The current waste management area at Wolwedans Village was built 20 years ago and has become inadequate for our needs. Space constraints make proper waste sorting and effective management impossible. Also, the current facility is situated in the heart of the Village, whereas when it was built, this location was on the (then smaller) Village periphery. Even when kept neat and tidy, waste is a messy (and at times smelly) affair and its location should therefore be shifted. Access for the waste removal truck that takes waste to Windhoek for safe disposal and recycling has become difficult as well, with too many trees in the way.

A new facility would address these challenges and have ample storage cages enclosed with fine mesh so the wind cannot carry any trash away and pollute the desert and so that waste cannot be easily accessed by the wildlife with whom we share this unique desert habitat. It will be state of art and feature prominently with every Heart & Home Tour. The old facility will not go to waste (pun intended) though; it will be converted into a mushroom house/ farm as part of our horticulture activities.

While logistical and capacity needs must be addressed, Wolwedans acknowledges that the first priority is to minimise the volume of waste created and thereafter to reuse it as a resource to meet other needs. Two priority projects to address this will be to build a small-scale water bottling plant in order to eliminate plastic water bottles from our waste stream, and to launch a “Trash2Treasure” drive with activities such as crushing cans and glass, flattening boxes for roof insulation, making bottle bricks from existing plastic bottles, etc. Visit our Projects section to learn more about these exciting waste reduction and reuse initiatives.

In addition to continuously pursuing opportunities to maximise waste reduction and reuse, residual waste and recycling will be compressed for efficient transport to registered waste management facilities. Hazardous waste, such as used engine and cooking oil, will continue to be safely collected and sold to oil recyclers in Windhoek (and eventually perhaps to new businesses established through the Desert Based Economy…).

The overall impact of these efforts will be to ensure that Wolwedans is taking a professional and responsible approach to waste management best practice, with the immediate objectives of building a new waste management facility, and launching our water bottling plant and Trash2Treasure projects.