Somarelang Tikologo

Last updated
Somarelang Tikologo Somarelang Tikologo Full Shot.JPG
Somarelang Tikologo

Somarelang Tikologo (Environment Watch Botswana) is a member-based environmental NGO located in Gaborone, Botswana. The organization aims to promote sustainable environmental protection by educating, demonstrating, and encouraging best practices in environmental planning, resource conservation, and waste management in Botswana.

Contents

Somarelang Tikologo has a small staff and volunteer members that undertake numerous environmental awareness raising activities throughout the community each year. [1]

History

Somarelang Tikologo was initiated in 1991 by three University of Botswana lecturers, due to a concern about the state of Gaborone's environment. These lecturers operated Somarelang Tikologo activities out of their offices for a year.

In 1994 Somarelang Tikologo was officially registered as a Society. The First Annual General Meeting was held in March 1995, at which the first Executive Committee was elected and membership fees decided upon.

Today, Somarelang Tikologo has more than 500 individual members, 50 corporate members and 22 Life members supporting its network in Botswana. An Environmental Resource Centre operates daily at the office, and publications include fact sheets, newsletters, workshop proceedings and educational materials. [2]

Somarelang Tikologo's Work

Waste Management

The country of Botswana has yet to impose legislation governing the collection of recyclable materials. As such, waste levels are quite high. Somarelang Tikologo promotes the internationally acclaimed Waste Management Hierarchy of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, with an aim to ultimately achieve safe and proper landfill disposal with a focus on recycling. This waste management approach aims at conserving and protecting the limited and fragile natural resources, maintaining a healthy and clean environment, and a conducive environment for sustainable development. [3]

Somarelang Tikologo has an on-site Recycling Center where anyone in Gaborone can drop off recyclable materials. Once sorted, the plastics and glass are transported by truck to recycling facilities in South Africa and all paper products are transported by truck to recycling facilities in Zimbabwe. The costs to transport all recyclable materials in this way is generously donated by Kgalagadi Beverages Trust.

Resource Conservation

The Somarelang Tikologo Resource Conservation Subcommittee conducts demonstration projects at local schools in Gaborone, as well as country-wide awareness-raising campaigns to educate Botswana about the importance of conservation of these resources. Popular topics of education include increasing the efficiency with which resources are utilized as well as to ensure equity in the distribution of the benefits accrued from harnessing said resources. [4]

Environmental Planning

The Environmental Planning Sub-Committee aims to promote the integration of environmental issues into urban planning in Greater Gaborone and the rest of Botswana. This includes issues relating to public open spaces, urban agriculture, public transport, recreational facilities, and public participation in the decision making process. [5]

Somarelang Tikologo is currently developing an Ecological Park. [6]

PR & Fundraising

The Fundraising and Public Relations Sub-Committee of Somarelang Tikologo provides a venue for the members of Somarelang Tikologo to voice their concerns regarding the state of Botswana's environment, and contribute to making positive change in Botswana's environmental situation through various activities. Such activities aim to promote a greater awareness of environmental issues to the general public and certain target groups, and have a positive impact on local communities and the environment. [7]

The Sub-Committee specifically focuses on the following objectives in relation to the environmental planning of Greater Gaborone and the rest of Botswana:

Ecological Park

Community Playground Somarelang Tikologo Community Playground Full Shot.JPG
Community Playground

Somarelang Tikologo is located inside an ecological park at Plot 3491 Ext 4 in Gaborone, Botswana. The park was officially opened by the Botswana Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Hon. Onkokame kitso Mokaila on February 27, 2009. The park itself consists of five main components: Playground for children, the Green Shop, Community Organic Garden, Recycling Center, and Eco Cafe.

Playground For Children

The playground is open to the community for families and children to visit anytime during business hours. The purpose of the playground is to demonstrate fun and environmentally friendly ways that locals can make their own yards more entertaining, and also to help establish Somarelang Tikologo and thus Recycling as a welcomed part of the community.

Green Shop

The Green Shop Somarelang Tikologo Green Shop Interior.JPG
The Green Shop

The Green Shop is a small store in ST's Ecological Park. All products for sale are made with recycled materials and are provided by local people in Gaborone, most of whom are impoverished or unemployed. The purpose of the Green Shop is to encourage recycling and environmental awareness by promoting the re-use and sale of recyclable products. It also provides opportunities for urban and rural Batswana (people of Botswana) to generate income by selling green products and acts as a source of funding for Somarelang Tikologo's other environmental initiatives. [9]

Items offered for sale include jewellery, handbags, hats, baskets, home decor, natural marula products, and herbal teas. [10]

Community Organic Garden

Community Ecological Garden Somarelang Tikologo Eco Garden.JPG
Community Ecological Garden

