Several inspiring industry change-makers – as well as brands making impressive strides in ensuring the sustainability of their products – have been honoured by South Africa’s longest-standing producer responsibility organisation (PRO), Petco.
The annual Petco awards, which recognise inspiring work within the collection and recycling value chain throughout South Africa, have been announced.
The accolades were awarded to 11 recipients in nine categories.
Among the brands recognised was Woolworths, for introducing South Africa's first polyolefin shrink-wrap sleeve on the PET bottles for its iced tea range – ensuring that these bottles can be recycled in South Africa.
Liquid board packaging producer Tetra Pak was also awarded for its innovative school-based recycling campaign which educated almost 20,000 learners about the importance of collecting and recycling liquid board cartons, resulting in the collection of 9.5 tonnes of cartons.
Chemical giant AECI’s buy-back centre support was lauded for facilitating recycling and sustaining jobs, while GreenWay Africa and Heineken’s Project Vuselela improved the collection of recyclable packaging, with a focus on inclusivity for waste pickers in the value chain.
Aside from these industry stakeholders, a number of SMMEs and community-based initiatives were also honoured for their work.
Petco CEO Cheri Scholtz said the purpose of the accolades was to shine a light on unsung sustainability heroes and initiatives throughout South Africa.
“The awards once again recognise South Africans who are making an extraordinary contribution towards building a circular economy for our country.
“These community members and organisations are helping to create income streams in the waste economy, and divert post-consumer packaging from landfills and from ending up in the environment,” said Scholtz.
“These are critical and yet often unrecognised strides in contributing to a sustainable future for our country.”
Other Award winners
NEW CATEGORY – Innovation
Johannesburg-based Infinite Industries upcycles waste plastics into durable construction boards of varying thicknesses, finishes and colours that serve as an eco-conscious alternative to traditional wood.
By sourcing raw materials from a mix of industrial partners and private suppliers, including plastic bottles, liquid board packaging, and rubber tyres, they produce low-cost building materials, school desks, and signage, among other products.
Their impact is significant, diverting 654,765kg (655 tonnes) of combined plastic waste from Gauteng landfills.
Local Authority Recycling Innovation
Belinda Langenhoven, who recently retired from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) in the Western Cape, has spearheaded numerous impactful projects, including the three-year "buy recycled" campaign, recycling roadshows, and training workshops for waste entrepreneurs, leading to the establishment of The Western Cape Recycling Action Group (WCRAG).
Her waste entrepreneur support programme benefitted 35 enterprises from 2016 to 2018, and continues to provide support for waste picker integration programmes.
Her efforts positively impacted waste management across the Cape Metro, five district municipalities, and 24 local municipalities.
Top Woman in Recycling
Covering a 200km radius, Hendrina Recycling operates in areas of Mpumalanga like Hendrina, Middelburg, and Siyabuswa, engaging in impactful initiatives such as awareness campaigns and community outreach.
With a dedicated team of 29 staff and partnerships with schools, municipalities, and non-profit organisations, Hendrina Recycling is transforming waste management and promoting sustainability in the community. Focus on daily collection of recyclable materials resulted in the processing of a total of 706 tonnes in 2023.
Entrepreneur
Inhle Indaloyakhe, a buy-back centre in Daveyton, Gauteng, was founded in 2014 by Suzan Banda, who saw a gap in the environmental sector and a lack of job opportunities in her community for people over the age of 35. Today, the centre actively engages residents, tuck shops and schools in the area to persuade them to separate their waste at source and recycle.
Inhle Indaloyakhe has 30 employees and its operations have expanded into Johannesburg. Its recent establishment of a second recycling centre, equipped with granulating and pelletising machines, has led to a notable increase in the volume of recyclable materials it collects.
Kerbside Collection and Sorting (joint winner)
Recycle'M, a Pietermaritzburg-based initiative, was founded in 2016 and focuses on kerbside recycling collections across approximately 12 suburbs and 25 businesses.
With collections on a weekly set schedule, the business promotes waste diversion from landfills through a separation-at-source system, encouraging residents to place recyclable packaging in clear bags on scheduled days or use specially labelled recycling bins in residential complexes.
Kerbside Collection and Sorting (joint winner)
In 2019, the Oasis retirement resort in Cape Town, started the Oasis Green Team recycling project, dedicated to educating residents and promoting waste separation at the source.
Achieving a diversion rate of over 92% of waste from landfills, Oasis collaborates with service providers WastePlan and YWaste to manage its recycling and waste.
Best Community Recycling Initiative
In Bloemfontein, the Fichardt Park Neighbourhood Association (FNA) launched the Fichardt Park Recycling project in 2013. The project sets up recycling collection points on weekends and deploys additional collection trailers to accommodate increased volumes.
The project collected over 1,400 tonnes of recycling from 2017 to 2023. The initiative involves 2,791 households, a hospital, and two shopping centres, with additional recycling stations at five retirement villages and two estates.
