Recycling Basics

THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER RECYCLE:

Aerosol cans: They contain harmful chemicals

Batteries

Dyed paper

Ceramics and pottery

Diapers/Nappies: If you want to be a green parent, make sure to buy the biodegradable kind

Household glass: This includes mirrors, light bulbs, windows and dinnerware, Pyrex and ceramics

Medical waste: This is a no-brainer!

Juice boxes:  Some brands have introduced recyclable boxes, so check the packaging first

Napkins and paper towels: Because of the grime and substances they may have absorbed, it's best to leave these out

Pizza boxes: Notoriously greasy, pizza boxes don't recycle well

Plastic bags (most) and plastic wrap: Unfortunately, these items can't be recycled

Polystyrene food trays

Wax or plastic coated packaging for food or liquid: like dog or cat food sachets, soup pouches, take-away boxes – all no-no's

Wet paper: The fibers in wet paper are often damaged and no good for recycling purposes

*Most plastics are not recyclable in South Africa, so always check for a recycling logo for guidance. Here are the recycling logos and some examples of what falls under them:

PET – POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE – recyclable ✓

e.g. Bottles used for water, soft drinks, cooking oils, dishwashing liquid and juice, as well as plastic fruit trays

HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE – recyclable ✓

You'll find this logo on milk bottles, cleaning products, cosmetics, shampoos and toiletries, crates and motor oils, and thin plastic bags among others

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE – mostly recyclable ✓

PVC has been described as a "difficult" plastic. Its use is being phased out – in many cases it is being replaced by PET. Try to avoid buying products with PVC packaging, but if you can't avoid it, it is unlikely to be recycled so the Plastics Federation of SA's advice is to just throw it away with ordinary rubbish

LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE – recyclable ✓

Number 4 plastic is used to make rubbish bags, frozen veggie bags, building film, some squeezable bottles and cosmetic tubs.

e.g. Thin plastic bags used for sliced bread, milk bags, six pack shrink wraps for beer, magazine wrappers, bulk toilet roll wrappers, fruit and vegetable bags, bubble wrap, thick shopping bags

POLYPROPYLENE - not recyclable x

This type of plastic is used in bottles, ice cream, yoghurt, margarine and butter tubs, ready-made meal trays, fruit trays, plastic straws, microwave dishes, kettles, garden furniture, lunch boxes, packaging tape and bottle caps

               

POLYSTYRENE - not recyclable x

There are two kinds of polystyrene: high-impact, from which products like coat hangers and yoghurt cups are made, and expanded polystyrene, from which meat and vegetable trays are made.

VARIETY OF OTHER PLASTICS INCLUDING ENGINEERING PLASTICS - not recyclable x

#7 is not the type of plastic you're likely to recycle at home. And, according to the Plastic Federation of SA, it is not recycled in South Africa at the moment, so put it in the dustbin

UNMARKED PLASTICS

Advice from the Plastics Federation of SA is that if you have plastics not marked with a logo, but you think they may be recyclable, put them in a separate plastic bag, and drop them into the cage with the number 4 plastics. The recycling companies that collect the material from the drop-off sites will sort it out

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST …

We've all heard about how waste is impacting our oceans and the associated marine life, but spare a thought for domestic and wild animals as well.

Cats, dogs, birds etc. who are hungry and in search of food, often get their heads or feet stuck inside bottles and cans, which can lead to a terrible lingering death. This can be very easily minimised if we follow the following recommendations –

• Always rinse out containers to remove any residue or odours – whether recycling or throwing away – make sure there is nothing left to attract an animal
• Put lids firmly back on jars (so little heads don't get stuck inside the neck)
• Cut the lids completely off tin cans, place inside (the washed tin) and crush
• Crush drink cans (so little paws don't get caught inside)
• Cut each loop in plastic six-pack rings/beer can holders
• Always dispose of left over food inside sealed, leak proof bags
• Cut elastic bands, string etc.
• Tie knots in plastic bags before discarding

Always check your rubbish and recycling with animals in mind – does it pose a potential threat to their welfare? If in doubt, cut it up.

Let's teach each other and our children about the need for responsible waste removal and how to protect animals from injury at dumpsites/landfills.

Remember we have a wonderful recycling plant just across the Wetton Road intersection, on Rosmead Avenue. 

They happily recycle almost anything and are very friendly and helpful. And it's FREE.

Article by Madge Gibson of Harfield Village

www.harfield-village.co.za

www.facebook.com/harfield.village.community

Patchwork | August in the Garden

Spring is in the air, even though every last drop of rain we can get is greatly needed at the moment!

