In September, waste could help develop communities through entrepreneurship, advance education, support local talent through performing arts and conserve the environment.

In celebration of Clean-Up South Africa Week and Recycling Day, Collect-a-Can, Nampak Bevcan and Nampak DivFood is hosting a fun-filled Recycling for South Africa campaign from Monday 1 September to Friday 19 September with the aim of transforming Gauteng into a cleaner, healthier and happier province.

This pilot campaign will be launched in selected Gauteng communities, including Orange Farm, Soshanguve and Soweto, where clean-up and recycling initiatives will take place to help protect, sustain and grow South Africa.

Collecting cans

The campaign will be twofold. Firstly Recycling for South Africa requires South Africans from all walks of life to collect used cans at their place of work, their homes or among their friends and family for the duration of the campaign and then bring them to one of the clean-up events.

The money generated through recycling these cans will be donated to selected charities. Buy-back centres will also be setup in each community for a week, where community members can sell their used cans for cash.

Community clean-ups

The second part of the campaign will call for corporates, other organisations, individuals and communities to come together to beautify their environment through community clean-up initiatives scheduled over the three-week period.

Conserving the environment
The campaign aims to make a sustainable and significant impact in conserving the environment by safeguarding our beautiful country for future generations, while contributing to developing the participating communities.

“There is a natural fit between environmental conservation and the metals packaging industry,” says Zimasa Velaphi, public relations and marketing manager of Collect-a-Can. “Both aluminium and steel packaging are infinitely and 100% recyclable, greatly contributing to reducing South Africa’s carbon footprint and saving our natural resources.”

Weekly themes
The campaign will be broken down into three week themes:

Week 1 – Recycling for Performing Arts

Week 2 – Recycling for Education

Week 3 – Recycling for our Environment

Each of these will contribute to the ultimate goal of ‘Recycling for South Africa’.

“We are challenging all likeminded organisations and individuals with a commitment to improving education, conserving the environment or advancing performing arts to help keep our country clean and start recycling for a better South Africa,” says Alex Bouwer, marketing manager for Nampak Bevcan’s CAN DO!

For more information about Recycling for South Africa or if one would like to join the fun-filled event to make South Africa a cleaner, healthier and happier place, phone (011) 466 2939 or email info@collectacan.co.za.