Industry change-makers and organisations honoured with sustainability awards
Image: SUPPLIED
Several inspiring industry change-makers – as well as brands making impressive strides in ensuring the sustainability of their products – have been honoured by South Africa’s longest-standing producer responsibility organisation (PRO), Petco.
The annual Petco awards, which recognise inspiring work within the collection and recycling value chain throughout South Africa, have been announced.
The accolades were awarded to 11 recipients in nine categories.
Among the brands recognised was Woolworths, for introducing South Africa's first polyolefin shrink-wrap sleeve on the PET bottles for its iced tea range – ensuring that these bottles can be recycled in South Africa.
Liquid board packaging producer Tetra Pak was also awarded for its innovative school-based recycling campaign which educated almost 20,000 learners about the importance of collecting and recycling liquid board cartons, resulting in the collection of 9.5 tonnes of cartons.
Chemical giant AECI’s buy-back centre support was lauded for facilitating recycling and sustaining jobs, while GreenWay Africa and Heineken’s Project Vuselela improved the collection of recyclable packaging, with a focus on inclusivity for waste pickers in the value chain.
Aside from these industry stakeholders, a number of SMMEs and community-based initiatives were also honoured for their work.
Petco CEO Cheri Scholtz said the purpose of the accolades was to shine a light on unsung sustainability heroes and initiatives throughout South Africa.
“The awards once again recognise South Africans who are making an extraordinary contribution towards building a circular economy for our country.
“These community members and organisations are helping to create income streams in the waste economy, and divert post-consumer packaging from landfills and from ending up in the environment,” said Scholtz.
“These are critical and yet often unrecognised strides in contributing to a sustainable future for our country.”
Other Award winners
NEW CATEGORY – Innovation
Johannesburg-based Infinite Industries upcycles waste plastics into durable construction boards of varying thicknesses, finishes and colours that serve as an eco-conscious alternative to traditional wood.
By sourcing raw materials from a mix of industrial partners and private suppliers, including plastic bottles, liquid board packaging, and rubber tyres, they produce low-cost building materials, school desks, and signage, among other products.
Their impact is significant, diverting 654,765kg (655 tonnes) of combined plastic waste from Gauteng landfills.
Local Authority Recycling Innovation
Belinda Langenhoven, who recently retired from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) in the Western Cape, has spearheaded numerous impactful projects, including the three-year "buy recycled" campaign, recycling roadshows, and training workshops for waste entrepreneurs, leading to the establishment of The Western Cape Recycling Action Group (WCRAG).
Her waste entrepreneur support programme benefitted 35 enterprises from 2016 to 2018, and continues to provide support for waste picker integration programmes.
Her efforts positively impacted waste management across the Cape Metro, five district municipalities, and 24 local municipalities.
Top Woman in Recycling
Covering a 200km radius, Hendrina Recycling operates in areas of Mpumalanga like Hendrina, Middelburg, and Siyabuswa, engaging in impactful initiatives such as awareness campaigns and community outreach.
With a dedicated team of 29 staff and partnerships with schools, municipalities, and non-profit organisations, Hendrina Recycling is transforming waste management and promoting sustainability in the community. Focus on daily collection of recyclable materials resulted in the processing of a total of 706 tonnes in 2023.
Entrepreneur
Inhle Indaloyakhe, a buy-back centre in Daveyton, Gauteng, was founded in 2014 by Suzan Banda, who saw a gap in the environmental sector and a lack of job opportunities in her community for people over the age of 35. Today, the centre actively engages residents, tuck shops and schools in the area to persuade them to separate their waste at source and recycle.
Inhle Indaloyakhe has 30 employees and its operations have expanded into Johannesburg. Its recent establishment of a second recycling centre, equipped with granulating and pelletising machines, has led to a notable increase in the volume of recyclable materials it collects.
Kerbside Collection and Sorting (joint winner)
Recycle'M, a Pietermaritzburg-based initiative, was founded in 2016 and focuses on kerbside recycling collections across approximately 12 suburbs and 25 businesses.
With collections on a weekly set schedule, the business promotes waste diversion from landfills through a separation-at-source system, encouraging residents to place recyclable packaging in clear bags on scheduled days or use specially labelled recycling bins in residential complexes.
Kerbside Collection and Sorting (joint winner)
In 2019, the Oasis retirement resort in Cape Town, started the Oasis Green Team recycling project, dedicated to educating residents and promoting waste separation at the source.
Achieving a diversion rate of over 92% of waste from landfills, Oasis collaborates with service providers WastePlan and YWaste to manage its recycling and waste.
Best Community Recycling Initiative
In Bloemfontein, the Fichardt Park Neighbourhood Association (FNA) launched the Fichardt Park Recycling project in 2013. The project sets up recycling collection points on weekends and deploys additional collection trailers to accommodate increased volumes.
The project collected over 1,400 tonnes of recycling from 2017 to 2023. The initiative involves 2,791 households, a hospital, and two shopping centres, with additional recycling stations at five retirement villages and two estates.
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