Across South Africa, and the world are a group of determined women who come from an impoverished community that you may have never heard of. These are Woman Waste Pickers. They search high and low for recyclables that can be transformed from waste into a source of limitless creative potential. Inspired and motivated by the women Waste Pickers of Phalaborwa, South Africa, who … [Read more...]
Community programme educates learners about recycling
Packa-Ching, an innovative community recycling collection initiative is on a mission to improve South Africa’s recycling rate by mobilising schools and their learners. Started by Polyolefin Responsibility Organisation NPC (Polyco) in 2017, Packa-Ching mobile units are now operating in six areas across South Africa. Residents have so far been paid out over R2.5million for the … [Read more...]
PET bottle recycling benefits the environment while creating income
Despite global market contractions, and now the rolling economic impact of Covid-19, South Africa’s PET plastic recycling value chain has kept its wheels turning, delivering another positive annual recycling rate while creating thousands of jobs for informal reclaimers who returned to work under level three of the national lockdown. According to new statistics released by … [Read more...]
New recycling project to create jobs in Limpopo
Residents in northern Limpopo are becoming eco warriors, thanks to a new campaign which aims to see environmental waste reduced and much-needed jobs created at the same time. A “separation at source” project is being rolled out in the towns of Thohoyandou and Sibasa in Limpopo’s Thulamela Municipality, thanks to a sponsorship of 200 waste separation bins worth over R160,000 … [Read more...]
Recycling ‘too much effort’ for most South Africans
Data from a new survey tapping into the public’s attitudes towards recycling has revealed that the majority of working and middle-class South Africans simply find recycling too much effort. In the largest consumer research in South Africa of its kind, almost 1,000 adults – mostly from major cities in South Africa, but including peri-urban and rural areas – spanning living … [Read more...]
Recycling plastic presents income opportunities for South Africans
One of the best motivating forces for recycling plastic waste comes from the income opportunities that it creates. This is why South Africa has such a large sector of informal waste pickers – citizens that collect plastic recyclables from landfills and other waste streams and sell them to recycling companies for a profit. Waste management is an important part of society. … [Read more...]
Entrepreneurship initiative fights poverty with e-waste
South Africa’s unemployment rate is one of the highest in the world with our crippling economy being unable to provide adequate formal employment opportunities. In partnership with leading household appliance companies and retailers, one initiative is making a real difference by providing income-generating opportunities for the unemployed. By donating their customer returned … [Read more...]
Partners for the future of sustainable plastic packaging in SA
Consumers play a crucial part in the closed loop system of sustainable brands. Buying products with recycled content and continuing to reduce, reuse and recycle is integral to the end-of-life solution for any product. For the past 12 years, PETCO has worked closely with the plastics industry, community members, municipalities, NGO’s and entrepreneurs to create a more … [Read more...]
Solving the Eskom problem and poverty simultaneously
The South African government’s plan to spend almost R1 trillion on nuclear power, and the nuclear agreements between SA and China, Russia, France, Korea have got me thinking. Imagine this scenario. The Russian state-run bank lends SA R1 trillion. SA pays this 1 trillion straight back to the Russian State-run Nuclear company Rosatom who spends a portion of this on building … [Read more...]
New waste roadmap for Green Economy
“Leaders, visionaries, activists and people are led by intuition and fed by imagination as they redraw the maps and rewrite the rules.” (Adapted from the PETCO 10 year Anniversary Review.) Ten years have passed since PETCO was founded to look after the recycling of PET plastic in South Africa. PETCO is also the Green Times’ most longstanding and loyal partner, who grasped … [Read more...]
Play your part in plastic recycling
Ever wondered what happens to your plastic bottles after you’ve discarded them? Most of them are thrown into rubbish bins and end up in one of South Africa’s strained land fill sites. A more viable and environmentally friendly alternative is to deliver them to the plastics recovery stations at municipal drop-off centres, for recovery and recycling. Alternatively, participate … [Read more...]
Zuma urges return to the land
South African president Jacob Zuma urged millions of South Africans to return to the land as a way to augment income and reduce food insecurity. Speaking in late October at a dinner hosted by the recently-launched African Farmers Association of South Africa, Zuma said his government would continue to promote food gardens and other types of subsistence agriculture for people to … [Read more...]
New science centre to promote conservation
In 2004, stakeholders tabled a wish list with the former Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, who had allocated a substantial amount of funds for the construction of a Botanical Garden and an Environmental Awareness Centre in the Limpopo Province. The first sod of soil was turned back then, and now, years later, after a few stoppages in construction and the … [Read more...]
