SOUTH AFRICA – The South African Military Health Service (SAMHS) has joined forces with plastics recycling company PETCO South Africa to launch a separation-at-source recycling initiative in Limpopo.
SAMHS will draw on the expertise of the South African PET Recycling Company (PETCO), with whom it has signed a partnership agreement.
As part of the source-separated recycling initiative, SAMHS will equip its kitchens and accommodation with bins and cages where the waste will be stored depending on whether it is recyclable or not.
Once filled, these are taken to the container, where participants in the Working on Fire program – an initiative of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment – sort and store the recyclables.
“The center conducts basic military training courses and hosts up to 250 recruits at any one time, generating tons of waste currently destined for landfill,” says SAMHS.
The initiative marks the next chapter in a relationship that has seen PETCO providing training and equipment support to assist SAMHS in meeting its recycling objectives, PETCO said.
“PETCO believes in strengthening and developing relationships with both the public and private sector regarding visible and ongoing recycling projects,” said CEO Cheri Scholtz.
“Recycling is not a one-man show. Industry cannot do it alone, and the Government cannot do it alone. We need each other.”
The relationship between SAHMS and PETCO began in late 2021, when the officer commanding, Colonel MR Mphashi, reached out to PETCO to enquire about starting a recycling program on-site.
“In living up to our standards of protecting the environment entrusted to us, we intend to practice responsible waste management and reduce the amount of waste that ends up at the landfill,” Mphashi said.
The sponsored container will assist the training center, which is located on the rural outskirts of Lephalale, to keep monkeys and other local wildlife from rummaging through and littering the sorted waste.
For the past two years, ahead of the separation-at-source initiative, PETCO has also been running annual recycling workshops to ensure that recruits understand the different types of recyclables and how to sort and separate them.
“PETCO is pleased to have been involved in this project, which enables the diversion of recyclables from landfill,” said Scholtz.
“This is an important community project that has an impact, not just on one person, but on the behavior of many towards the responsible and disciplined disposal of recyclables.
“We trust that the military community will learn more about recycling, actively participate in this initiative and instill this behavior among their own families.”
Scholtz reiterated that the ultimate aim was to grow the collection volumes of sorted recyclables within the greater Lephalale area and contribute to cleaning up the town.
For all the latest packaging and printing industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.