3 Tips To Become More Eco-Conscious

We can all do our part to protect our planet from pollution, climate change, and the general destructive nature of humans by taking a long, honest look at our daily habits. You may be surprised at how much you use natural resources and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions when you sit down and assess your daily behaviour.
If you’re looking to make a few changes in 2023, the habits below are a great place to start. It’s important to keep in mind: none of these habits are going to magically change the condition of our environment. But doing your part when you can to minimise your own carbon footprint in your daily life is a small, very worthwhile, step in the right direction.

1. Start composting.

According to WWF, in South Africa, 10 million tonnes of food go to waste every year. That’s a third of the 31 million tonnes produced annually in South Africa. 

Of this, fruits, vegetables and cereals account for 70% of the wastage and loss primarily throughout the food supply chain – from farm to fork.

Composting food scraps,organic household and garden waste such as paper, leaves and grass cuttings, are an easy way to keep these items out of landfills, where they contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. By composting them instead, you’ll lower your carbon footprint and end up with healthy, nutrient-rich soil. You can easily set up a compost area at home with minimal space requirements, or find out more about the community composting program

2. Use water more consciously.

Water is a precious resource that many of us take for granted. According to News24, the average family use 235 litres of water per day compared to a world average of 185 litres. Water conservation is easy, it just requires some thought and a few bad habits to break. For example, wait until the dishwasher is completely full before running it. When you’re hand-washing dishes, don’t leave the water running, turn it off when you’re not actively rinsing. You should do the same when brushing your teeth. Check if your showers, and toilets leak, and replace old fixtures with water-efficient ones. Not only is conserving water more eco-friendly, it’s much friendlier on your bank account too.

3. Buy fewer single-use plastics.

How many items do you buy that are packaged in or made of single-use plastics? As the name implies, single-use plastics are items you use once and then discard. Most single-use plastics end up in landfills or floating around in the environment littering our streets. You probably use plastic bags every day, but you also use plastic food containers, plastic dinnerware, plastic condiment bottles, plastic water bottles, and pretty much anything else in plastic packaging that you don’t reuse. When you can, try buying items packaged in glass or cardboard, more environmentally friendly material or a material that is recyclable. Bring your own glass jars to buy from the bulk section if your grocery store allows it. Carry around a reusable water bottle so you don’t need to buy plastic ones.

Making more eco-conscious decisions is clearly good for the planet, and it can even save your family some money along the way. You can start small if that feels more doable. Just making a few simple changes can have a huge impact, and it’s up to each of us to do our part. Above all else, becoming a more sustainable person is good example for those around us. 

John Bielich

Portfolio: Marketing

John has many years experience in the property industry, involved in viability studies and the marketing of commercial property development and execution of projects. His responsibilities as part of the asset management team are for property performance, portfolio upgrades and redevelopments, as well as new property development initiatives. 

Ielhaam Abrahams

Portfolio: Social

Ielhaam Abrahams of Growthpoint Properties Regional Office – Cape Town

Been in the property management industry for 22 years.  

Joined Growthpoint in 2012 and currently a Portfolio Manager.

Board member of the Women’s Property Network since 2019.

Serves as a Trustee on various Commercial Body Corporates.

Passionate about youth development specifically in the sporting community.


Emmanuel Wope

Portfolio: Cleansing

Fluent in English and French, Manu is an accomplished and serial entrepreneur, creative and hands-on strategist, successful trailblazer intrapreneur with over 30 years operational involvement in the international business at various capacities across Africa. Manu is a seasoned property entrepreneur and investor with several projects completed or planned in the greater Cape Town area.

Manu has served as Vice President of the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (the largest in South Africa) with over 2800 corporate members. Manu is a board member of the Groote Schuur CID and a director of the Voidcon group and Elsma Holdings. Manu currently sits on the Rosebank and Mowbray Civic Association (RMCA) executive committee.

Manu holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University New York, a Master of Science from the French Petroleum Institute–IFP- Paris and a MSc Engineering from Cameroon Polytechnic School of Engineering.

Peter Makgoba

Portfolio: Finance, Vice Chairman

Peter Shai Makgoba holds a Master’s Degree in Public Governance and Management and is currently Director: Risk Compliance and Relationship Management the University of Cape Town (UCT) where he is responsible for the Fees Office, Risk and Relationship Management.

Part of his responsibilities include managing Fees Office, risks to the University, its employees, customers, reputation, assets and the interests of stakeholders by identifying and managing all threats to the achievement of its objectives.

In addition, Peter is responsible for governance and oversight of all earmarked grants, liaison with some funders and ensuring compliance with their requirements, as well as fostering and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders. At UCT, Shai is part of the Risk Management Committee, Audit Committee, Finance Committee, Joint Investment Committee, Student Financial Aid Committee and Skills Development Committee.

Prior to joining the University of Cape Town, Peter was Chief Director at the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) where his responsibilities encompassed amongst others, working with universities and other stakeholders within the higher education sector, managing the review of the funding framework, developing or revising financial policies and instruments for earmarked grants for universities, and overseeing the analysis and the publication of information on the resourcing of the university system.

Jonathan Hobday

Portfolio: Environmental Upgrade

Roland September

Portfolio: Security

Roland September took office as risk services manager in January, succeeding John Tunstall, who retired at the end of 2009.

