The successful PETCO Separation at Source programme to improve municipal waste management and boost the green economy begins nationwide rollout.
A UNIQUE programme aimed at upping collection and recycling rates, boosting green economy jobs and diverting waste from landfills has started to roll out across South Africa.
Following a successful pilot rollout in Thohoyandou and Sibasa in Limpopo in March last year, the Separation at Source programme has celebrated its launch in a second province – KwaZulu Natal.
The May 13 launch in Umlazi saw PETCO – the national industry organisation that supports polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle recycling and collections – hand over 120 recycling bins, sponsored by SA’s leading polymer producer Safripol, to environmental group Isphepho Enviro Ambassadors. The donation worth over R230 000 also included 50 bulk bags, a 12m storage container, platform scale, signage and a 6m volume trailer.
The colour-coded green (glass), yellow (plastics), blue (paper) and red (cans) bins will appear at schools, communities and businesses in and around Umlazi and will allow residents and businesses to separate out their household waste for the first time. This means – at least for those who partake in the project – that only waste which cannot be recycled will end up in the municipality’s landfills.
Isphepho (isiZulu meaning ‘tornado’) collects recyclables from the community and also facilitates clean-ups in Durban. So far, 20 schools in Umlazi have joined the Separation at Source programme, with Isphepho collecting a minimum of 10 tonnes of PET plastic a month. Isphepho aims to increase the number of schools registered to more than 50 over the next year.
