A new report released by the Saldanha Bay Municipality reveals impressive progress in household recycling through the clear bag initiative, with residents helping to divert a staggering 7 791 tons of waste from landfill between 2018 and 2024.
That’s the equivalent of 286 471 full green wheelie bins not ending up in landfill—enough to fill 37 Olympic-sized swimming pools or match the weight of 8 562 Springbok scrum packs. The environmental benefits are just as striking: the effort has saved over 195 813 m³ of landfill airspace and preserved the equivalent of 39 700 trees.
This success is thanks in large part to the participation of residents across all seven districts of the municipality. The clear bag system is completely free for all households. All it takes is a small change in habit: place recyclables like glass, tin, paper, cardboard, and plastics into a clear bag and leave it next to your green wheelie bin on collection day. The appointed service provider will collect it and leave the same number of replacement bags behind. Residents can also collect bags at any municipal accounts office. While the municipality-wide participation rate currently stands at 33%, the report highlights a huge opportunity for more households.
