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Go Green in 2008!

[January 2008] Go Green in 2008 and let's make Somerset West the 'greenest' town in the Boland! Mr Recycle Helderberg is pulling out all the stops to help us continue to recycle from the convenience of our own homes - it really couldn't be easier.

Become a member

All you need to do is become a member of the Mr Recycle Helderberg Earth Action Project and you can have your recyclable materials collected from your home.

Membership fees are R20 and the monthly fee is R10. Or choose to pay an annual fee of R130.

This membership also entitles you to a monthly e-newsletter which, amongst other great things, provides access to discounts offered by Mr Recycle's sponsors. The keynote sponsor is Gardena, South Africa and you can expect some great products at discounted prices over the coming year!

To register as a member:

Send an email to mrrecycle@gmail.com or a fax to 086 6113 171. List your Name, physical address and email address, day of municipal collection and when you wish to join.

How it works

The system works in much the same way as the previous City Pilot Project, namely mixed recyclables in a bag on the pavement.

The only major changes are:
  1. It doesn't matter what colour or type of plastic bags you use
  2. Material is to be placed away from the wheelie bin
  3. Collections are not done on public holidays, so the material needs to be stored for the following week's collection
  4. Only Flattened cardboard items will be collected
There is a working system for Gated Villages as well!
  1. Place the materials inside the gate or at a designated collection point by 8am on the waste removal day.
  2. Arrange access for them, which can be done in various ways.

Recycling is expensive and Mr Recycle Helderberg needs all your accumulated R10's to make this feasible and sustainable in the long term. The majority of the generated money is used for the greater good of the community and needs to be viewed as an investment in our community. 10% of the profits generated through this system will be fed directly back into the community via donations to Registered Charities on a monthly basis.

Recyclable Materials which are accepted:
  1. Bottle Glass
  2. Metal
  3. Clean Plastic
  4. Paper
  5. Flattened Cardboard
Materials we cannot send for recycling at this time:
  1. Clingwrap
  2. Styrofoam and meat trays (number 6 marked underneath, by the Recycle Sign)
  3. Tetrapak (marked Tetrapak under milk and juice - for example Liquifruit - cardboard/plastic mix containers)
  4. Plastic that used to contain food unless it has been thoroughly washed
  5. Sweet wrappers and chip foil packages
  6. Wet paper and cardboard
  7. No plastic wrappers that "crinkle" when you squash them
  8. Used paper plates and cups
  9. Wax coated cardboard boxes - Banana Boxes are an example

An easy guide to non-recyclable waste is if the material is made from 2 interwoven products, it should be sent to landfill as the process of splitting the material is often too expensive to allow it to be recycled.

Tips for the collection:
  1. The recyclable waste should not be placed with your wheelie bin, but rather by your gate or access point.
  2. Wet paper and Cardboard, as well as Cardboard that hasn't been flattened must be placed in the Wheelie bin.
  3. Paper is easily soiled and then has to be thrown away, so please place inside a separate, knotted bag.
  4. Please try to group the different kinds of materials together.
  5. Please ensure that all the bags are knotted when you place them for collection.

Additional Community Service Options

These do not fall under the Pavement Recyclable Collection Service. These services are available at R20 per collection.

  1. Toys for kids in the underprivileged communities
  2. Second hand Clothing/blankets for the needy
  3. Unwanted pet food for Animal Welfare
  4. Useful junk lying around the house for Animal Welfare Fund Raising through the little shop they have at their offices in Bright Street - They have some interesting stuff there!
  5. Books and Magazines for Old Age Homes
  6. e-Waste (electrical waste) for re-use or Recycle purposes
  7. Industrial/Commercial Recyclable Collections
  8. Many more Community Services are available, just ask!

Somerset West is incredibly fortunate to have Mr Recycle Helderberg who cares so much about our environment and it's up to us to go that extra mile, make a difference and give them the support they need for a cleaner and greener Somerset West.

Disclaimer:

Mr Recycle Helderberg takes no responsibility for the mess created by other parties, human or animal. If the street walkers or animals raid your bags, messing up your entrance etc and you find this annoying, we do have another collection process in place, where for a collection fee of R20 per time (recommended collection is every four weeks) we collect the recyclable materials directly from you or your representative within 3 hours of your mutually agreed on booking or you don't pay for the collection. This system is geographically organised. Monday's are Gordon's Bay; Tuesday's are Strand and Somerset West is the rest of the week.

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