The temperatures are warming up and that means it's time to start planting.

As we head into Spring/Summer, the plant list just gets longer and longer!

This month, here's the plant list:

Basil, Broad Beans, Beetroot, Butternut, Cape Gooseberry, Cauliflower, Carrots, Chard/Spinach, Celery, Chives, Chilli Pepper, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kale, Kohlrabi, Globe Artichokes, Leek, Leaf Mustard, Lettuce, Onion, Parsley, Parsnip, Peas, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rhubarb, Sweetcorn, Sweet Pepper, Turnip, Tomato, Watercress, Watermelon.

Patchwork Group

Harfield Village

Dental Care for Pets - Kenilworth Vet

Looking after your pets’ teeth is just as important as looking after your own and yet many pet owners neglect this essential

part of their pets health. This month we are going to look again at dental care and why it is so important .

As humans we are able to brush our teeth as often as we like. We know that by doing this we are removing bacteria that can build up on the teeth causing tooth decay and gum disease.   

     

The same thing applies to your pets teeth but because most of us don’t brush our dogs teeth bacteria is always present.

How tartar builds up:

When bacteria dies it becomes calcified and forms a hard substance called tartar or calculus on the teeth.

Once this foundation has been laid down calculus can continue to build up on itself eventually forming a hard covering on the teeth. It pushes the gum away from the tooth opening up areas for infection:

This results in:

gingivitis - inflammation of the gums

The gums look very red and bleed easily. As the gum becomes infected and inflamed it loses its ability to protect the tooth. This exposes the root cavity to more infection. Eventually the tissue surrounding the tooth is destroyed and the bony socket holding the tooth erodes away, teeth can become loose or can even become ankalosed – fixed in a bony mass.

Dental disease can have serious side effects on your pets’ health,  the presence of bacteria can lead to systemic infection causing:

• lack of appetite –reluctance to eat
• general ill health
• heart problems – bacterial endocarditis

Your pet can have severe dental problems and appear to show no symptoms. The amount of dental pain an animal suffers is not fully understood but your pets’ health will still be affected.

What can you do?

Although there are finger toothbrushes and special toothpastes available we don’t expect everyone to suddenly start brushing their pets teeth! However, there are lots of things that can improve your pets dental hygiene.

i) chews and pellets can help to remove tartar. There are even dental chews available designed to do this

ii) get your vet to check your pets teeth even if you are going to visit for something else.

ii) be aware- if you notice your pet has bad breath , salivates more or doesn’t seem to be so keen to eat.

NB : Cats can be particularly intolerant to teeth brushing and suspicious of dental treats!

What can we do?

The Vet will normally check your pet

thoroughly when you visit for your pets

annual booster vaccination. This is often

the time we pick up problems that the owner may not be aware of, depending on the severity of the problem we can do various procedures :

Dental Scale and Polish

If there is just a build-up of tartar on the teeth we can clean and polish them. Just the same as a your visit to the dental hygienist!

Extractions

Teeth that have been compromised can be extracted and your pet will be treated with antibiotics if necessary.

In severe cases a patient may need to be referred to a dental specialist.

It is important to note that almost all dental procedures are performed under general anaesthetic.

So keep your pets’ mouth healthy  !

smile!

Kenilworth Vet

Harfield Village

Are you drinking enough water?

Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, and because our bodies lose water through the day, you have to drink water every day!  Water is lost through the kidneys, faeces and skin as well as through breathing.  This amounts to about 2.3 litres in a day in normal conditions.  We can replenish this lost water through drinking and eating.

It is not always easy to be know when you are thirsty, especially if you are not drinking enough water.  The following as a general guide:

Body weight in kg divided by 10 PLUS 2 = amount of glasses of water (1 glass = 250ml). 

You may need more or less depending on how active you are, how hot it is, and whether you are in an air-conditioned office.

Water is the best hydration liquid, but there are quite a few varieties to choose from:

Tap water undergoes treatment which ensures it is free of harmful micro-organisms and contaminants and is therefore perfectly safe to drink.  South Africa’s national standard of water quality compares well with the World Health Organisation standards.

Bottled water is also a good choice.  However, most people choose bottled water because they believe that it is safer and healthier than tap water.  The regulations for bottled water are not as strict as those for tap water as FDA rules often don’t have the same prohibitions that municipal water has.  It has also been stated that 40% of bottled water originates from the tap, with added minerals or filtration!

