A man sorts through cans for recycling. Picture: File
Pretoria - Nine individuals and organisations have been recognised for their innovative and impactful work in recycling.
Four of the winners are from Gauteng, and they form part of an expanding industry that is creating employment while cleaning up urban and rural landscapes.
The winners were announced by PET Recycling Company, at its annual general meeting.
PET Recycling Company chief executive Cheri Scholtz said the awards highlighted a cross-section of actors in the collection and recycling value chain.
“We salute these winners' efforts – their grit, determination and innovativeness,” she said.
Jointly recognised as winners in the Best Community Recycling Initiative category were Litter4tokens and Umphakathi Recyclers.
Founder of Umphakathi Recyclers, Smanga Mthembu, believes that waste only becomes trash when thrown away.
The initiative employs six people while the burial scheme covers 438 households.
PepsiCo Sub-Saharan Africa also from Gauteng won in the Design for Circularity category.
PepsiCo South Africa’s Meghna Laxman MacDonald said their strategy catalysed growth and understood that there was shared value to be achieved.
Another joint winner was the Recycling Partnership Gamechanger category that was won by Safripol and partners from Gauteng, Masekhethele, a joint venture between Siyavuma Foundation and Thinavhuuo Recycling from Limpopo.
Safripol sustainability manager, Avashnee Chetty, said some of the initiatives that the company had was separation at source, starting at their own business.
The award for the category of Top Woman in Recycling was won by Westworld Recycling, also from Gauteng.
Other categories included the Environmental Education and Awareness Initiative category, which was won by Isphepho Enviro Ambassadors from KwaZulu-Natal.
The PET-repreneur category was won by Ahmed Scholtz, The Artell from the North West.
The Worth in your Waste category award was won by Zonda Insila Programme.
Pretoria News