As a way of educating the public and demonstrating how to cultivate organically grown vegetables, Somarelang Tikologo operates an organic garden using no pesticides or artificial fertilizers. Plants are fertilized with a natural brew of chicken manure, chili powder and food remains. Chicken manure helps to make vegetables grow without polluting the groundwater and the chili powder scares away insects without killing them. Rainwater collected in tanks is also used to water the plants, making the entire process sustainable without posing a threat to the environment. [11]

Organic vegetables such as spinach, rapeseed, spring onions, chomolia, chonga, tomatoes, and beetroot are all grown seasonally. [12]

Public Recycling Drop-off Center

The drop-off center was officially opened in the Ecological Park on September 1, 2005. It is intended to reduce the amount of solid waste going into landfills. Members of the public are encouraged to drop off glass, paper, plastics and cans which are then collected for recycling by respective recycling companies. All plastics and glass are transported by truck to recycling facilities in South Africa and all paper products are transported by truck to recycling facilities in Zimbabwe.

The first of its kind in Botswana, this drop-off center has been used as a pilot project for the development of a number of other recycling drop-off centers constructed within Gaborone. It provides opportunities for Batswana (people of Botswana) to participate in the whole waste management process, which begins with sorting waste at home. [13]

Eco Cafe

Eco Cafe Somarelang Tikologo Eco Cafe.JPG
Eco Cafe

The Eco Cafe is an environmentally friendly refreshment stand offering guests to Somarelang Tikologo's ecological park a selection of organic and all natural snacks grown and processed in environmentally friendly ways. Preparation and service of the items sold in the Eco Cafe are selected after considering their effects on the environment. [14]

Fundraising And Events

Enviro Cycling Challenge

Somarelang Tikologo, with the help of BPOMAS will be hosting a Cycling event to be held on Sunday, 11 October 2009 at 06H00 at the Notwane Grounds next to the national stadium. This is to commemorate World Habitat Day which is a reminder to care and take collective responsibility for the habitat.

Sponsors

The Public Recycling Drop-off Center is sponsored by Kgalagadi Beverages Trust.

Partnerships

Students Without Borders (SWB) and World University Service of Canada (WUSC) provides Somarelang Tikologo with volunteers from Canada. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaborone</span> Capital and the largest city of Botswana

Gaborone is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census.

An environmental tax, ecotax, or green tax is a tax levied on activities which are considered to be harmful to the environment and is intended to promote environmentally friendly activities via economic incentives. A notable example is carbon tax. Such a policy can complement or avert the need for regulatory approaches. Often, an ecotax policy proposal may attempt to maintain overall tax revenue by proportionately reducing other taxes ; such proposals are known as a green tax shift towards ecological taxation. Ecotaxes address the failure of free markets to consider environmental impacts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste management</span> Activities and actions required to manage waste from its source to its final disposal

Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process and waste-related laws, technologies, economic mechanisms.

Sustainable living describes a lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of Earth's natural resources by an individual or society. Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their ecological footprint by altering their home designs and methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet. Its proponents aim to conduct their lives in ways that are consistent with sustainability, naturally balanced, and respectful of humanity's symbiotic relationship with the Earth's natural ecology. The practice and general philosophy of ecological living closely follows the overall principles of sustainable development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zero waste</span> Philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused

Zero waste is a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages redesigning resource life cycles so that all products are repurposed and/or reused. The goal of the movement is to avoid sending trash to landfills, incinerators, oceans, or any other part of the environment. Currently 9% of global plastic is recycled. In a zero waste system, all materials are reused until the optimum level of consumption is reached.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green building</span> Structures and processes of building structures that are more environmentally responsible

Green building refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires close cooperation of the contractor, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages. The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building also refers to saving resources to the maximum extent, including energy saving, land saving, water saving, material saving, etc., during the whole life cycle of the building, protecting the environment and reducing pollution, providing people with healthy, comfortable and efficient use of space, and being in harmony with nature Buildings that live in harmony. Green building technology focuses on low consumption, high efficiency, economy, environmental protection, integration and optimization.’

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal solid waste</span> Type of waste consisting of everyday items discarded by the public

Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, as in a garbage disposal; the two are sometimes collected separately. In the European Union, the semantic definition is 'mixed municipal waste,' given waste code 20 03 01 in the European Waste Catalog. Although the waste may originate from a number of sources that has nothing to do with a municipality, the traditional role of municipalities in collecting and managing these kinds of waste have produced the particular etymology 'municipal.'

