From recycling initiatives promoting education to the top women in recycling; these are the heroes of recycling being given PETCO awards for 2021.
South Africa (03 March 2021) – The PETCO Awards recognise leadership and future-thinking across the PET industry and beyond in addressing recycling, reuse and waste minimisation.
The PETCO Awards is the premier national environmental awards initiative, recognising excellence in reuse, recycling and waste minimisation among businesses, organisations, community groups and individuals within the South African PET plastic industry.
“We are proud to celebrate these extraordinary people and organisations across the country for their contribution. Their success shows that PET plastic waste is not trash,” said Scholtz.
CATEGORY: Best Community Recycling Initiative
JOINT WINNERS: Belville Recycling and Trolley Project (Cape Town, Western Cape)
PETCO sees the training and mentorship of informal reclaimers as critical to improving working conditions and assisting waste entrepreneurs to grow and sustain their businesses, thereby stimulating economic growth, job creation and development in our country. The Belville Recycling and Trolley Project does this by facilitating access to recyclable waste and therefore a more predictable income, providing valuable economic and social services support, and access to training. This project’s value is that it supports businesses in reducing the amount of waste they send to landfills, recycling more and simultaneously helping the community.
The project is the brainchild of the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District (VRCID) and the Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) in conjunction with social development company MES Cape Town. So far, 19 businesses in the Belville CBD are onboard.
“[Businesses] always used to look at us as [if we were] beggars, standing at the robot begging for money. With the trolley system, they respect us more. They can see that we’re decent people,” said Albert Samuels, a reclaimer involved in the initiative.
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