Prior to his appointment, September had been traffic manager at UCT since 1999.

Among other gigs, he also did some security work in laidback New Zealand for Group Four Security, where he was security advisor at some big-name events, his first being a concert that double-headlined Billy Joel and Elton John.


Gregg Huntingford

Portfolio: Finance, Chairman

CEO of Spire Properties

BA (ECON) (Willam and Mary, Usa), LLB, MBA (UCT)

Gregg started his work career as a lawyer, then moved to the property industry. Having worked in the listed sector for one of the largest listed funds, as well having managed private client portfolios, he has a wide experience in the portfolio and asset management arena.

He has managed a successful commercial division for a number of years within the listed property sector. He has been involved in developments, sales and acquisitions and has a wealth of experience in letting commercial property, and is well known to the brokering community.

Gregg serves and has served as a Trustee on several Boards, in the sectional title and improvement district spheres. He is passionate about the property sector and views it as a major engine for growth in the economy.

Vernon Van Wyk: Contract Supervisor

Vernon has been employed by the GSCID as a Contract Supervisor for about three years. He has years of previous security experience in surveillance and supervision and stands him in good stead in his current role within the operations sector of the GSCID.

He enjoys the opportunity the position brings to meet an array of people and to help uplift the community. He is always hands on working in the field with our partners and various law enforcement agencies. He is seen as a role model and a brilliant educator.

Ivor Manuel: Cleaning Manager

Ivor has previously worked as a contract supervisor for the GSCID. He has been the Cleaning Manager for about 2 years.

He works passionately alongside his cleansing team within our boundary which includes and is not limited to; weeding, channel cleaning, removing graffiti, picking up dirt and drain cleaning. He goes above and beyond to ensure the area is looking clean.

Nicole Sylvester – Receptionist

Nicole Sylvester has recently started working for GSCID.

 “I am a self-starter with strong interpersonal skills. I work efficiently both as an individual contributor as well as along with a team. I seek new challenges and try to think out of the box while looking for creative solutions to a given problem. In my free time I love hiking and being out in nature, I also prefer spending my weekends exploring new things.

At GSCID I have found to work with people who are very family-orientated, there is always joy within the office and always a helping hand. Since I have started, I was made to feel comfortable and welcomed, I never felt out of place and still feel like I have been part of the team for many years”.

Bronwin Benting : Office Administrator

Bronwin has been working in the security division of the GSCID for a year and two months where she was exposed to all the other departments of the GSCID. During this time, she has become enthralled by the work and objectives of the CID.

“I have always loved helping others and when I started working here, it gave me such a great purpose. I always start the day with a smile on my dial, every day is a different day as thus far I have learnt so much by just being around everyone at GSCID. I look forward to starting my new journey in assisting the General Manager Barbara Breedt, I believe I can only do my best in trying to allow for things to run smoothly”.

Ingrid Frieslaar: Social Outreach Manager

Ingrid has been with the GSCID since 21st September 2010, Ingrid has worked in Claremont and Wynberg previously. She has always been willing to help any person whenever she is able to, no obstacle has ever held her back from interacting with anyone in the field.

She initiates and manages the homeless in the GSCID Boundary to assist the GSCID Cleaning team. She has vast set of skills as a field worker, she has a open door policy not only for her homeless clients but Chrysalis interns too. She has built many wonderful relationships with so many organisations, thus allowing her to assist anyone who needs help rapidly.

Barbara Breedt: General Manager

Barbara Breedt has been GSCID General Manager Since July 2019. Ms Breedt previously held the post of Station Commander at Rondebosch SAPS for four years.

She has 32 years of policing experience with extensive knowledge of security and operational management matters, as well as crime prevention.

Ms Breedt believes that her experience will enable her to always offer support and add value to the GSCID’s short- and long-term strategies.

Dr Max Price’s call to the community

 

“At the heart of UCT’s mission is the desire to contribute significantly to society through high quality research, inspired teaching and learning and the development of outstanding graduates, underpinning global efforts to understand our natural and social worlds. We also want to contribute directly to local communities through the education we offer to their children, as a significant employer and through social outreach activities. To achieve our mission, there is a critical need for a vibrant engagement between ‘town and gown.’

The University of Cape Town’s teaching and research facilities cover a significant footprint within this community. Our staff and students live here and contribute in diverse ways to the economy of this area. While UCT brings great value to the areas surrounding the university, we acknowledge that we also contribute to some of the challenges. UCT, with our neighbours, face issues of crime, grime, transport, housing and so on.

Our role and responsibility within the local community require meaningful dialogue between the university and our external stakeholders. It also demands credible partnerships which recognise our interlinking and, occasionally, divergent sets of interests. It is this need – and serious intent – to forge a new social compact with local businesses, property owners and residents, that has brought UCT into the partnership with the Groote Schuur Community Improvement District (GSCID).

We want to be a good corporate neighbour and encourage our students to be good citizens of this area. We want to contribute towards a precinct which is safer, cleaner and more enjoyable for residents, businesses and visitors alike. We want to facilitate urban renewal along the Main Road business districts through appropriate re-development opportunities. These approaches will affirm UCT’s objective to be a world-class university – the premier academic meeting point between Africa and the world.

We look forward to partnering with you in the GSCID.”