Recycling SMMEs around South Africa recently received an early Christmas gift which will aid them in their hard work to rid the environment of plastic pollution. The gifts came in the form of 1,500 recycling bulk bags collectively worth R130,000 and were thanks not to Saint Nick, but rather to Safripol – a national company which manufactures high-density polyethylene and … [Read more...]
Turning rubbish collectors into micro-entrepreneurs
In South Africa, 98 million tonnes of waste is still sent to landfill each year. Recycling initiatives remain limited and progress is slow. If increased, recycling enterprise could create many jobs for the 25% of the population that remain unemployed. KZN businesswoman and founder of Supa Mama, Thina Maziya, is tackling both of these problems one refuse bag at a time. Here’s … [Read more...]
Changing lives one planet friendly bag at a time
Can you imagine a bag created from recycled seatbelts, reused car/homestead upholstery and rejected fabric sample books? This is exactly what planet friendly bag company I Scream & Red has done. They also bind all their products with natural or organic cotton and materials to ensure that it is green endorsed. Not only the earth benefits here. People from previously … [Read more...]
Creative women find solution for paper waste
In September 2010, a warm-hearted, creative woman in Kleinmond, in the Western Cape, had the idea of teaching jobless women to make gift bags from waste paper. With the support of a friend, they set up a workshop and hired women to learn the skills. Of the original group, two showed their commitment and their willingness to work longer and harder than they were paid to do – … [Read more...]
Plastic pollution leads to desperate measures
On 30 March 2011 a first meeting to attempt to ban plastic bags from South Africa was held at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. "The plastic bag we want banned is the checkout bag at supermarkets. Cashiers just hand them to you and ask: would you like a bag?" says Hayley McLellan, senior bird trainer at the Aquarium and initiator of the Ban the bag campaign. "My ideal … [Read more...]
