What To Know About Recycling In Gaborone

Everyone should want to know about recycling in Gaborone. And around the globe.

The first week of September marks ‘Zero Waste Week’; an international campaign to get people to think about amount they throw away every day and to reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfill daily.

Excess rubbish can make neighbourhoods unpleasant and breed disease. Certain waste products are harmful to the ecosystem and can have an adverse effect on wildlife. Although our individual impact may be small, we all have the power to make changes to our own habits and take steps towards an eco-friendlier future.

Learn more about Zero Waste Week here. 

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle

The three main ways to start minimising waste and making small changes to your habits. Over the next month, the community will be coming together to give you some practical tips on how you can achieve this in Gaborone.

Reduce: Only buy what you need. A lot of food waste is the result of over spending and poor planning. Making a meal plan each week can help reduce your spending and prepping and storing food in advance can stop food from going off.

Reuse: Containers, plastic bags, packaging, paper…..so much of our waste can be reused. Margarine tubs, glass bottles and takeaway containers make great storage items. Nursery schools are always asking for spare egg cartons, toilet rolls and paper to make craft projects and there are some fun and easy craft ideas you can do with your own children at home.

Recycle: So much of our waste can be recycled. Glass, cans, paper, cardboard and plastic can be taken to recycling centres around the city. Food scraps can be used to make compost which give our plants and gardens a much needed boost.

Why Should I Recycle?

There are countless reasons to start paying attention to the amount of waste we generate. Recycling is one of the best ways you can start to make an impact on your own environment.

Recycling reduces landfill waste. Nobody wants to live next to a landfill and finding space for ever increasing piles of rubbish can become a problem, even in a country with as much space as Botswana. Our household waste products can take years, decades and even centuries to decompose so there is no quick fix.

Recycling saves you money. By reusing products and only buying what you need you can make a big impact on your budget. Small changes in behaviour can change your mindset over time. Once you become aware of the amount of waste you can recycle instead, it makes you more conscious of what you are purchasing and what you are throwing away.

Where to Recycle in Gaborone

Recycling in Botswana can take a little more effort than it does in other countries where recyclables are collected alongside your rubbish. That doesn’t mean it’s not possible! If you have access to a car, dropping off recycling is easy and you could offer to take the recycling of a friend, relative or neighbour to help them out and double your impact on the environment.

Here are a few of the places you can take your glass, cardboard, cans and plastics to:

• Somarelang Tikologo, South Ring Road
• Northside Primary
• School Maru A Pula Secondary School
• Thornhill Primary School
• Recycle It, Broadhurst Industrial
• The First Bontleng Futsal Park

Let us know if you find any other Recycling Gems around Gabs!

• About
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Caroline Gartland

Caroline Gartland is passionate about play, wellbeing and mental health. She made Botswana her home in 2010 and loves raising her children close to nature.
Caroline holds a Master’s degree in Mental Health and Psychological Therapy and works to help others achieve their full potential. As one of the Directors of SensoBaby, she focuses her attention on families and young children.

You can find her at www.littlenaledi.com

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