WASTE & POLLUTION MANAGEMENT BRIEFS

Environmental forum wins
The Bonteheuwel Environment Forum in Cape Town is one of seven national winners in the 2008 Jet Community Awards and the only winner in the environmental waste-management category. The seven winners were selected from 36 regional finalists across southern Africa, and each received R75 000 cash and R1 000 in Jet vouchers. In the environmental waste-management category, the Jet Community Awards recognizes organisations that reduce or eliminate waste. What made the Bonteheuwel Environment Forum a winner is how closely it works with the local municipality to improve the community environment – by preventing illegal dumping and the establishment of a food garden, children’s play areas and parks. The fresh produce grown in the food garden is used for feeding schemes, sold to the community at below market rates and to supplement the incomes of the community members paid by the city council to keep Bonteheuwel clean, Jet informs Urban Green File. Seedlings from the garden are also donated to community members involved in the project.


The group has worked with the municipality in the installation of street lighting and floodlights in parks, and their partnership with the city council has created jobs to keep parks and community facilities clean.

Jet Club manager, Tessa Lloyd, comments: “We commend the Bonteheuwel Environment Forum for its dedicated and passionate service to the environment within the Bonteheuwel community. Since the group was established almost 10 years ago, it has been responsible for some remarkable achievements from an environmental, safety and social point of view. We trust that the prize money we provide will see the forum continue to thrive and also make a sustainable difference to the local environment.”