The children of today will be the architects and thought leaders of tomorrow, therefore it is imperative for us, as their mentors and teachers, to set the example of being more environmentally conscious and responsible. We need to practice what we preach by implementing an environmentally conscious and friendly zone. Schools allow children to share life experiences and lessons while learning the values they will carry with them for a lifetime.
Written by Bianca Beck in collaboration with Sarah Fernandes (Sustainability Officer at Green Office)
Our everyday printing activities, whether personal or business related, have a significant impact on the environment, which is not usually considered as we mindlessly click the “print” command. The consumables required for printing i.e. paper and printer cartridges, and the manufacturing and disposal thereof, are responsible for irreparable damage to the natural environment.
South Africa has officially made the top 20 of the world’s worst plastic polluters – we are ranked at number 11, worse than India, and the entire United States.
The world is at war with plastic pollution. South Africa has officially made the top 20 of the world’s worst plastic polluters – we are ranked at number 11, worse than India, and the entire United States.
The reason is that South Africans on average, use approximately two kilograms of plastic per day, which amounts to a whopping 42 million tons of plastic waste generated each year. The problem is that only 21 % of this is recycled – the remaining 79 % of plastic waste is either disposed to landfill, or ends up in our oceans. In South Africa, the equivalent of one dump truck of plastic is emptied into the ocean every minute! In fact, it is predicted that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean by weight, than fish!
It is estimated that over 1.3 billion printer cartridges are sold every year, and according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), more than 12 million laser and ink cartridges are imported into South Africa annually.
The question is, how many of these laser and ink cartridges end up in landfills?
Did you know that more than 80% of all inkjet and laser toner cartridges used in South Africa are thrown away when empty? This means that more than 12 million cartridges end up in landfills each year, taking up to a thousand years for each to decompose.
Recent Comments