lanzekani Waste Project

Adequate infrastructure for public facilities is not well developed in townships, and waste collection and processing are non-existent. In 2001 some inhabitants of Elandsdoorn took the initiative to establish the Hlanzekani waste project, which collects recyclable waste, such as plastic, glass, cans and paper. The waste products are processed or compressed and sold to wholesalers in Pretoria and Johannesburg . Hlanzekani waste project, a non-government organisation (NGO), is registered with the Directorate of non-profit organisations in Pretoria . The project serves several purposes:

•  cleaning up the township

•  recycling the waste collected

•  creating and promoting an awareness of a healthy environment to the community

•  creating employment.

Waste removals from houses in Elandsdoorn have been undertaken on a weekly basis since 2002. This schedule is not sufficient for the township and people therefore dump household refuse at street corners. The Hlanzekani waste project has been extended recently through the construction of some ‘formal' (household) dumpsites in the township, where it will be collected by the project and taken out of the township. These dump sites carry billboards with the slogan ‘Keep Elandsdoorn Clean'.

At the processing site in Elandsdoorn some of the employees of the project make small mats from waste plastic, which are then sold, either to inhabitants of Elandsdoorn or to the people visiting the project.

Elandsdoorn Development Trust is facilitating this important initiative. Detra Travel and friends from the Netherlands have been taking financial care of this project since 2002.