epaselect epa10374763 A man walks across Muizenberg beach in Cape Town, South Africa, 20 December 2022. With Cape Town in peak tourist season some pristine beaches have been closed due to sewage pollution. In the past week both Muizenberg and Fish Hoek beaches have been closed at stages by authorities concerned of potential gastrointestinal issues due to sewage. Organisation ActionSA Western Cape chairperson Michelle Wasserman said sewage infrastructure in the city had worsened over the past few years. The city of Cape Town is monitoring water contamination levels and opens and closes the beaches according to contamination levels. EPA-EFE/NIC BOTHMA 
Four New Year’s resolutions for a healthier environment
By Viniece Jennings
When many people think of New Year’s resolutions, they brainstorm ways to improve themselves for the year ahead. What if we expanded those aspirations to include resolutions that benefit our communities, society and the planet, too?
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/nick-fewings-4dI5OP2Ee64-unsplash.jpeg "Image: Nick Fewings / Unsplash")
Watch your steps – consider your carbon footprint and travel in eco-friendly style
By Jamie Venter
South Africans are becoming more conscious of the environmental impacts of their holiday trips. Likewise, the tourism industry is looking at ways to cater for travellers who care about the planet.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/P12-travelcarbonfootprint.jpg "Photo: Unsplash")
Coffin? Casket? Cremation? How to make your death more environmentally friendly
By Paola Magni and Edda Guareschi
Burial land is running low in certain parts of the world. It’s about time we started to consider the environmental cost of our final resting place.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/vidar-nordli-mathisen-o9No1fiJSuc-unsplash.jpg "Image: Vidar Nordli Mathisen for Unsplash")
Sustainable solutions for a new generation of self-starters
By Julia Evans
Young entrepreneurs are coming up with sustainable and innovative businesses that are creating job opportunities and boosting the circular economy in South Africa. And they have no intention of leaving their communities behind.
Why biodegradable packaging might not be… biodegradable
By Malibongwe Tyilo
There’s a perception that product packaging labelled as ‘biodegradable’ will simply degrade in a matter of months, reducing litter and making for good compost. That is not always the case. In fact, it can be worse for the environment.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/Oped-DeKock-PlasticTW-MM-option-2.jpg "A shop assistant packs biodegradable bags. (Photo: Gallo Images / Netwerk24 / Jaco Marais)")
Understanding the climate crisis – YouTube channels, podcasts and free online resources
By Tevya Turok Shapiro
If you’re strapped for time or energy to engage with detailed written articles, try these instead and get quickly clued up on the science around our climate crisis.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/kurzgezagt.jpeg "Image: Kurzgesagt")
We’re recycling potato skins to make prebiotics: here’s why that’s good for your gut – and the planet
By Eleanor Binner and Afroditi Chatzifragkou
It’s an unbelievable tragedy that a third of the world’s food is wasted. To put that in perspective, it would take an area the size of China to grow that much food – and if food waste were a country it would be the world’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/header-potato-gdd520f4ff_1920.jpeg "Potato peels. Image: jhenning / Pixabay")