About 500 trees will be donated to the Council of Churches by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).
As a result, Bernice Swarts, the Deputy Minister of the DFFE, announced there would be a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) inked between the department and the Council of Churches.
She announced the MoU at a responsible e-waste recycling event in Langa, Cape Town, on Friday.
There, faith communities came together to raise awareness about responsible e-waste recycling.
Reverend Rachel Mash reminded the community: “We cannot throw in e-waste because this is too dangerous.”
Rev Mfene added: “People have come and they have been compensated. It’s not a dream, it’s a reality. We can responsibly dispose of electrical appliances.”
Swarts said the message is clear “old electronics such as fridges, microwaves, irons, kettles, televisions, phones and toys should not be kept at home or dumped at landfill sites. They must be recycled safely to protect our communities, water sources and the environment.”
She also said the programme also encourages communities, especially young people and women, to participate in recycling, establish buy-back centres and create local economic opportunities.
Residents and waste recyclers raised issues around support for local recycling initiatives, safer working conditions, access to proper operating spaces, rodent control, prevention of stolen items entering the recycling stream, and the need for PPE.
Waste recyclers also highlighted the positive social impact of recycling, including cleaner communities, income opportunities and support for families.
PROs, R2E2 NPC, eWASA, Circular Energy, ERA, Petco and Polyco were also at the event, which is part of the E-Waste Recycling Programme.
Picture: Supplied