by CCID 26 Nov 2012

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As the world gears up for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20 Summit in Brazil, the CCID is urging CBD businesses to use World Environment Day as an opportunity to get involved in the green economy and actively participate in adopting sustainable ways of conducting business.

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day, taking place today, is Green Economy: Does it include you? The United Nations Environment Programme defines the green economy as one that results in improved human wellbeing and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.

“Prioritisation of green development and policies in cities is far from a nice-to-have option,” says Rob Kane, chairperson of the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID). “They are central to economic and social progress of the world’s greatest cities, and the Cape Town Central City is no exception.

“It’s vital, therefore, to add environmental sustainability to the list of other benefits of living and working in the CBD, and the CCID continues to place this high on the list of its priorities. For example, aside from the convenience factor, the upgrading of the transport system into the CBD has a massive benefit to the environment.

“Business itself can help drive this priority, as evidenced by many of the CBD’s business residents’ existing activities. There is so much more business can do, and each small intervention makes a difference. This includes simple measures such as switching off machines and unnecessary lights at the end of the day, using greywater, and being part of a recycling and appropriate waste removal system,” says Kane.


The CCID’s green activities

A tenet of the CCID’s economic strategy is that environmental sustainability creates jobs. Currently, the CCID retains the services of between 70 and 80 people from Straatwerk, a non-governmental agency that trains and employs homeless people in Cape Town, providing the Central City with essential street cleaning, sweeping and other services.

With combined efforts from Straatwerk, the four precinct managers and cleaning contractor J&M Cleaning, the CCID has cleared a total of 1 336 storm water drains, removed more than 24 tons of waste from the CBD’s drains, and recycled more than 30 tons of glass, 44 tons of plastic, 18 tons of paper and 45 tons of cardboard.

From January this year to May, the CCID, which delivers top-up services to those provided the City of Cape Town in the CBD, recycled close to 80% of waste from the area. Last year more than 1 500 tons of waste, over and above that collected by the City services was removed.


Tips for business

Here are some easy tips to help businesses and the public in the Central City proactively participate in World Environment Day and hopefully make lasting change.

  • Help your employees implement sustainable practices through education.
  • Encourage car share schemes for employees.
  • Make recycling a requirement in your business and supply recycling bins to encourage your employees to do so.
  • Advise staff not to litter or throw cigarette butts on the floor outside the office premises; use bins that have been provided.
  • For businesses that work with any type of oil or other liquid substances, refrain from pouring anything into storm water drains.
  • Abstain from illegal dumping.