The story of waste - an organic waste recycling park in Pretoria

Abstract

The main focus of the project is to tell the story of waste - to improve awareness and to help people grasp the colossal problem of landfill space running out! Currently, only 5% of the 3 million tons of waste, produced by Tshwane per year, is being recycled at landfill sites and yet 80% of the waste is recyclable! (Dekker, F. 2012) Where will we go with all of our waste when there’s no space left for landfill sites? What would happen if landfill sites start to take over our parks and green open spaces?! We need to start thinking green and recycle in order to prevent this from happening. The idea behind the design is to change the visitors’ perception of waste by allowing the visitors to go through a process of discovery in order to experience and become aware of the problem and value of waste in a fun and exciting way. The project is multifaceted with a variety of activities and spaces that contribute to the story of waste being told - educating the visitors about the endless possibilities of recycled waste and how they can make a difference by recycling and using waste as a resource.