From wonder boxes to recycled headboards and worm farming, East London’s first Big Green Expo at Lavender Blue showcased the way forward in sustainable living.
The expo, held over three days in a series of tents, ended on Saturday with scores of East Londoners making their way from stall to stall seeking solutions to energy saving and waste management.
Eager shoppers clustered around Christo Carlsen’s stand snapping up solar-charged lamps to shed light during load-shedding.
“People are looking for reading lights that work off a battery when Eskom drops you,” said Carlsen.
Clutching her newly-purchased portable solar light, Nikite Muller said it would be used when load-shedding coincided with homework time for her Grade 1 daughter Hannah.
“This one is LED and solar-panelled so it’s a good solution,” said Muller.
At the Wessa and Green Living East London stand a bright red, puffy wonder box drew browsers’ attention.
The fuel-saving box, which is based on the historical “hay box” of war-time England, works like a vacuum flask, cooking hot food or keeping cold food chilly.
“For instance you can cook rice for just a minute on your stove and then put the pot into the wonder box and 40 minutes later it will have cooked it for you,” said Kerry McLean. “It drastically reduces electricity bills and is great for load-shedding.”
Sitting in a tent devoted to informative talks about litter sorting, edible weeds and worm farming, Tarirai Mpofu said he had just listened to a talk about composting.
“I do organic food gardening at the East London IDZ (Industrial Development Zone) and we have compost heaps, but I learnt about a different way of aerobic compost-making. It was very interesting. This expo has really brought people together to share information.”
Gina Linden of Bolunga Electronic Waste offered a solution to those who have cupboard space cluttered with broken kettles, irons, cellphones and computer paraphernalia.
“Bring it to us and we will recycle it,” she said. “We are a small company in Chiselhurst and we are here to make people aware, because most of them know what to do with cardboard and glass, but not electronic stuff.”
Well-known East London potter and teacher Eloise Mogg of Mogg’s Pottery, who presented talks on raku firing and clay, handed out lumps of sticky grey clay and urged people to fashion them into any shape they desired.
“Handling clay is therapeutic and taking time to do, so it is also a green pursuit because it makes you slow down and be more present.”
Big Green Expo co-organiser Richard Patten, of Waste Management Systems, said there were many innovative individuals and companies in the city involved in recycling but they were hampered by a lack of nearby municipal refuse sites and recycling depots.
“The refuse site is 30km away in Berlin and no-one wants to take it there so they phone me to collect it or throw it in the street.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Practical ways of ’going green’
The expo, held over three days in a series of tents, ended on Saturday with scores of East Londoners making their way from stall to stall seeking solutions to energy saving and waste management.
Eager shoppers clustered around Christo Carlsen’s stand snapping up solar-charged lamps to shed light during load-shedding.
“People are looking for reading lights that work off a battery when Eskom drops you,” said Carlsen.
Clutching her newly-purchased portable solar light, Nikite Muller said it would be used when load-shedding coincided with homework time for her Grade 1 daughter Hannah.
“This one is LED and solar-panelled so it’s a good solution,” said Muller.
At the Wessa and Green Living East London stand a bright red, puffy wonder box drew browsers’ attention.
The fuel-saving box, which is based on the historical “hay box” of war-time England, works like a vacuum flask, cooking hot food or keeping cold food chilly.
“For instance you can cook rice for just a minute on your stove and then put the pot into the wonder box and 40 minutes later it will have cooked it for you,” said Kerry McLean. “It drastically reduces electricity bills and is great for load-shedding.”
Sitting in a tent devoted to informative talks about litter sorting, edible weeds and worm farming, Tarirai Mpofu said he had just listened to a talk about composting.
“I do organic food gardening at the East London IDZ (Industrial Development Zone) and we have compost heaps, but I learnt about a different way of aerobic compost-making. It was very interesting. This expo has really brought people together to share information.”
Gina Linden of Bolunga Electronic Waste offered a solution to those who have cupboard space cluttered with broken kettles, irons, cellphones and computer paraphernalia.
“Bring it to us and we will recycle it,” she said. “We are a small company in Chiselhurst and we are here to make people aware, because most of them know what to do with cardboard and glass, but not electronic stuff.”
Well-known East London potter and teacher Eloise Mogg of Mogg’s Pottery, who presented talks on raku firing and clay, handed out lumps of sticky grey clay and urged people to fashion them into any shape they desired.
“Handling clay is therapeutic and taking time to do, so it is also a green pursuit because it makes you slow down and be more present.”
Big Green Expo co-organiser Richard Patten, of Waste Management Systems, said there were many innovative individuals and companies in the city involved in recycling but they were hampered by a lack of nearby municipal refuse sites and recycling depots.
“The refuse site is 30km away in Berlin and no-one wants to take it there so they phone me to collect it or throw it in the street.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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