1. Reduce the waste you produce:

• Try not to buy over-packaged products, such as plastic wrapped vegetables in polystyrene trays.
• Buy in bulk, as this gives you more product and less packaging.
• Buy refills and concentrates - these usually involve less packaging
• Buy local products.
• Choose less heavily processed products.
• Try to buy only what you need.
• Choose durable items rather than products that will soon need replacing.
• Repair broken items, or pay someone to repair them for you.
• Make your own gifts and gift wrap instead of always buying new items.
• Print using both sides of the paper saves money on buying paper and on storage and postage. It is also easier to fold and staple
• Only print what is necessary: for example, information on fax or printer cover sheets is usually unnecessary or can be included in the main document.
• Make electronic copies accessible. When an electronic database or document is more "accessible" than a paper version, people often choose to print less, thus saving paper.

2. Re-use items before they become waste

• Reuse by taking items such as cardboard toilet roll cores, boxes, jars, margarine tubs and scrap paper to local schools for their projects.
• Choose returnable or re-usable containers.
• Reuse a product as many times as possible. If you have no further use for it, find someone who does.
• Many charities welcome donations of unwanted gifts, clothes, furniture, toys and books.
• Return glass bottles with deposits to shops for reuse.

3. Recycle your waste – many waste types can be reprocessed into useful items

• Very important! - Buy recycled – choose tissues, rubbish bags, stationary, hand towel and toilet rolls made from recycled materials (it should be indicated on the label – don’t worry, they are perfectly safe).
• Separate waste at home into organic waste, plastic, glass, tin cans and paper. All these can be recycled into useful products.
• Drop off many of your recyclable wastes at the 20 City of Cape Town Drop off points.

1. Map of the City of Cape Town drop off sites
2. What can be dropped off where
3. Individual drop-off site maps

• What is recyclable and where else can you drop it off? 

1. Paper and cardboard: (white office paper fetches the best price)
   1. Flatten cardboard boxes before dropping them off 
   2. Try to separate white office paper from magazines and newspapers
   3. Find out where to drop off paper and cardboard here
2. Cans (drink and food cans):
   1. Rinse them out
   2. Squash them if possible to save space (after rinsing!)
   3. Find out where to drop off cans here
3. Glass (bottles and jars):
   1. Rinse them out
   2. Find out where to drop off glass here
4. Plastics:
   1. Rinse out plastic bottles/tubs
   2. Look for a symbol like this on your plastic bottle, tub or bag:
   3. The number inside the symbol indicates the type of plastic

   4. NUMBER	PLASTIC TYPE	EXAMPLES
      1	PET (polyethylene terephthalate)	clear coke, cooldrink or bottled water bottles
      2	HDPE (high density polyethylene)	white or coloured milk, juice or shampoo bottles
      3	PVC (polyvinyl chloride)	bottles used for turpentine, methylated spirits etc. or shampoo and juice
      4	LDPE (low density polyethylene)	most plastic bags
      5	PP (polypropylene)	certain yogurt, shampoo bottles etc.
      6	PS (polystyrene)	includes “styrofoam”  packaging and hamburger boxes etc
      7	Other	includes a wide variety of plastics, including computer screen casings

1. Most wanted for recycling = PET (No.1), HDPE (No.2) and LDPE (No.4)
2. Find out where to drop off your PET plastic here
1. Tetrapak (Milk and juice cartons):
   1. Will be recyclable soon in Cape Town - watch this space
   2. Find out more about Tetrapak recycling here
   3. Flatten and store for future recycling
2. Used motor oil:
   1. Do you service your own car?
   2. If so, save the oil in a sumpy which can be bought from the Rose foundation (021 - 448 7492)
   3. Find out where to drop off your used oil here
3. Electronic Waste (computers):
   1. Find out who refurbishes e-waste for re-use here
   2. Find out who recycles e-waste here

• For more useful information on recycling in Cape Town, visit 567 Cape Talk’s recycling list here
• Start a garden compost heap. Organic kitchen and garden waste can be added to the compost heap, or used to feed pets or birds.
• If you feel you don't have the time or inclination to do your own recycling, arrange to give your recyclable waste to one of the many informal waste collectors who depend on recycling for their livelihood.

For more information about recycling and reducing waste, such as making your own compost, or industrial ‘cleaner production’, visit some of the other websites recommended under Links.

To find out more about waste minimisation or recycling programmes, contact the Waste Wise call centre.