Pictured above: WESSA Project manager Daniel Jackson engaging learners at Namaqualand High School about the different plastic recycling codes during an assembly
From 5–8 May 2026, WESSA and eWASA launched school recycling programmes at 10 schools in Springbok and surrounding areas in the Northern Cape. The sessions brought together learners, teachers and school staff to build practical knowledge of recycling and establish systems that can support more responsible waste management at school level.
The participating schools included:
- Hoërskool Namaqualand
- Primêre Skool Springbok
- Dr Izak van Niekerk Primary School
- Okiep Primary School
- Okiep High School
- Concordia Primary School
- Sacred Heart Primary School
- St Cyprians Primary School
- Ferdinand Brecher Primary School
- Steinkopf High School
Turning knowledge into action
During the education sessions, learners and teachers were introduced to the recycling process and took part in separation-at-source activities. These practical demonstrations showed participants how to correctly separate and sort their waste, helping to make recycling a more accessible part of everyday school life.
Each school received three recycling bins, as well as two bulk-bag stands with bulk bags, to support the start of its recycling journey.
The launch sessions were supported by Lifestone Recycling, which guided schools on which materials can and cannot be recycled and explained how the collection process will be implemented at each school. The Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development & Land Reform also joined the sessions in support of the initiative.
Pictured above: (Top left) The eco-committee at Dr Izak van Niekerk Primary School with their new recycling bins; (top right) Recycling education assembly at Steinkopf High; (bottom left & right) Okiep Primary School – Separation at source activity & Lifestone Recycling explaining the recycling collection process
Creating sustainable systems at school level
Providing recycling infrastructure is an important step, but the project is also focused on strengthening understanding and encouraging lasting behaviour change.
Through the sessions, learners and teachers gained practical knowledge of responsible waste management and improved their ability to separate recyclable materials at source. The new bins and bulk bags provide the participating schools with the tools needed to begin building sustainable recycling initiatives of their own.
By helping schools turn waste management education into daily action, the eWASA and WESSA Schools Waste Management and Education Project is supporting a culture of environmental responsibility that can extend beyond the classroom and into the wider community.
Pictured above: : Recycling Bins donated to Primêre Skool Springbok; Recycling education with the eco-committee at Ferdinand Brecher Primary School facilitated by Daniel Jackson, WESSA Project Manager