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste Management (company)</span> American waste and environmental services company

Waste Management, Inc., doing business as WM, is a waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company operating in North America. Founded in 1968, the company is headquartered in the Bank of America Tower in Houston, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste-to-energy</span> Process of generating energy from the primary treatment of waste

Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source. WtE is a form of energy recovery. Most WtE processes generate electricity and/or heat directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel commodity, such as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-collar worker</span> Environmental-sector worker

A green-collar worker is a worker who is employed in an environmental sector of the economy. Environmental green-collar workers satisfy the demand for green development. Generally, they implement environmentally conscious design, policy, and technology to improve conservation and sustainability. Formal environmental regulations as well as informal social expectations are pushing many firms to seek professionals with expertise with environmental, energy efficiency, and clean renewable energy issues. They often seek to make their output more sustainable, and thus more favorable to public opinion, governmental regulation, and the Earth's ecology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable packaging</span>

Sustainable packaging is the development and use of packaging which results in improved sustainability. This involves increased use of life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle assessment (LCA) to help guide the use of packaging which reduces the environmental impact and ecological footprint. It includes a look at the whole of the supply chain: from basic function, to marketing, and then through to end of life (LCA) and rebirth. Additionally, an eco-cost to value ratio can be useful The goals are to improve the long term viability and quality of life for humans and the longevity of natural ecosystems. Sustainable packaging must meet the functional and economic needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability is not necessarily an end state but is a continuing process of improvement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waste</span> Unwanted or unusable materials

Waste are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste product may become a by-product, joint product or resource through an invention that raises a waste product's value above zero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tibetan Welfare Office</span>

The Tibetan Settlement Office (T.S.O.) Tibetan: ང་ཚོའི་སྐོར།, Wylie: nga tsho'i skor is acting within the Tibetan Ministry of the Interior and is part of the central Tibetan administration in Dharmshala, India. The T.S.O. organizes projects in the social, cultural and economical sectors. Furthermore, they focus on issues of environment and enduring development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic waste by country</span>

Electronic waste is a significant part of today's global, post-consumer waste stream. Efforts are being made to recycle and reduce this waste.

Environmentally sustainable design is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of ecological sustainability and also aimed at improving the health and comfortability of occupants in a building. Sustainable design seeks to reduce negative impacts on the environment, the health and well-being of building occupants, thereby improving building performance. The basic objectives of sustainability are to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources, minimize waste, and create healthy, productive environments.

Recycling can be carried out on various raw materials. Recycling is an important part of creating more sustainable economies, reducing the cost and environmental impact of raw materials. Not all materials are easily recycled, and processing recyclable into the correct waste stream requires considerable energy. Some particular manufactured goods are not easily separated, unless specially process therefore have unique product-based recycling processes.

Xtreme Zero Waste is a non-profit organization dedicated to recycling and based in the town of Raglan, New Zealand. In 2014 it was rebranded from Xtreme Waste. According to its mission statement, its goal is to create a waste management system for the Raglan/Whaingaroa community in which none of the trash would be stored in landfills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environment Centre (Swansea)</span>

The Environment Centre in Swansea, Wales, is an independent charity organisation for environmental information, education and activity. Environment Centre may also refer to the building the charity is located in.

Resource recovery is using wastes as an input material to create valuable products as new outputs. The aim is to reduce the amount of waste generated, thereby reducing the need for landfill space, and optimising the values created from waste. Resource recovery delays the need to use raw materials in the manufacturing process. Materials found in municipal solid waste, construction and demolition waste, commercial waste and industrial wastes can be used to recover resources for the manufacturing of new materials and products. Plastic, paper, aluminium, glass and metal are examples of where value can be found in waste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic sequestration</span> Securing plastic out of industry and out of the environment

Plastic sequestration is a means of plastic waste management that secures used plastic out of industry and out of the environment into reusable building blocks made by manual compaction. Plastic sequestration is motivated by environmental protection and modeled on the Earth's process of carbon sequestration. Emerging out of the struggle of towns and communities in the Global South to deal with plastic pollution, plastic sequestration compaction methods are characterized by being locally based, non-capital, non-industrial and low-tech. Plastic sequestration is defined by the goals of securing plastic out of the environment and out of high energy/carbon industrial systems. Based on eliminating the chemical and physical and abiotic and biotic degradation pathways, plastic sequestration aims to achieve these goals, by terminally reducing the net surface area of thin film plastics. The building blocks that emerge from plastic sequestration are used in applications that further protect from degradation and permanently keep plastic out of industrial processes, thereby preventing their carbon emissions.

References

  1. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website, click on Waste Management. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website, click on Resource Conservation Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website, click on Green Shop. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  12. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  13. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  14. Statement from the Somarelang Tikologo website. Archived 2010-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Statement from the WUSC/SWB site.