Gauteng Smallholder November 2016 | Page 25

ENVIRONMENT How to reduce your household rubbish B y doing some strategic separation of waste, and recycling the results, it's amazing how little needs to go into your municipal rubbish system. Glass, plastic, tins and paper and board are all much- sought after by commercial recyclers who, if telephoned a day or so beforehand, will pitch up and cart off the piles. To help them it is better to sort this material beforehand and, of course, any paper and board destined for the recyclers should be stored under cover. Fruit and vegetable peelings, unused stems and stalks, pips, eggshells, teabags, mouldy bread and just about any dry foodstuff that has gone stale or is found to contain weevils can be composted, or added to a worm farm. Coffee grounds and the dregs from your coffee plunger or percolator can be used as a gentle acidifying agent on From page 21 industry are replacing their flowering eucalypts with nonflowering species that produce longer fibre wood for the paper industry. The simple solution is to stop just cutting down the eucalyptus trees, plant more trees and make these woodlots available to the beekeepers who need these carry over sites to strengthen their swarms for the future crop seasons. More beekeepers would come into this field which at present is lacking beekeepers because of the shortage of forage for their bees during the period between pollination seasons. Article by Peter Clark, e-mail [email protected] and at 011 362-2904, chairman of the Eastern Highveld Beekeepers’ Association, at present offering a mentoring and consulting service to emerging beekeepers wishing to take up the craft. Contact Mike Alter, secretary of the Eastern Highveld Beekeeper's Association at 011 965-6040 for association matters and bee swarm removals. abilities as an export trade for their country, and are at present calling for mentors to assist them. K Trees for the paper 23 www.sasmallholder.co.za Continued on page 25 BEEKEEPING