thrown away with ordinary household waste, they contain toxic chemicals that can leach into the soil and ground water.

You can drop your used batteries off at Pick n’ Pay stores.

Rechargeable batteries, on the other hand, are recyclable.

Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs-
Eskom says you should never use your bare hands to pick up a broken lamp. Should a CFL break, open nearby windows to disperse any vapours that might that might have escaped as they usually contain mercury.
You should place all fragments in a sealed plastic bag and dispose of it at a local e-waste disposal in the same way as you would dispose of batteries.

Motor Oil– (One litre of used oil can pollute over a million litres of fresh water.)

Used oil is a hazardous waste and South Africa has waste management legislation that prohibits you from throwing it out in the normal trash, where it would end up in a landfill. Recycling oil saves the environment.

The Environment (Rose) Foundation, a non-profit company, manages the environmentally acceptable collection, storage and recycling of used lubricating oil in South Afrcia.

You can drop off your used oil at the Rose Foundation (www.rosefoundation.co.za)

Expired Medicines-
Old medicine is considered medical waste, and medical waste is considered a bio hazard. Do not flush expired medicines down the toilet as they get into places they should not be and sometimes even into the water system.

Throwing expired medicines in the bin is also a big no-no as this ends up in landfills and dumpsites, where people, children scavenge for all sorts of things.

Many pills are colourful and attract a child’s attention.

There is also a misconception that expired medicine is harmless. This is incorrect. Even medicine with 50% of its potency can be harmful.

You can drop your expired medicines off at your local pharmacy as they will know how to safely dispose of old medicines.

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