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Action program for the Free State Province

The wider picture
World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June - falling within World Environmental Week 3-7 June - is simply about you and me. This commemoration is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The international theme Give Earth a Chance calls on each and everyone to contribute to the healing of the ailing planet. In spite of considerable efforts and significant achievements, a multitude of problems are plaguing the earth. More than ever, steps are necessary to keep the environment at the top of the global agenda.
This year, the main international celebrations of World Environment Day will be held in the city of Shenzhen in the People's Republic of China. Broadly, the agenda is to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnerships between governmental and non-governmental bodies and between nations.
World Environment Day is a true people's event with colourful activities such as street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essays and poster competitions in schools, tree planting, as well as recycling and clean-up campaigns. World Environment Day is also a multi-media event, which ensures thousands of journalists to write and report enthusiastically and critically on the environment. In many countries, this observance provides an opportunity to sign or ratify international conventions leading to the establishment of permanent government structures dealing with environmental management.

Free State Program for celebrating World Environment Day and World Environment Week 2002
For South Africa, the slogan "Clean-up South Africa" has been adopted as national environment theme and the Free State province is tying in with this. In accordance, laying also the foundations for future deployment, the program for this year's celebrations in June entails basically the following:
• At one venue in each of the five district municipalities in the Free State a program will be conducted, with the program at each venue basically the same. The venues and dates are being indicated below.
• The primary purpose of the program is to make people aware of their role and responsibility towards the environment and of their environmental rights.
• The program is to consist of the info of the "Care all for the environment session" / An audiovisual presentation of environmental problems and the solutions to these, such as the joining of Enviro Clubs; urban conservancies, e.g. Buy-back Centres; the value of personal involvement; etc. / A practical demo of trees in a sustainable environment / A venison potjiekos reception catering for 500 local residents.
At Petrusburg, the first community environmental park is to be opened by the MEC, Mr. Sakhiwo Belot, on 7 June 2002.

Toyota Urban Conservancy Project (TUCP)
This unique pilot project, as an excellent example of public-private partnership, has already three Buy-back Centres in the Free State up and running, viz. Bohlokong (Bethlehem), Mangaung (Bloemfontein) and Tumahole (Parys).
It is a joint project between Toyota SA and the FS Dept. of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs and has already resulted in permanent jobs for 20 urban rangers. As yet, altogether 31 conservancies have linked up with the TUCP, while as a result of the project more than 25 000 trees have been planted in the Free State.

Other objectives
Meanwhile, World Arbor Week in September this year is being scheduled to take environmental care in the Free State further significant step forward.
The medium turn objective is to have a World Environment Day celebration at each of the 20 municipalities in the Free State.
The main event for the year is the hosting of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) by the country. All activities undertaken will be used to raise awareness and of more participation in this important event. The WSSD will be held in Johannesburg, 26 August - 4 September.

General vision on Free State waste management
The Polokoane Declaration (adopted 26-28 September 2001) is concerned with reducing waste to zero in South Africa by year 2022. Therefore also in the Free State the key to achieving zero waste is to move from the current dominant focus on waste disposal to an integrated focus on preventing waste and generating new jobs and economic benefits from industries that re-use, re-manufacture and recycle products and materials which formerly ended upin landfills and incinerators.
Flowing from this, the focus in the Free State is to separate waste at source to be done through a waste disposal pricing policy. Landfill disposal charges should rise to an extent that people find sorting and recycling an alternative means of waste disposal. Local government should provide waste receptacles which encourage sorting at source for kerbside collection. From its side, industry should ensure point of sale return of products and packaging where the valuable resources are returned to the manufacture via the retailer, who will then have the opportunity to re-use or recycle them.
Therefore information dissemi-nation to increase awareness of the economic and environmental benefits to re-use and recycling forms an integral part of the zero waste program. Accordingly the following components of a public education program are being recommended to all stakeholders:
• In school and public education programs focus on recycling and waste reduction at home, work place and in public.
• Labelling requirements for all products and packaging to indicate (1) amount of recycled content, (2) re-use and recycling instructions and/or (3) industry take-back programs.
• Zero waste data gathering, analysis and reporting by the Department of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs, eg recycling- and re-use-related jobs, environmental savings, etc.
• Community waste audits and benchmarks that allow communities to know the types and quantities of waste generated locally and to establish suitable programs.
• Public recognition of innovative achievers in product redesign, alternative materials and waste reduction.

Synopsis
From the above exposition of environmental action programs being implemented as well as planned for the Free State, it is thus clear that the Provincial Department of Tourism, Environmental & Economic Affairs is determined to not only let the Free State keep pace with national as well as international steps towards enhancement of our life-sustaining natural habitat, but moreover to turn the Free State into one of the best places on Mother Earth to live in.