Sparkling water is carbonated with carbon dioxide under pressure.  This will cause the body no harm, but may produce a small amount of flatulence and possibly gastric distension.  If those symptoms don’t occur when you drink sparkling water, then this water is just as good substitute to still water for some variety.

What about cold water versus warm water.  There is no difference once the water reaches your stomach.  Whether ice cold or boiling water, just make sure you serve yourself the water in a way that will make you drink more, not less!

Flavoured and vitamin waters are the one’s you need to be careful of.  The reason they taste so good is because they have added sugar (yes, even the vitamin water!)  The amount of sugar is equivalent to 8 teaspoons of sugar!  This makes them very ‘expensive’ from a calorie perspective.  Even if you are happy with your weight, these waters give you nothing but energy (no extra vitamins, minerals and other goodness), so they would not be the best nutritional choice. 

There are other ‘fluids’ that you can choose which will rehydrate you.  They include milk (it goes without saying that this should be low fat or preferably fat free), fruit juice (just watch the calories if you are weight conscious – 125ml = 1 fruit) and herbal teas.  Try not to drink Ceylon tea, coffee and fizzy drinks too often as they contain caffeine which stimulates water loss.

Tips to get into better water drinking habits:

• Keep a jug or bottle of water on your desk – when you see it you’ll be more likely to drink it
• Drink from a larger glass. Psychologically you feel like you are drinking less!
• Start your day with a glass of warm water with lemon slices or sliced ginger or mint leaves
• Drinking first thing in the morning will get your system ‘awake’ and boost your metabolism
• Keep a water bottle in your car or while traveling and drink from it to and from work
• Drink a glass of water every time you make a cup of tea/coffee
• Delegate and ask someone responsible (PA, spouse, colleague) to encourage you to drink water or to make it available
• Use a phone app to remind you to drink water regularly
• Add lemon slices, mint, parsley, any fresh fruit or small amount of fruit juice to flavour your water
• Make herbal teas using lemon slices, orange slices, apple, mint leaves, parsley, ginger, etc… and allow them to cool. Add ice and enjoy!

Kim Hofmann RD(SA)

Phone: 021 674 4666

Cell: 084 206 2715

E-mail: kimh.rd@mweb.co.za

Website: www.nourishdieticians.co.za

Lyn's Recipe - Microwave Chocolate Cake

This cake is quick and easy and wonderfully moist.  It is baked in an ice cream bakkie.

INGREDIENTS:

250mls flour

37,5mls cocoa

2 eggs, beaten

20mls baking powder

50mls oil

250mls caster sugar

250mls hot water

5mls vanilla

Spray ice cream bakkie.

METHOD:

Mix cocoa, water and vanilla

Add eggs and oil

Add wet to dry

Whisk for one minute

Cook on high for 7 minutes.

Lyn Staples

NORGARB PROPERTIES

Tel +27 21 674 1120 / +27 82 846 0739

HVCID - August News

Dear Residents

AVOID A HIJACK SITUATION
We unfortunately had an incident of attempted hijacking in the Village recently. Luckily the resident was not harmed and the suspects were disturbed before they were able to steal the vehicle. There are some basic security tips which you can follow to lessen your risk of being a hijacking victim:

• 2km from your house strategy. Be extra alert. Switch off the car radio and concentrate on your surroundings.
• Remember to stop your vehicle just on the inside of the gate and select reverse whilst waiting for the gate to close. This creates confusion and may buy you a few seconds for the gate to close completely behind you.
• Check your driveway and street before you leave or enter your premises.
• Make sure your driveway is well lit and clear from shrubbery where perpetrators can hide.
• Be aware of unknown pedestrians close to your residential address – if there are, do not turn into your driveway – pass and go back later.

Click here for more information.

HAS YOUR MOBILE PHONE BEEN STOLEN OR LOST?

There are a handful of phone recovery or anti-theft apps which can be a lifesaver in case you lose your phone or, even worse, it gets stolen. But many people might only realize that there are such apps AFTER it got lost or stolen. Then, it usually is too late and you have to face the ugly truth that the phone is gone for good.

For more information on how to track your android smartphone click here or for your iphone click here.

