The Cableway has been leading the
way in responsible tourism for many years and has won a number of awards in
that time, including the auspicious Imvelo Award for its work in
sustainable development and being a responsible tourism provider.
The Cableway also has a Platinum
Heritage Environmental Rating and was inaugurated as one of the New 7
Wonders of Nature in December 2012.
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| Keeping Table Mountain pristine is one of the Cableway's sustainable development goals |
This week, February 11 to 17, is
Responsible Tourism Week, which aims to create better places for people to live
in and better places to visit. It makes positive contributions to natural and
cultural heritage, embraces diversity, involves local people in decisions that
affect them, and embraces environmentally positive ideals and
infrastructure.
In 2012 the Cableway was a finalist
in the Imvelo Awards for responsible tourism in the waste management category,
after being named the overall winner in 2011. The Imvelo Awards are funded by
the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa), in
association with the Department of Tourism, and is supported by Absa, the
Department of Water Affairs, Eskom, the Industrial Development Corporation and
Don’t Waste Services.
The Cableway takes its environmental
responsiblity seriously, as the mountain is ecologically sensitive. The company
operates in the Table Mountain National Park and the Cape Floritic Region World
Heritage Site. Since its inception in 1929, more than 22-million people have
visited the top of the mountain – which, of course, means that mountains of
waste have been generated over the years.
Being a winner and finalist in the
Imvelo Awards is, in part, due to the Cableway’s waste resource management
programme. The programme has seen a massive decline in waste to landfill.
The company saw a 62% reduction in
waste to landfill from July 2011 to June 2012, and recycling increased by 355%.
The improvement in waste management was achieved by focusing on three key areas:
general waste, dry recycling and hazardous waste.
In general waste, an in-house
recyler ensures that recyclable waste is removed from the general waste stream.
The number of wheelie bins collected between 2010 and 2012 has more than
halved, from an average of 52 bins per week to 23 bins per week.
Dry recycling has seen an increase
in the number of recyling bins for the Table Mountain Café; there are stainless
steel recyling bins at both the Upper and Lower Cable Stations. Even though the
Café does not sell beverages in cans, a can crusher is in operation for people
who carry their own refreshments to the top. Soda from fountains and beer on
tap are sold in recyclable PLA cups, and milk bought in recyclable bottles has
also resulted in less waste.
WastePlan removes the recyclable
waste to the City of Cape Town’s Kraaifontein Waste Management Facility, where
materials are sorted and then supplied to recycling companies.
Hazardous waste is also disposed of
in an environmentally responsible manner and specialist companies have been
appointed to dispose of hazardous waste in a responsible manner. Green Office
disposes of printer cartridges and toners, SaniTech, a registered medical waste
incinerator facility, removes sanitary waste, and fluorescent lights are crushed
and safely disposed of at a hazardous waste site.
Chemical toilets have been replaced
with self-contained recycling tiolets. Units were flown to the top on the
mountain and assembled in situ. The floor level of the ablutions and the
ceiling height were raised throughout, resulting in a natural feel as found in
every home, as opposed to the previous step-up toilets, which had their origins
in the aircraft industry.
