Working closely with partner PROs, municipalities, Industry, and Civil Society, Plastics SA has identified an urgent need in outlying communities for the empowerment of local informal recyclers, local businesses, and NGOs to overcome the current practices of treating used plastic as a worthless product and enabling the potential of its recycling value to be reached.
Beyond general awareness on plastic production, recycling and waste management, the main aim is to support existing collectors to grow their business into well-run buy-back centres that will assist with the absorption of local recyclables and create more income opportunities. This is achieved with the collaboration of PROs and other stakeholders, who contribute tools of the trade such as scales, bailing machines, trailers etc. Before collectors can receive any support, training is given on the actual day to day operations of a recycling business to equip them with the necessary skills to run the buyback centre. This will assist with the development of a new locally based value chain for used plastic, which is essential for reduction, reusing and recycling in a circular economy.
Recent Recycler Training:
- 180 participants at a workshop at the Tshepisong Community Hall in Soweto, organised by the City of Johannesburg, Gauteng Region C, Pikitup and DFFE.
- As part of the Inkwazi Isu Project and in collaboration with the Green Youth Indaba, a group of people were trained at the Amanzimtoti Golf Club and then taken to the Inyathi Garden Centre to visit the multi-recycling-facility and see collection, sorting and recycling taking place.
