The Complete Integrated Recycling approach for
Environmental Friendly Estate Management
Introduction:
Recycling has become inevitable for urban development and sustainable
growth. With increased pressure from governments to take action in this
regard with reference to legislative changes, it has become not only a “nice to
have” but a necessity of every person to take responsibility for waste
produced by him/ her-self.
This in itself has impacted the way people look at waste and created many
opportunities in the private sector, but not sufficiently in government waste
management models yet.
Demographic spread of waste production, indicate that the small percentage
of the population (high and middle income-groups), contributing to about 70%
of the money spent on a monthly basis, on household commodities and food,
produces roughly 6 times more waste than the township individual at any given
point in time.
This is why estate management is not only a nice to have, but imperative to
manage well, for waste management objectives.
Private, tailor-made models are often flexible enough to cater for the
requirements of individual estates.
A suitable model should be able to manage all waste types, with inorganic
waste being effectively channeled to registered recyclers at an official
recycle transfer station. Inorganic non-recyclable waste will then be
designated for landfill after recyclers has extracted everything recyclable.
Due to the fact that some materials achieve higher prices than others, it is
inevitable that all recyclable waste should be channeled to a recycler for them
to meet their financial, operating requirements. The deal should be that a
recycler should accommodate all waste and not just the high value waste.
Organic waste could be turned into compost especially on a golf estate where
it could be re-used as fertilizer and save substantially on fertilizer costs.
This approach could also lead to healthier water bodies on the estate due to
less application, hence decreased run-off from turf areas of highly soluble
fertilizers, ending up in depressions or dams, leading to algae growth.
Addressing the triple bottom line:
Economic bottom line:
 As materials are being recycled, they often become cheaper,
replacing many expensive original items made from natural
materials.
 Recycling is cheaper than land-filling.
 This creates the opportunity for waste management at improved
margins for waste management companies, enabling them to
employ more people and use less mechanical means, reducing the
carbon footprint.
 Re-using organic waste for energy, proves to be a carbon neutral
process.
 When applying compost to soil, less fertilizer is required, hence a
direct saving.
Social bottom line:
 Recycling creates jobs – especially in the low-income groups.
 Recycling forms part of positive attitude building in educational
programs to promote a healthy future and clean environment.
 Recycling is fun and forms the basis for health education and
food production programs in many instances.
Environmental:
 Recycling reduces the carbon footprint.
 Recycling puts carbon back into the soil – especially by recycling
organic waste into compost – this is a carbon positive process
 Compost or increased carbon in soil, will increase water and air
retention and will increase the cation exchange capacity, meaning
that more minerals will be available for plants and less minerals
will leach out of a soil profile.
 Mineral retention in soil will indirectly influence water quality in a
very positive way.
 Recycling reduces impact on natural resources.
The Estate Recycling Concept:
1. Waste is sorted at household level in three groups eg.
1.1
Organic waste
1.2
Inorganic recyclable waste
1.3
Inorganic non-recyclable waste
2. The organic waste group has a two-fold designation:
a) The material gets composted in the Bokashi bin and gets entrenched
in the household garden, or
b) The material gets composted in the Bokashi bin and gets removed by
the waste contractor, who will take the material to a designated site
where it could be composted or used in energy conversion. (Not
currently an option.)
3. Inorganic material gets taken to a registered Transfer station, where
the recyclable and non-recyclable materials are all sorted into different
groups.
4. Removal schedule: This will be based on a weekly removal cycle.
5. Organic material from gardens (to be facilitated by current garden
services) and kitchen organic waste, will be taken to a suitable compost
site where compost will be made for 1. Gardens of home owners and
2. Golf course requirements. Logistics of individual requirements and
sales will be determined by the estate management.
6. This mechanism will ensure efficient waste removal and effective
recycling and re-using of materials with direct benefit of waste to
fertilizer regarding composting.
Agri-Sense as Waste and Environmental Management Entity
Agri-Sense will be responsible for:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Supply all Bokashi Bins and Bokashi inoculant on a regular basis.
Remove all waste to a suitable recycling facility.
Facilitating compost-making
Water quality in so far water body and irrigation efficacy
management.(Filters, algae etc)
5. Turf-soil and leaf analyses interpretations and recommendations,
integrating composting.
6. Agri-Sense could in addition supply various organically-based turf
nutrition products, as well as environmentally friendly household
washing products and even a swimming pool product.
7. In addition, we also supply natural products (EM1 - derivatives) to keep
drains clean and decrease foul odors in the environment.
8. Agri-Sense could also facilitate nutrition of landscaping concepts and
other plant growth on the property.
9. Agri-Sense can ensure effective alien vegetation management, as an
integrated extension of the composting process.
10. Educational talks can also be regularly presented to interested homeowners on various topics, to add value to their commitment towards a
cleaner environment and knowledge on gardening aspects.
Agri-Sense:
Fritz Otto 082 805 8420
TC Botha
082 972 2220