Kind regards

JENNI COLEMAN

Manager - Harfield Village Community Improvement District (HVCID)

admin@hvcid.co.za            +27 (0)81 412 6109

HOLDING ON TO THE TENANT’S DEPOSIT

Disputes relating to a landlord's rights with regard to the return of a tenant's deposit on termination of a residential lease agreement reach our offices with increased frequency. Most of these could have been avoided had the parties appreciated how critical it is to follow the prescripts of the Rental Housing Act with regards to the keeping of a deposit and the ingoing and outgoing inspections. In the note that follows, we provide a guideline of the applicable principles. 1. Is a deposit obligatory? No, our law does not stipulate that in order to be valid, a lease agreement must provide for a deposit. However, it is practice to make provision for a deposit as it safeguards the landlord to a great extent. The Rental Housing Act does determine, where a deposit is called for in a lease, that the amount thereof must be disclosed in the agreement or be agreed to between the parties before the tenant moves into the premises. 2. Amount and purpose of the deposit Tenants often query the reasonableness of the deposit required by the landlord. In law there is no limit on the amount that the landlord may prescribe (provided it does not constitute an attempt to discriminate against potential tenants on the basis of their sex, race, religion, nationality, age and other prohibited grounds of discrimination). The deposit is essentially a tool with which the landlord covers the risk of loss on termination of the lease. The risks generally lie in collection of money owing, incurring expenses to repair damage caused by the tenant and recovery of outstanding arrear rentals. Related to the last-mentioned, tenants often think that the deposit may be used to pay the last month's rental or to cover a month's skipped rental. But this is generally nor allowed and unless the agreement makes provision therefor, a tenant cannot apply the deposit in this way – understandably, as the landlord then loses the availability of the funds for their safeguarding purpose. The deposit is usually equal to one or two months' rental, but in high-end rentals it can be much more so as to be aligned to the increased cost of repairing the designer finishings and fittings of such premises. 3. Landlord's obligation to invest the deposit The Rental Housing Act requires the landlord to issue a receipt and then to invest the deposit in an interest bearing account for the benefit of the tenant. The interest may not be less than the rate applicable to a savings account with the financial institution where the deposit is banked. The interest accrues for the benefit of the tenant and the landlord must account to the tenant. The landlord is obliged to provide written proof of the accrued interest to the tenant upon request. There is an exception where the deposit is kept by the landlord's estate agent. In such instances, and in accordance with the Estate Agency Affairs Act, the default position is that interest accrues to the Estate Agents Fidelity Fund and not to the tenant. This is however negotiable and it is therefore important for a tenant to discuss this aspect and arrange that the interest accrues for the tenant's benefit, before concluding the lease. 4. Return of the deposit and importance of ingoing and outgoing inspection In terms of the Rental Housing Act, a landlord (and/or his appointed agent - which is usually the case where an estate agent manages the lease) and tenant must do a joint ingoing inspection of the premises before the tenant takes occupation. The purpose of the joint investigation is to record (in writing) all visible defects and/or existing damages in the premises, both on the inside and the outside. The ingoing inspection forms part of the lease agreement and should be annexed to the lease, signed and dated by both parties.  (Ideally, the parties can also choose to photograph the premises beforehand, as additional record. With modern cellphone technology, this is quite feasible.) The ingoing inspection must be done thoroughly and accurately as it forms the basis of determining damages caused to the premises by the tenant during his/her tenure. The outgoing inspection is equally important as it is at this time that the damage to the premises that are for the tenant's account and which the landlord is entitled to claim from the tenant's deposit, if any, is determined. In essence, the condition of the premises on termination is compared with the condition on commencement, using the ingoing inspection report as a basis to identify damages for which the tenant is responsible. But landlords, beware: the Rental Housing Act provides that should the landlord fail to inspect the premises jointly with the tenant within 3 days prior to termination, then it is deemed to be an acknowledgement by the owner-landlord that the premises are in a good and proper state of repair. The landlord will then have no further claim against the tenant and the full deposit and interest must be returned to the tenant. 5. When must the deposit (and interest) be refunded? The Act sets out specific time periods within which the deposit must be refunded. The length of time is dependent on the repairs necessary, as follows: • 7 days after expiration of the lease if no repairs are required; • where repairs are necessary, 14 days after the repairs have been effected. Note that if a tenant refuses to carry out a joint inspection of the premises before the lease expires, the landlord has 7 days in which to complete an inspection of his own. The landlord must thereafter attend to any repairs that may be required and refund the balance of the deposit, if any, to the tenant within 21 days of the expiration of the lease. The landlord must keep a record of all receipts as proof of the repairs carried out as the tenant is entitled to inspect what amounts have been deducted from the deposit. The importance of properly and thoroughly executing the ingoing and outgoing inspections cannot be over-emphasised in avoiding disputes in respect of a landlord's claim against a tenant's deposit. For assistance with all your property-related queries, contact Martin Sheard at MartinS@stbb.co.za or at 021 673 4700. STBB Claremont